That cashier at the 7-Eleven on Broadway knew my order better than I did

Everyone loves those stories about baristas remembering your drink, but I think we romanticize it too much. Last Tuesday I walked into the same 7-Eleven off of 12th Street in Austin for my usual coffee and donut, and the guy just handed it to me without me saying a word. It felt nice for a second, but honestly it creeped me out realizing how often I'm in there. Has anyone else experienced this kind of awkward familiarity where the convenience turns into a reminder of your own habits?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_murphy2116d ago

Totally with you on the "romanticized" part, @clark.alex. That line about a cosmic shakeup is exactly what I thought when I read the original post. It's like one day you're just a customer and the next you're part of someone else's routine, which is a weird kind of pressure. I had a similar thing at a bodega where the guy would start slicing my cheese before I even got to the counter, and I realized I was in there almost every day for a year without ever trying a different sandwich.

blair_martin18d ago

My buddy Dave had this same weird feeling at a deli in Brooklyn. The guy behind the counter started making his sandwich the second he walked in the door, didn't even look up. Dave said he felt like the universe was telling him he really needs to switch up his lunch routine.

clark.alex18d ago

That deli thing is weirdly specific but also totally real. Maybe the universe really does speak through sandwich makers. Could be the guy just knows his regulars though. Or maybe Dave has been ordering the same thing so long the guy has it memorized. Either way, that kind of routine is asking for a cosmic shakeup.