My wife (f30) and I (m36), were in one of our local walmarts, near closing ( idk if all walmarts close at 11 since Covid but all ours do) not wearing the vest that every store in the area has gone back to, I honestly think my wife was in pj. This lady came up to us and asked where something was, my wife happened to know so she told her and went back to what we were looking at, a few minutes later she came up to me and said "fitting rooms." I assumed she didn't know where they were and since we'd helped her before felt comfortable asking one of us so I pointed her towards the fitting rooms and started to walk back to my wife and she stops me and says "No I know where they are but they are locked and I need one of you to unlock them" I told her we don't work here which led to her cussing at me and calling me a lier that she sees us in here all the time and we are never doing our job my wife and I just laughed and walked away but, we do still joke about here often.

Went to Belk (a department store in Florida) wearing my Toronto Maple Leafs T-shirt with jean shorts. (it’s 85 deg). I was looking at the clearance rack (petites) when a woman comes up asking where the regular sized clearance clothes were. I responded with I have no clue and she looked shocked and said “you don’t work here”? Not sure what the dress code is for Belk employees but I’m sure I wasn’t in it! My daughter thought it was hilarious! Wasn’t a bad interaction - just bewildering!

Average height in my culture is around 5’5”, but I’m a full foot taller at 6’5”. Because of that, I often get asked to help reach things on high shelves at grocery stores. I don’t mind helping out as long as it’s light — 2-3 kg is fine. Anything heavier, though, tends to bring down a mini avalanche of dust, which no one wants.

This story takes place in 2022, shortly after my family moved into a new apartment near a massive wholesaler called Metro Cash & Carry. It’s similar to Walmart, owned by a German company (now acquired by Reliance), and caters to business owners. Most of the smaller stores in the area get their stock from there, so it’s a good place for us to shop in bulk.

On this day, my wife and I split up to handle our shopping list faster. She was picking up oils, and I was gathering grains. I noticed a good deal on 1 kg packs of wheat that made them cheaper per kilo than the 5 kg packs. However, the 1 kg packs were almost out on the main shelf, so I reached up to the top shelf and pulled some down. Just then, an old woman behind me politely asked if I could get five for her as well. I didn’t mind, so I passed them to her, and she thanked me before moving on.

I started pushing my cart toward the legume section when I heard a loud “Excuse me!” I thought someone was calling an employee, so I kept going, but then came an even louder “Excuse me!” I turned around, and there she was: a Karen waving me down like she was hailing a cab.

• I pointed to myself, confused. “You talking to me?”
• Karen snapped, “Yes! Can you please help me?”
• Without moving, I asked, “With what?”

Karen pointed at a 5 kg pack of rice on the top shelf and asked if I could bring it down for her. I glanced at the hefty pack and, politely as I could, explained that it was a bit too heavy for me to grab safely and suggested she ask an actual employee — there were two nearby — to help. Then I turned back to continue with my shopping.

Not five seconds later, I felt a tug on my arm. Karen was now physically pulling me back toward the rice shelf! She kept yanking my arm, insisting, “It’s not that heavy. I’m in a hurry. Just get it for me!”

For a moment, I just stood there, completely shocked and honestly a little flustered. I may be big, but I’m also non-confrontational and tend to avoid scenes. So, instead of arguing, I did the only thing I could think of: I pulled out my phone and called my wife.

Now, my wife and I balance each other out perfectly. She’s petite, much shorter than the average height, and she’s also louder than a jet engine (if I had to pick an analogy).

As soon as I said, “Hey, hon, could you come over here? A lady’s giving me trouble,” she was on her way. Within moments, my wife appeared, storming over with the intensity of a one-woman army.

She glared at Karen still gripping my arm and said, loud enough for half the store to hear, “Why are you touching my husband? He doesn’t work here, and he’s certainly not your personal assistant!”

Karen, caught off guard, stammered a few words, dropping my arm and taking a step back.

My wife, still not fully briefed on the situation, asked, “So what exactly do you want from my husband?”

Karen, clearly flustered, mumbled something about “just needing some help getting the rice down.”

My wife, eyebrows raised, looked around, spotted an employee nearby, and said, “If you need help with rice, that’s what these folks are here for. My husband doesn’t work here.” Then she made eye contact with one of the actual employees, and gestured toward the rice, saying, “This lady needs help with the rice up there. Mind assisting her?”

