Convenience

The grocery store is quite a place to meet people or, sometimes, to see people you don't want to meet. The latter sort of humanity is often in closer proximity late at night at grocery stores open twenty-four hours a day. Inexplicably, my local place is open all night and shuts down its automated checkout lanes during that slack period. One would think that is when it would be most valuable, relieving the store of the need for very many cashiers. Of course, they don't use very many at night- just one.

That leads the line to build up considerably if there is very much business whatsoever. People who shop late at night are in my experience not very reserved, and so when in line with them there is much to learn about them by listening and declining to involve oneself verbally. The other night, there I was waiting in line after shopping for some groceries after improv class. There were some somewhat interesting characters about.

Ahead of me was a gentleman buying four Red Bulls. I discovered that he also had a bottle of vodka waiting with the cashier. He furthermore ordered up cigarettes and condoms, but was told that the condoms could not be purchased, as the cashier did not have the key. The cigarettes were available, however- it seems like it must be inefficient to store them separately from the prophylactics, but I didn't go to school for that stuff. Why, I wonder now, did the cashier even ask what kind of condoms?

Behind me were a couple of outgoing guys in cowboy boots. It seemed that they were buying small quantities of a bunch of things, and I imagined them outfitting the mini fridge of a motel room. Behind those guys were a guy and a girl who had several packages of oatmeal and little else. The guy seemed rather defensive when questioned by the cowboys on this imbalance, and I can't imagine it was for the first time.

For my part, I did my best to give off no impression about myself. I like socializing and making friends, but I go to parties and bars to achieve it, not retail outlets. I put my goods on the conveyor, diligently moved the two dividers as customers were processed, paid and helped bag my groceries. I left with my food and no annoyances, although I found that the cowboys were there walking behind me almost all the way to my own apartment building. One wonders what their business was on my street and whether I should have recognized them. I often don't.