Cashiers Are Revealing Items They've Secretly Judged Customers For Buying (And I Think I'll Stick To Self-Checkout From Now On)

Have you ever been in line to check out at a store, and you suddenly started to worry what the cashier might think about your purchases?

I recently wrote two posts about things cashiers of the BuzzFeed Community secretly judge people for buying. It's safe to say, people have a lot to say — and think — about this topic! So without further ado, here are even more specific things people ringing up your items at the store are judging you for buying.

1."I work at a higher-end home and garden store. I hardcore judge the rich white ladies who buy a $500 painting and then return it the next day because it 'didn’t work in the space.'"

2."The only customer whose purchases I remember was this really nice older guy who came in every Friday to get lube, enemas, and condoms. Sometimes he'd buy pantyhose and panties. Guys buying stuff like that wasn't a remarkable thing, but he was so polite and consistent. The dude partied every weekend, I guess."

—Kathleen Ebinger

3."I once worked at a small, upscale home goods store and had a guy come in reeking of weed (no judgment; I love my edibles too!). He said he made tacos and his house smelled like tacos — his solution? He bought $250 worth of scented candles."

—lauraschmitz

4."When I worked at Victoria’s Secret in college, I remember some lady returned her used underwear with a period stain on it, and my manager told me to give her a new pair for free because we accepted used items. I hope that policy has changed, and not sure why it was allowed in the first place. We obviously marked it as damaged, but not sure why she decided it was okay to return a used pair. At least if you’re gonna stoop that low for a free new pair, wash it first?"

5."I would always judge the people who justified their orders to me. Like, I don’t care if you’re doing keto and want butter coffee or a heavy whip frappé. Stop telling me your entire medical history and tell me the size."

6."When I worked at Home Depot, we had a customer come and try to return a used toilet seat, saying it wasn't as comfortable as he had hoped. I judged, hard."

7."I worked at a nonprofit in a city, and we had subsidized daycare for underprivileged individuals. Nothing is more disheartening than getting to work in a beat-up old car that you’re duct-taping together because you’re not making a lot of money while working for a nonprofit — and people are dropping kids off at free daycare in Escalades, Mercedeses, and Cadillacs."

—jenniferg51

8."I judge people who buy Fila shoes. Like, seriously, why do that to yourself?"

—Rei Morrison

9."People who buy their kids candy at 8 p.m. and wonder why they’re wired."

10."I had a guy try to return a used toothbrush with no receipt, and not even all the pieces were included. He then went off at me requesting the manager. Sir, you can’t return hygiene products."

—Lauren Bilham

11."I worked at a Macy’s in college. We were not allowed to return shoes that were worn unless they were defective. I once had a lady try to return three pairs of Jessica Simpson heels that had clearly been worn. When I told her that we couldn’t take them back, she started throwing them at me."

12."My local cashier loves to comment when I buy chips and candy. They'll ask, 'Chips and candy...is that dinner?' And the times I don't buy those items, he asks where the chips and candy are today. He's done it literally eight times in a row, and it makes me so anxious, I've stopped going there."

13."I work in a pharmacy, so naturally, I'm going to be at the register at times ringing out prescriptions. I don't get super judgy, but there was one time I couldn't help but turn bright red when someone came to pick up their boner pills and also had me ring up a giant tub of Vaseline. That will forever scar my memories."

—j40933caa8

14."I used to work at Blockbuster (I know, aging myself here). Toward the end, corporate decided that because the Pickle-in-a-Pouch snack was popular at 7-Eleven (where our last CEO had been just prior), it should be sold at Blockbuster. I judged the hell out of anyone bringing one of those things to the checkout."

15."I once had a garage sale, and a lady came looking for a baby gift for her neighbor who had just given birth. I had a baby blanket I was selling for $5 and suggested that. She replied, 'No thanks, I don’t like her THAT much!' SMH..."

—rctokheim

16."I am a super-judgy person (I won’t even lie) when people buy a load of discounted stock in every size, because you know damn well they are going to try to flog that on eBay or at a market! I also have gotten a lot of people trying to return gifts or items 'found in my __’s house after they passed' that are past the return policy. Once, somebody used the words, 'This was at full price when I bought it.' I had a full-scale Karen scream at me about a bag of items that 'would have been full price' but were at least a year old from a dead person's house. I was like, 'Yeah, you clearly respect that person enough to try and return old crap, you absolute sponger.'

—Jordan Kinnear

17."I remember back in the late '90s, I worked as a cashier at a Thrifty Drug Store. A customer had me price-check everything in her very full shopping cart except her lube. So yes, I judged her like Judy!"

—mamamiacostley

Have you ever worked as a cashier and judged someone based on what they purchased? Tell me about it in the comments below!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.