Without another word, the employee came over, and Karen slunk away toward the rice with him, still muttering under her breath.

We still shop there, but don't split up anymore.

I was at our local grocery the other morning after I got off work (I work nightshift). I'm tired after 12 hours, sort of wandering around grabbing a random cart of needed stuff. I'm wearing earth brown cargo pants, a black fleece cap and a green wool sweater. I don't look like any of the employees whatsoever.

Older guy comes up to me with a cart and almost bumps into me. I apologize and go to move out of his way, but he stops me with a grunt. "Where are the green beans?" He asks, seeming a little irritated. "I just need you to show me where the canned green-beans are. "

I immediately understand that he thinks I work here.

This is my moment.

I smile and reach back into a decade of customer service experience.

"Right this way!" I tell him, and lead him to the canned food isle. I grab the beans he wants, and load them in his cart; but I don't stop. I'm talking fast, telling him about the great deals on baked beans that we are having as I take can after can down and put them in his basket. I shove about 6 huge cans of baked beans on top of his groceries before I grab a couple cans of kidney beans.

"These are amazing, and they are buy-one-get-one-regular price", I say. That is true.

He nods, just going along with all of this. He never stops me.

I don't want to exaggerate, but I bet I put at least 15 cans of random beans into this dude's cart. I finally stop and smile, and I watch as he wanders off the the checkout. He looks a little confused as they scan everything, but he doesn't stop the lady.

They bag his stuff and he pushes his cart out of the door, now the proud owner of many cans of beans.

Anyway, that's my story.

I was working in the pharmacy, and this lady came up to me and asked me when the Wells Fargo located in our store closed. I told her 7pm. Then she asks me if I can open it so she could do her transaction. I told her to come back at 9am tomorrow, when the BANK employees were there and they could take care of her… It didn’t end there…. She then informs me that as the pharmacist I am like the person in charge of the store and can open the bank for her. My mouth was just agape and I had no words, and then she left.

I volunteer at a hospital and they give us these bright blue vests to distinguish us from visitors/other staff. I also have a name tag with the name of the hospital and VOLUNTEER in big letters. After one of my shifts, I headed to the supermarket and I forgot to take my vest off since I was in a rush and forgot I was wearing it.

As I’m shopping, a man corners me and yells, “Jeez finally. Haven’t you noticed me trying to get your attention? It’s rude to run away from customers!”

Like I said, I was in a rush so I didn’t really notice this guy chasing after me. He starts asking me where to find something and I inform him I don’t work here. Mind you, I’m also wearing my purse and have a shopping cart. He then gestures at my clothes and says, “Why are you wearing that then?”

I told him that I just finished a stressful shift at the hospital and was too tired to think to remove my uniform. Finally, he apologized and just left. I don’t know how he could have even mistaken my vest for the grocery store uniform. The employees wear bright purple/green/orange shirts and a hat.

So I've had this happen before but I've been in a uniform or just have the "customer service" vibe fresh off of work. Nothing worth writing home about. Until today anyway.

I have a really awful sinus infection going on. At least I hope that's what this is. Because my Mom's convinced it's a tooth abcess and that I'm going to die. Anyway, half of my face is very obviously bloated, and that eye is nearly swollen shut. Been that way for a couple of days, so I finally went to see a doctor.

I hate going. Canceled my insurance a few years back because I only go like twice a year. And my local doctors all suck. The dude basically agreed with my self-diagnosis because he couldn't care less. So he sent over a script for Amoxocyllin (Spelling is hard).

I arrived at Walgreens a mess. Pjs,unwashed hair, face a bloated mess, waiting in line at the Pharmacy. Which closes for lunch but was about to reopen.

I kid you not, a woman IN LINE BEHIND ME, tapped me on the shoulder and asked me "Do you think you could hurry up and open? I'm missing my own lunch for this". I just turned and stared at her, letting her puff up like a spoiled bird. Again, I could probably be mistaken for a leftover pumpkin now. It's hideous. I really need this medicine to work and fast.

"Are you for serious, right now? Do I LOOK like I'm at work? Do I?"

"Well, I just, um, never mind," And she left the line. Ended up having to wait ~20 minutes for them the fill my script. Never saw her again. I just don't understand some people man.

Many years ago I was working at Panera bread and in training to be a manager, and for a few weeks I was working at a training cafe that was about 20 miles from my location.

