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Claire Donohue

Classification Essay

7 October 2020

Food Lion Shoppers

Grocery stores are a cross-section of society. They are one of the only places where
everyone—no matter who they are, where they are from, or what they are doing— must go to
purchase necessities. As a cashier at Food Lion, I encounter all types of people, from salt and
pepper men in suits and ties, to young children buying candy without their parents’ permission.
The type of customers that I check out determine how enjoyable, interesting, and uncomfortable
my shifts are. While some cause me to ponder quitting, such as the Creepy Men and the People I
Did A Group Project With A Year Ago, others, like the Out-of-Towners and the Exhausted
Parents, entertain me.

The Out of Towners

The Out-of-Towners are one of my favorite bunches at the grocery store. Because they are on
vacation, they are in great moods and make lively conversation (unless they are foreigners who
don’t speak English, which is surprisingly common). Additionally, their purchases are small and
easy. The only downside to Out-of-Towners is that they typically ask many questions that I do
not know the answer to. One tall, middle-aged man asked me where the nearest ABC store was,
which was not a very smart question to ask a teenage girl who cannot purchase alcohol. Other
common questions include, “What are some fun things to do around here?” “Where can I get
[insert non-food item]?” and “Is the oceanfront north or south of here?”

The Exhausted Parents

We all know them. We see them at the mall, at the doctor, and, of course, at the grocery store.
The Exhausted Parent makes you wonder if you still want to have children one day. As their
babies cry, their toddlers hang on their legs, and their five-year-olds beg for chocolate bars at the
register, the Exhausted Parents can be seen questioning their life decisions. The most recent
Exhausted Parent I encountered had a tiny blonde toddler in a striped shirt, and a preteen
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daughter with dyed blue hair. The young boy ran around like a puppy off leash, followed closely
by his sister who was tasked with stopping him, but really made it into a game. The mother
looked at me with tired eyes, premature forehead wrinkles, and a look that said “Help me,” as
she paid for her groceries and slowly walked away. My coworker and I exchanged pitiful glances
and I carried on with the next customer.

The Creepy Men

Unfortunately, Creepy Men are not a rare sight at Food Lion. Typically Grandpa-aged, they walk
past male cashiers with open registers and make their way to the young female employees.
Creepy Men almost always purchase a six pack of beer and smell of liquor and smoke. They
stare at you the entire time you are checking out their groceries, and for some illogical reason,
they believe you want to be complimented while you are literally just doing your job. One of the
most objectionable flatteries I have experienced was by a short, grey, wrinkly man who bought
only alcohol. As I declined the register’s request for ID, he told me that I “looked really pretty”
even though he “couldn’t see my face.” Wonder what he was talking about.

The People I Did a Group Project With A Year Ago

No matter where you work, it is always uncomfortable when The People You Did a Group
Project With A Year Ago arrive. You know, the people you sort of know, but not well enough to
make it awkward. In fact, the conversation is rather forced, and silences that would otherwise be
comfortable, become cringeworthy. I’ve come across a handful of these People I Did A Group
Project With A Year Ago, and I am never sure whether or not I should say hello—do they even
recognize me? One girl I was almost friends with, but not really, came through my line and not a
word was spoken. When she forgot one of her groceries and returned to my register, she saw my
name tag and her eyes widened in apology. We then danced around “how are you”s and
awkward giggles until she left, and I haven’t seen her since.

Cashiers can only hope that friendly, respectful customers will arrive at their registers.
However, there is no restriction on who can enter a grocery store. Unwanted compliments,
awkward silences, and questions you do not know the answer to are inevitable, and they only
build character. While cashier shifts may be boring, the people never are.