Customers typically make a big deal & embarrass themselves.

One of the things from working at Walmart that I realized is that everyone feels embarrassed about buying things, no matter what it is. You have the guys who look young (~16 to 25) and are buying diapers, tampons, pads, etc. and are acting totally awkward, then you have the guys who look young yet mature (or older/~18 and up) and are buying diapers, tampons, pads, etc. and are acting totally normal. Like they’ve done it before. It’s no biggie.

Girls are like that, too, though. I realized it gets worse when they’re with their boyfriend. Sometimes their boyfriend decides that they have to be all clingy and crap, and other times their boyfriend’s just goofing off with whomever they find and know in the store.

I’ll admit to being embarrassed when buying tampons (though I can’t use them anymore, so never mind) and pads, especially when the package really stands out/is big/etc. It’s really bulky, and everyone knows. However, I’ve never had to buy condoms or pregnancy tests, so I’m pretty sure my embarrassment (I usually just have a straight face, to be honest) isn’t as obvious as…

  • “Excuse me, ma’am?” I turned around to see a girl who literally looked like she thirteen/fourteen or below. She asked where the cheapest pregnancy tests were located, and I said behind checkout ___, and the next thing I know, she’s in my line buying one. About an hour later her mom and brother are there, her brother calling her a dirty slut for wearing her pretty dress out in public, and her mom asked her if she bought her stuff with her $2. The pregnancy tests I pointed her to were 99 cents, plus tax. …I’m guessing the brother did it, and the mom had no idea whatsoever?
  • “How are you doing today?” The next thing I know, the lady customer is freaking out and all like, “Oh, I am so embarrassed,” and her husband is just shaking his head. Apparently she bought a pregnancy test…? And they had been trying for years…? And she was so embarrassed to still be picking one up…? And she was married…? And she didn’t have kids…? And they had a small chance of getting pregnant…? Personally, I would have been nervous/scared/whatever and hoping that that pregnancy test was positive and truthful to me – not embarrassed…
  • Three ladies came to the store with their friends and bought that KY junk, and they had a coupon for each one, plus one buy one get one free for every two. They ended up only paying twelve bucks. I suppose it was smart, but the fact that they’re talking about their fetishes and how they’re all married and “swingers” – in just those three couples… – is something I did not want to know.

And then there are others who laugh about it all. Or they’re so embarrassed that they hate it. If you’re embarrassed about it, don’t buy it. If you’re going to make a fool out of yourself whilst buying, assume your cashier is judging you, blah, blah and blah, that’s really childish.

As a former cashier, from my experience I don’t have the time to focus hard on where I may or may not know you from. I’m not going to judge you because checking you out is really my only priority. Unless you make a big deal out of it and/or are just that memorable, I’m not going to remember you.

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Comments on this post

As a another former cashier, I will happily say that I don’t care, and unless they go to my register at least several times a week, I wouldn’t recognize them. It’s immature to try to explain yourself while you’re buying them. It’s also immature and unprofessional for cashiers to make comments about them, and I guess that’s what customers are afraid of. But what other people buy and the reasons for them is not of a cashier’s concern, and most cashiers recognize that and act professionally.

I used to be pretty embarrassed about purchasing tampons in public. I have no clue why because every woman on this earth either has a period or has had one, lol.

I don’t work at Walmart but it’s my favorite store and you’ve made some points that I’ll definitely be looking out for next time I visit the store. Lol.

I don’t work there anymore; I quit.

I have never bought any of those things. Although, I don’t think cashiers really give a damn. They see tons of people every day and aren’t going to remember some preteen buying a pregnancy test … okay maybe they will. But who cares? You don’t know her. The other day I heard two girls who were maybe 15-16 loudly talking about pregnancy tests as they looked for them. Why must people make such a huge deal with these things? Just pick up whatever you’re getting and pay for it. End of story.

I made my last two boyfriends pick up tampons for me. It is a wonderful way to judge their respective levels of maturity. The older of the two was way more awkward about it. Although I think it’s because he’s an only child, while the other one has three sisters.

I used to be embarrassed because it was new for me… when I was 13. Sometimes I’ll still get embarrassed but I just smile and pay for my stuff. I have had cashiers make things awkward though with pregnancy tests. “Oh? Hoping or Not hoping?”. “I’ve never had good results with this.”, “The cheaper ones work better.” Then there was a “Oh a celebration if you’re not pregnant?” when I was also buying wine and what not with pregnancy tests.

My sister has since gotten over her fear of buying tampons at the store, but for the longest time I had to do it for her. When you live in a small town and you go to school with the cashiers it’s just awkward, so I understand.