One day I answered the phone and someone asked if we made Challah bread (it was around the holidays) and I replied with something friendly like “I’m sorry but we don’t, our holiday bread offerings are X Y Z” and the person then asked me if I knew of any bakeries in the area that made Challah and I replied nicely that unfortunately I’m just working temporarily at this cafe for training and I don’t know of any of the businesses in the area.

This person then got mad and told me to ask someone that worked there if they knew? What? So I coldly replied “You want me to ask someone that works here to help you find another business?” And they replied yes and sounded furious.

So I put them on hold, stood there for 30 seconds, put them back on the line and replied as nicely as possible that I just asked around and unfortunately nobody knew of any bakeries and the person slammed their phone down and hung up on me.

For a long time during my EMS/Paramedic career, I worked in a tiny, near rural tourist town. One grocery store, two casinos, one elementary school and junior high/high school combined in one school, one lake, 20 campground small town. In the summer, there were more tourists on any given day than permanent residents. But, in winter it was just locals.

Get a call to the one grocery store for a heart attack. Working the call in the aisle and some old lady stands there, staring at us. My partner is doing chest compressions, I’m starting an IV and pushing medication trying to bring this guy back to life. Old lady clears her throat and asks where some product is. No one from my crew answers, cause ya know, we’re a little busy. Lady gets annoyed and raises her voice asking if someone can show her the item. Fire Captain tells her we don’t work there. Then she goes off on us “blocking the aisle” and says we’re being rude. She straight demands we show her where whatever she is asking for is, grabs my shoulder with her corpse fingers while I have an open sharp out. Cue instant protection instinct of elbowing her in the knee. She screeches for the manager who just tells her again we’re not employees.

To this day I don’t understand how she didn’t see our gurney, bags, badges, fire truck and ambulance out front… it should have been so clear we were public safety. Kicker to the whole situation was we’ve transported her husband from their home numerous times over the three prior years I worked that town and transported him several times after. (He was a chain smoking unstable diabetic, went to hospital at least 2-3 times a month.)

For context I'm a support worker in a general hospital, so I wear regular work clothes plus a lanyard and NHS badge.

I was on a break one day getting coffee from the main canteen where both staff and visitors go, using the self service pay point close to the entrance. While queuing I had spotted an older woman (70s) come in with what appeared to be her daughter (50s).

I was tapping the pay point as usual (no queue behind me) and the older woman approaches and says "where do you want me to sit".

In 10 seconds of bafflement plus realizing the lady is probably confused I assume she thinks I'm a hostess at the restaurant seating people... so I just say "wherever you like" with a big smile.

Older lady pats me on the arm heartily and says "oh, I love people like you" and smiles widely in return. Her daughter appears behind her, guides her forward and just mouths "THANKYOU".

Turns out the hospitality genes die hard (prior to this I had done 8+ years in it) and its also not worth further confusing a confused old lady who was being very polite just for the incorrect setting!

Recently went to my local Sephora to restock my skincare and had my most annoying “I don’t work here” to date. I’m black, so people generally assume I work at any retail environment I make the mistake of entering. I’d just gotten off work and was wearing navy blue pixie pants, a cream blouse, and a brown, navy blue, and cream plaid blazer. Also accompanying my outfit was a brown purse/laptop bag. I say this to demonstrate that nothing about my outfit screamed “I work here!”

On my way in I grabbed one of the baskets to hold the things I was picking up, and was about 6 products in when someone came up behind me and cleared their throat. I moved to the side because I assumed they were trying to pass me, but they instead just cleared their throat again and said “excuse me, I’ve been waiting for help for the past 5 minutes.” I turned to look at her and said “sorry?” And she responded with a “I’ve been standing over there for 5 minutes trying to get your attention. I need to know if this product is in the back. There’s none on the shelf.” I told her I don’t work for Sephora, nor have I ever worked for Sephora, and she responded with “What do you mean? Of course you do? What are you doing here if you don’t work here?” I asked her what about how I was dressed made her think I worked there, and what I was “doing here” was shopping with the money I make from the job I have that I got with my fancy schmancy college degree. She blinked at me a couple of times, then asked me if I can go find an employee to help her. I just walked away.

