Skip to main content

Is There A Time Warp In Here Or Are You Just Messing With Me?

I'm 44 years old.  On a good day, I look 43½ .  On a bad day, maybe 50 or 55, I'm not sure.  One thing is for certain, though, the only time I look under 21 is in pictures that were taken when I was under 21.  Why am I telling you this?  Because there is a cashier at our local supermarket that insists on carding me every time I buy beer or wine.  Every. Time.

When I go shopping, I like to use the self check-out lanes (we call them U-Scan).  If I'm buying a few bottles of wine or a 12 pack of Landshark (I'm not much of a beer drinker, but Landshark just tastes like summer to me) the routine normally goes like this: I scan the product, look over to the cashier and wave, she waves back, overrides the age requirement and I put the beer or wine in a bag.  Easy, peasey.   Unless "Carol" (I don't know if that's her name) is working the U-Scan station.

The first time I came up against "Carol" I was buying a few bottles of wine.  I scanned the first one, looked over at her and waved, then waited for the screen to show that the age requirement had been waived.  I was still facing the U-Scan monitor when I saw her approach out of the corner of my eye.  She walked right up to me and stared without saying a word.  When I turned in her direction she said "I need to see your whole face."  She had already seen my whole face, but I guess I look 20 years younger in profile, who'd have thunk it?  Weird.

I gotta be honest, that sort of irritated me.  There are dozens of different cashiers in that store and no one had ever behaved that way whether I was going through the U-Scan or a full service lane.

A week or so ago, I found myself once again checking out in the U-Scan with "Carol" running the station.  I scanned all of my other groceries first and saved the wine to the end.  I dragged the bottle over the scanner and waved to her (making sure she could see my whole face) so that she could see I was "of age" to purchase alcohol.  Still, she came over and stared at me.  I asked if she wanted my birth date and she said she did.  "Three eighteen sixty-eight," I said.  She just stood there and continued to stare, so next I asked if she wanted to see my ID.  Yes, it turned out, she did.  "Do I look under 21 to you?" I asked her.  "Maybe," she said, "but that could be because I'm so old."  Using that logic, she could mistake my 12 year old daughter for a toddler.  I had no idea what she meant but I showed her my ID through the window in my wallet.  I was just waiting for her to insist I take it out so she could hold it up to the light.    

So what's the deal with this woman?  Could she be against the purchase of alcohol in general or is it just me she has a problem with?  Does she know that Prohibition was repealed in 1933?  I know that stores have to protect themselves from selling to underage customers, but come on, do I look anywhere close to 21 to you?



Willoughby

Comments

Hopie said…
That my friend is what they call a first world problem. I would take it as a compliment and not let it bother you to much. Some day she will stop doing it and you may even miss it.
I can see how it could be a pain in the neck though...I hate when the markets make us use those stupid cards that track every single thing we buy.
I vacation on Lake Willoughby in Vermont with my family every year. It is so pretty there.
Yep girlfriend, I'd just take it as a complement and go on.

Ya should see how mad my son The Geek gets when someones asks if I'm his wife. Ya can hear the NNnnnnnooooo! ~~for miles. Heeehehehe!!! I just smile!

God bless ya sweetie an have a marvelous Easter Weekend!!! :o)
Bill Lisleman said…
Would it be different if the clerk was a man? I worked a beer tent a few times at a local summer fest and the women seem to love me carding them.
Raoulysgirl said…
My sister is 10 yrs. older than me. I'm 32, she's 42. For the record, I can say (in complete honesty) that she does NOT look even 10 yrs. older than me. Probably no more than 5.

However, this weekend, we were out and about together with my 5 yr. old. THREE people made a comment to my sister about how cute her GRANDDAUGHTER is. (She doesn't look old enough to have grandchildren, either.) This is not the first time this has happened either. And, of course, I always feel like a jackass because...well...I don't exactly know why. Some people just need to pay attention!!! =)
Betty Manousos said…
i would just take it as a compliment, my friend.

i feel you, it's pretty annoying when the markets make us use those stupid cards. i mean come on!

wish you and yours a very happy and blessed easter!

big hugs!
Jenny said…
I think I'd just have to hug her.

But, hey, that's just me.

ha!

Cute post.
Unknown said…
My thoughts are:

1.) Carol is hot for you.
2.) Carol takes things waay too seriously.
3.) Carol likes to bother people - in which case act like you LOVE showing your ID & have it ready before scanning. Wave it in the air like you just don't care. This will piss Carol off because you have taken all her fun of slowing you down away. She will think twice in the future.

;)

Popular posts from this blog

It's Wednesday, Welcome Back To The Cocktail Party!

Welcome to Willoughby's Blog Style Cocktail Party. I hope you will find some new blogs to follow and expand your circle of blog friends. I know you're all anxious to mingle, so I'll get right to it. I'd like to introduce Deidra from Jumping Tandem .  I know you'll enjoy her blog as much as I do. Keeping It Real.... Deidra I'm an East Coast girl living in the midwest because I love my husband (I call him "H" around here) and his work brought us here. We have been blessed with two amazing children (currently in college) and an empty nest that I absolutely love! Don't get me wrong, I love my kids but they're destined to change the world and they can't do that living under my roof (although they're welcome back anytime for love, prayers, support, encouragement, and of course homecooked meals and clean laundry). Did I mention that H is a pastor? So that makes me the pastor's wife - but don't let that blur your vision. H is...

Bugging Out

Spring is such a wonderful time of year.  The birds have returned and greet each morning with their lovely songs.  The tree branches are covered with green buds ready to burst into life.  The grass has shed it's yellow/brown pallor in favor of a lovely emerald.  The air is warm and breezy.  It's all so lovely except for one thing.  The bugs. Because of our nearly uninhabitable climate during the winter months, we don't see many bugs from late October through early April.  I almost forget how much I hate them until they come back.  And they know I hate them so they taunt me.  Ever since the thermometer hit the 60 degree mark, we've had flies congregating around the back porch.  I can't sit out there and enjoy my morning coffee without having them buzz past me. Now, flies I hate, but spiders I absolutely loathe.  Friday morning I walked into the bathroom to dry my hair and spotted what I thought was a bumble ...

How Small Town Is Small Town?

I grew up in the suburbs.  From the house I lived in, you never had to travel more than a mile to get to  shopping malls, restaurants, drug stores or gas stations.  We had multiple movie theaters, bowling alleys, golf courses and a water park. After Mr. Willoughby and I got married, we lived in an apartment in that same suburb for a few years. From there we moved to another suburban area, and then the city.  It was while we were living in the city that we started spending our weekends on country drives and shopping at flea markets and farm stands.   We found ourselves charmed by the small towns with their farmhouses and quaint shops. When it was time to get out of our house in the city, we decided that we wanted to live in the country. It was an adjustment at first.  The closest place to shop (other than Kmart or the supermarket) is 20 miles away.  We have no movie theaters and only a...