This one is not a big deal but still stumped me.
There’s a thrift shop near my home. Not goodwill but similar. I walked up to the register and placed my items on the counter. The cashier was several steps away and came right over. She had a blank look on her face a moment and said “are these yours?” motioning to two floor lamps near the register. I said oh no they aren’t mine and realized there’s a woman who placed the lamps there then must’ve gotten distracted and kept shopping at a nearby rack. I apologize and move over.
It turns out the shopper did put the floor lamps there and actually had been rung up for them already, but had not paid. So the cashier must have known they were hers after ringing them up - how the transaction was interrupted, I have no idea. I don’t know why she asked if they were mine, except maybe she didn’t know how to say “I’ve already started another customer’s sale.” All of this is totally fine with me, I get distracted too, and I figure the shopper will come back now and complete the sale. Nope. She says, “those are mine!” and stays at the nearby rack she was browsing but doesn’t walk over to the register.
The three of us stand there looking at each other. Nobody moves. We’re at an impasse. The cashier quietly says to the shopper “Do you still want these?” The shopper shrugs her shoulders and says “hmmmmm I’m not sure yet.” 🤷🏻♀️ Still doesn’t approach the counter. Goes back to shopping! The cashier is baffled. I’m baffled. The sale is still open and she can’t ring me up until it’s closed. She sighs and heads to the back of the store to get approval to suspend the transaction.
What was the plan here? Were we all supposed to wait until she was done shopping so other costumers could finally be rung up? The thing that got me the most was the full shrug gesture complete with grimace face. So inconsiderate! That and how many moments of silence transpired during this bizarre interaction.
Legend has it the shopper still isn’t sure about the floor lamps! 🤷🏻♀️