So I'm a vendor, I deliver for a small company for a smaller brand of chips to grocery stores. Naturally, I'm working, so every once in a while I get a customer who asks me where something is in a store, and I'll politely tell tem that I'm a vendor, and dont work for the grocery store, so I dont know, and 99% of the time they are understanding of that, apologize or just move on. No big deal, I dont even mind helping a customer grab something off a high shelf if they ask, or if i happen to know where something is in a particulare store, I can point them in the correct direction. But this lady today, just couldnt seem to understand.

She comes up to me, an older woman and asks me If I work here. Now I dont look like I work here, the store uniform is a Blue polo shirt and tan slacks. Im weaing a black long sleeve thermal, blue jeans and a baseball hat with my headphones on, clearly not the store uniform. I politely tell her, that no, I dont work for the store, I'm just a vendor for This brand of chips, pointing to my 4 foot section in on the shelf.

"Well do you know where these chips that are in the add are?"

I respond "No, I dont kow whats in the add, because I dont work for the store, I've not seen the add."

"Oh well I have it right here" She lifts up her newspaper add pointing to some Friot Lays product thats on sale.

"Ma'am, I dont work for the store, and I dont work for Frito Lays, so I dont know where any of their product is." I tell her this as I start walking down the aisle looking at the Frito product to see if I can find it for her, I look, I dont see it. and tell her "Sorry I dont know where it is, like i said I dont work for the store"

she mutters something I cant hear cuz I'm too far away at this point, and then she says "Oh here it is"

It was literally right next to her, as she was talking to me, all she had to do was look left just a little farther. So ya, thats my story from today, very anti climatic sure, no massive freakout or anything like that. Just some minor annoiance that someone couldnt understand that I dont work for the store, and therefore, dont know where a very specific item is they were looking for.

As much of the world knows the USA just had their presidential election. For those of you not in the USA there are 2 ways you can vote. One way is absentee where a paper ballot is mailed to you and you fill it out. You can either mail it in or you can drop it off a designated locations. Usually at those designated locations you can vote in person as well. You must register ahead of time. You show up with an ID, give your name and address and vote. Usually these designated locations are government related like a public school, veterans office, public library etc. Onto the story.

I work for a retail drug store chain. Our store is located in a shopping center. There are several restaurants, a nail salon, several offices and a veterans center. We all share the same address. Just everyone has a different suite letter. However few of us know our suite letters because the businesses are quite obvious. My store is the most busy and the main focal point of the shopping center.

It’s Election Day and people are told the address of the shopping center to go drop off their ballots or vote. There are also signs all over the parking lots saying “Vote Here” with arrows pointing where to go. None are pointing to my store. Constantly I have people asking where in my store can one drop off a their ballot or vote. We tell them they need to go to the veterans center and to follow the arrows. We get a few “but the address says here.” We reply that the whole shopping center is that address. It’s the last 4 hours of voting and the line is so long it’s reaching the street. We’re talking a line that’s maybe several hundred feet long and voters are told the wait is around 2 hours. By then it should be quite obvious where to vote. Yet we still have people asking where to drop off their ballots. Voting ended at 8pm so by then we were all breathing sigh of relief that this was all over.

This is a short story from when I was 12, my family drags me to Big 5 Sporting goods for window shopping, it was my aunt's family looking for something for my athletic cousins. Here I was wearing my dark glasses, blue v neck striped shirt with sleeves n matching jeans, n pair of vans following them to the sporting goods aisle. A lady stopped me asking if I worked here with a jersey in her hand, I said: no um I don't, I'm shopping with my parents, I didn't know the staff wore blue shirts as their uniform back then, she awkwardly laughed, realizing I'm a kid n apologized, but my mom overheard laughs too. I wasn't angry, just super embarrassed, felt my cheeks burning on the spot. I wasn't expecting my mom to go n have a small chat with her like they're long lost friends all of sudden cuz they learned they r both from Mexico, but here's the thing they r practically strangers to each other having a good laugh at some misunderstanding. N my mom tells the same encounter to my aunt's family n they laugh too, pointing at the staff by the register too wearing identical clothing to mine. I just spent the day wanting to leave n looking back I never went shopping there again n I don't have a reason to, I'm not really into sports.

A few years back a grocery store in the neighboring city was built. I was shopping with my kids who were 1 and 3. I had no idea where anything was. I had this lady walk up to ask me ask me where something was. I’m pushing a cart with my kids in it. I tell her I don’t know and she starts to get mad saying that I absolutely should know since I work there. At this point I’m just confused because I’m with my kids. I end up just giving her a random aisle. She finds me later in the store and starts berating me. I look at her at this point and I’m like I’m with my kids and you’re making a scene. She starts with the profanity and now my kids are crying. I grab both my kids out of the cart and just walk out of the store. Abandoning my groceries and diapers. I went to another store and shopped and peace. This lady was nuts.

So, back story I’m a middle school science teacher at a school across from a Walmart. This occurred a few weeks after school started. After work one day I was looking for supplies for my students to do presentations of their lab results. I still had my badge on that showed where I worked. There was this old man with a little girl that appeared to his granddaughter (turns out it was his great granddaughter❤️). Anyway, I’m looking for poster boards for the presentations and I am going up and the isles looking and can’t find them. While I am wandering around, I notice the little girl and her gramps doing similar loops. I overheard them talking about how this or that might work instead of a “real” poster board. We were looking for the same thing! I continue my search and found them. I tracked gramps and little girl down a few isles away and tell them I overheard their conversation and found what they needed. I filled them in that I am a teacher and all that. The little girl then recruits me to help her with the rest of her supplies for project. Asking for my opinion on her choices and if I had any suggestions and such. We ended up spending about 15 minutes together getting what she needed. Turns out she’s in 5th grade and is so excited to come to middle school next year and now hopes I will be her teacher lol ❤️. During about half this interaction I noticed an older woman hanging around us and politely waiting for us to finish. After I am finished helping out the little girl, the older lady comes up to me and asks me for my help. She knows I don’t work there, but overheard me saying I was a local teacher and was so impressed by me helping the little girl, she hoped I’d help her too. Turns out she was being recognized at a football game because she is in her 80’s and from the original HS many many years before. She wants to jazz up her outfit with school colors by putting some crafting supplies together. I end up helping this older lady for another 15 minutes. TL:DR I went for a quick run to Walmart and ended up helping two people finding their stuff and spent nearly an hour instead of a quick 15 minutes.

I was at a hospital getting ready to leave and a man in a wheelchair asked if I could push him to the bus stop. I said yes, I could even though I don’t work for the hospital or the transit agency.

The bus stop was about 100 feet from where I encountered the person who requested assistance. I pushed his wheelchair to the bus stop and told him to apply the wheelchair brakes until the bus driver arrived back from what I assume was his break.

As I was walking away, I passed the bus driver who must’ve seen me pushing this man towards the bus stop. As we were passing each other, he gruffly asked me “where is he going?”

I replied “I don’t know, he asked for my help to get to the bus stop.”

In retrospect, I think I should have said that “He speaks English, so maybe you should ask him.”

Ahh. The post encounter clarity that happens.

This story happend a few months ago, but at the end it will be become clear why it came back to my mind after all this time :)

I was walking around in a supermarket to get some coffee me: full its my day off relaxing clothes - not close to work clothes from the store at all.

While reaching for the coffee I hear a lady "excuse me" since I was the only one in the aisle with het I took out my earphone and asked if I could help her. "Can you tell me where I can find the salad dressing?" I didnt know exactly where it was but I pointed here to the direction where I thought it should be. And that was when she realized: I dont work here. "Oh my! Im sorry!" She said and I laughed "people are there to help others" I walked to where I thought the dressing would be and found it. I waved to the lady and told her I found it for her. She thanked me and ended her sentence with "they should really hire you!"

3 days ago I signed my contract at that same supermarket to became an assistent store manager... so without even knowing the sweet old saladdressing lady told my future. They should hire me, and they did!

I have reduced it just to this: I was just shopping for some snacks when a sweet old lady in her mid-70s approached me, looking a bit frazzled. She squinted at me and said, “Excuse me, dear, could you help me find the sugar?” At first, I thought she was joking, but then I realized she genuinely thought I worked there. I smiled and said, “Of course! It’s right in the baking isle, let’s go!” As we walked over, she pulled out a crumpled shopping list and started reading off items. “I also need flour, some chocolate chips, and a can of peaches. Can you help me with those too?” I found myself fully invested in her shopping trip, helping her locate everything on her list. I pointed out the best brands and even shared my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. When we arrived at the register, the cashier looked at me with a grin. “Wow, you really know your way around here! Are you new?” I laughed and replied, “No, I don’t work here!” The sweet old lady chimed in, “Well, she should! She’s been the most helpful employee I’ve ever met!” As I paid for my snacks, a few other customers who had overheard the conversation started nodding in agreement and complimenting me for being so helpful. One even said, “You deserve a raise!” By the time I left the store, I felt like I had just completed a shift at a job I never had. I waved goodbye to the sweet old lady and the cashier, who were both still laughing. I walked out with my snacks, feeling like the unofficial Employee of the Month.

This happened a little over a year ago as I was walking through a Target. I’m generally a friendly person and regularly get asked to help people when grocery shopping and have certainly been mistaken for an employee a few times at different places. It’s always been easily sorted. This particular instance stands out for a couple of reasons. I was walking down an aisle when a Target employee stopped me and asked if I knew if so-and-so was working. I was following the oft-cited rules in this sub. No red and khaki (or red and black as it’s a college town) on me. I was in shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and my Chacos while perusing a shelf. They had to ask a couple times because I was so sure they weren’t speaking to me. Thankfully, a simple “I don’t work here” was accepted by the employee whose face quickly turned as red as her shirt. But this one will always stand out because it was the employee and not the customer making the mistake!

I am a community care worker, and my uniform is SCRUBS with a bright yellow embroidered logo. I also wear a fob watch and a lanyard for my keys/other bits and bobs. I look every part the healthcare worker.

I was on the phone to my husband in Spotlight (Australian craft supplies/homewares store) discussing the things I would need to make Christmas cards. A lady stopped next to me, arms crossed, shooting daggers. I tried to ignore her, but she kept staring at me until I hung up the phone (after telling my husband that I love him).

She then huffed and asked me why there isn't an attendant in the party/balloon section, and could I please call one over. I shrugged, stating 'I don't know...I don't work here...". She rolled her eyes and groaned, before stomping away to find her next victim. As I left, I did see a poor pimply tween filling a balloon with helium for her, so I am glad she found who/what she was after!

Not really a case of someone thinking I work where I don't, this incident is more on my end.

My first job was at a Kroger chain working as a courtesy clerk. Being a customer service job, I had to develop customer service skills. "Are you finding everything all right? Would you like your milk bagged?" That sort of thing.

For a while that became sort of second nature to me, to the point that one day, while I was at a Walmart, I asked a random man if he was finding everything all right. While I was wearing clothes that absolutely did not resemble Walmart's work uniform.

The man looked very confused and did not answer, I soon realized where I was and felt mildly embarrassed

This is something odd that hasn't happened up until recently but has happened three times now. I go into Target, I shop for a little bit, and someone confuses me for someone who works there. I usually almost always dress in all black, and wear bit more formal attire (i.e. collar shirts, vests, etc) and goth jewelry. In my head, I am a emo cowboy - but it seems like no one else is getting that lmao.

It all started at the beginning of this year when I went to target to buy a game on sale. I called for someone to come and unlock it for me, but when they came they asked me if I already got the person who paged and had to break the news 😔 That time I was wearing a patterned shirt, still all black but arguably my most casual fit.

The second time was at a different target when I went to visit my mom. I was picking some stuff up for her and got asked where the bathrooms were. I'd never been to that location before so said I don't know - to which the person looked at me puzzled and asked if I could ask someone then. I then said I don't work here and the usual awkward dialogue points were exchanged. She said I looked like a manager and assumed I worked there. I was wearing a black western shirt and sneakers at the time of this incident 😞

THE THIRD TIME happened just hours ago with my friends. I'd already told them about the two last incidents but they thought I was capping. We're in the makeup aisles looking at nail polish when a woman asks me where the eyedrops are. I just turn, look at my buddies with my most forlorn face, and tell the woman I don't work there 😭 She apologized and said she thought I was the manager, and I hit her with a "you wouldn't believe how many times people have said that to me". I was wearing a plain button down, and a star belt buckle with an upside cross as my necklace...

At this point this is just making me question my fits idk man. I thought everyone associated target workers with red shirts and khaki's but somehow I have completely missed the mark 🥲 I just don't know anymore.

I was on a tight time schedule, so I was walking briskly as I entered the exterior door of the LLBean at our local mall. I'm a 70ish gray-haired woman who looks my age, so I was taken aback when a somewhat older man thrust his car keys in my face and said "could you get my car and bring it to the door"? I jumped aside, mumbled something like "I can't, I'm in a hurry" and kept going. But now I'm wondering, did he really think I was a parking attendant, mistake me for a friend, or what? And in any case, with his cognitive issues, what the blankety-blank was he doing driving??

So, my mate is handling his business, doing a regular delivery (FX) at this swanky Beantown hotel, when some asshat in an open top Porsche pulls up thinking he's royalty.

He tosses the keys assuming my friend is on valet duty.

"Keep it close, I'll only be 10 or 15 minutes!"

No big deal. My friend is not fazed. He plays it cool, catches the keys mid-air like he’s been doing this all day, and hops tf in.

Now, Boston with its maze of streets and intersections that feel like they were designed by a city planner from a medieval village, drunk on mead, hopped up on cocaine and herion, are challenging enough on their own.

But, my dude knows the city like the back of his hand. The valet parking is around the corner...

I must note that this particular hotel was built at a five-way intersection in the heart of the city.

Instead of taking the Porsche to the valet lot, he gives the guy a little Boston-style lesson in humility.

In my friend's words, "I highly doubt that car has ever been driven that hard, with the top down, a bald Irishmanman at the wheel, screaming-

Da Brit-ish are comin'!

Da Brit-ish are comin'!

Da Brit-ish are comin'!"

He leaves it in the middle of that crazy five-way cow path—engine running, door wide open.

Legend......

Kinda of a different take...mis-id'd by the actual store staff:)

I worked for many years in a public outreach position in which I led community meetings in various places throughout our area. Our funding didn't allow us to purchase food, but I usually put a couple bucks of my own toward soda and cookies. Well, right before one meeting, dressed in a suit, I was in a local grocery store, perusing their cookie section, when a manager came up to me and started chatting me up. At first I thought he was just being nice, but it felt off. Finally he point blank asked me if I worked for their competition, because apparently they sometimes have people come in to check their prices. I chuckled and told him no, that I was on my way to a public meeting. He then asked if I worked for their corporate office, and were checking up on his store. I again laughed it off, and said, no, just shopping. He kept at it, essentially friendly-accusing me of lying. "Well, I saw you going up and down the aisles but not picking anything up", etc. Eventually I was a bit tired of being patient with him, wished him a good day mid question, got my cookies and checked out. He followed me around the whole time though, and watched me until I left.

My dude, who hurt you? Is grocery espionage really that big a thing? Have you never seen a suit before?

I was at Yosemite with my children. I was wearing a brown hat, blue jacket, and tan pants. Park rangers wear straw Smokey Bear hats, tan shirts, and olive green pants.

I was standing in a crowd with my kids, listening to a ranger give his talk. The only similarity between what he was wearing and what I had on was our boots (brown leather).

Some lady comes up to me and asks a detailed question about something park related. I told her I don't know—I'm just visiting. (I really didn't know. If I had known, I would have tried to be helpful.)

At least she didn't have a follow-up question.

I had to break the "I don't work here news" twice in a day.

The first one was really on me; one should know better than to shop at Target while wearing a red shirt and khaki pants.

I really wasn't expecting to have the same conversation later that same day, while shopping at Best Buy.

"Excuse me, can you help me find whatever?"

"Sorry, I don't work here."

"Then why are you dressed like you work here?"

"Ma'am, this isn't Target. The people who work here are the ones in the blue polo shirts."

I work in a city centre with a lot of supermarket convenience outlets. The sort that caters for lunchtimes and quick meals at home. I have a work uniform but don't (obviously) work there. I've lost count of the number of times I've been asked for an item. The first thing people do when they ask me where the [item] is and I reply "I don't know" is looking at my chest for a name badge so they can run whining to the manager. I never acknowledge them after that which probably (hopefully) doubly infuriates them. 😂

For context I work at walmart now but when this happened I didn't work there. I worked at Dakotamart and the uniform was a dark blue button down shirt and any pants I wanted to wear. And the uniform for walmart is a baby blue vest or polo and jeans or khaki pants.

This takes place about 2 weeks before mothers day (in 2023) and I was out in the garden center looking for a grill to buy for my mom when I see a lady in her 50s struggling to put a grill in her cart. I kept looking over at her a few times for about 2 minutes before I went over and asked if she needed help. She said yes she'd love it before realizing I didn't work there. She thanked me for the help and went off.