As customers, we rarely pay attention to the person behind the cash register. We have them ring up our items, make the payment, and then go on with our day. 

What they think about our purchases is the least of our concerns. But after reading these responses in a Reddit thread from a while back, you may start doing so. 

We’ve collected stories from cashiers about the times they’ve silently judged customers based on what they bought. Some involve items for a questionable purpose, while others just don’t make a lick of sense. 

Scroll through and see what purchases may get you the side eye from the person ringing them up.

#1

When parents get angry at their kids for wanting a 50p pack of stickers, or some cheap child's magazine saying "we don't have enough money for that." Whilst paying for cigarettes and lottery tickets.

#2

The only people I silently judge are the ones trying to make up a reason for me to not silently judge them. So what if you eat that whole cake by yourself.

Live a little.

Image credits: BaconBrah

#3

Every time this question comes up, I wonder: What makes you think I think *anything* about you. I think about my feet hurting, my back aching, and how long until my shift ends. You? Not so much.

#4

A Vietnamese lady came in a day after Valentine's Day to buy candy, she bought hundreds of bags, I made a joke about how the dentist bill must be insane, and she told me how she sends the candy to orphan homes in Vietnam because they don't have candy there apparently.


Don't judge a book by its cover guys.

#5

When parents with very overweight kids buy nothing but junk food.

Image credits: anon

#6

I usually didn't judge unless it was ridiculous amounts of junk.

My favorite was a customer who bought two cases of tuna, a large pack of disposable razors and a few cans of ladies shaving cream. I was ringing the stuff out and started giggling. He was confused and I asked, "are you gonna shave a cat?" The guy took a look at his purchases and started laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. Both of us were in tears by the time he was out the door.

No one else heard us so we just looked insane.

#7

A cashier once talked s**t to my grandma when she bought pigs feet. I think they are gross, too. But I dont want you talking s**t to my grandma about how gross they are. Mind your business.

#8

I didn't judge but it's a great story.
I saw a guy in the c****m aisle looking absolutely baffled. I am a pharmacist and went to help (with an inward sigh, some people have no idea how to use them). He said, "i have no idea what I'm looking at. There are so many! I've been fixed for almost 20 years. But my boy's going to college, and I don't want him bringing STDs or any babies home with him!". He got really excited when I told him about spermidicde and bought 5-6 dozen count boxes. That's a good dad.

#9

I cashiered at Home Depot.

Had a dude in his mid twenties pull up to my register with:

1. Rope
2. Duct Tape
3. Cleaning Gloves
4. Tarp
5. Bleach
6. Febreze
7. Cookies
8. Bucket
9. Sponges


I wrung him up. I didn't even notice what he'd purchased until he came back in. He just said "Dude, I could be planning a murder & you didn't even care. What the f**k? I just lost $20."

Then he went to return everything except the cookies. True story.

Edit: FFS, yes Home Depot sells cookies. They're like right next to all the chips and sodas. They're those $0.98 grandma cookies that come in packs of two.

#10

When a guy buys feminine hygiene products and has to explain that it's for his girlfriend. Dude, nobody thinks you were buying tampons for yourself.

EDIT: I have learned many disturbing new uses for tampons, from alcoholic butt plugs to b***r hiding apparati.

Image credits: SinkTube

#11

This isnt exactly the same thing but...

I used to work at Autozone. One day a customer came in and asked if there were any deals on our "strongest" antifreeze. I asked him if he meant the lowest temperature rating and he said no, the one with the most Ethylene glycol.

I was really confused and asked him what he needed it for and he told me it was because his neighbors kids just got kittens and they were trespassing on his property. I excused myself and went back to my boss/the store manager and told him and he told me I had to make the sale.

I had to sell him four gallons of antifreeze to k**l some defenseless kittens and absolutely crush his neighbors kids. I try to never say I hate anybody and I never wish harm on anybody but.... yeah.

Image credits: AlwaysHopelesslyLost

#12

When contractors/painters would buy America's Finest or Speedwall paint. I assume they are over charging a family or company by getting the cheapest paint as possible.

Image credits: anon

#13

The only time I really judged someone was when he came in and found a perfume he like and bought two. I said, "It would probably be a good idea if you have two women in your life {thinking wife, mother, daughter, etc} to get them something different." He said, "Oh, no, one is for my wife, the other for my girlfriend. If they wear the same perfume I don't have to worry about my wife smelling my girlfriend's perfume on me." I mean, that is smart, but it's also s****y.

#14

Freshman year of high school, I was a cashier at a local grocery store. There was an upscale "organic" cupcake boutique in town that sold their cupcakes for about $4 each. It was ridiculous, but people still bought them. Anyway, the owner would come in every other week and buy about 20 boxes of Betty Crocker cupcake mix and frosting. She must've had like a 2,000% rate of return on those things.

Edit: the cupcake boutique has since gone out of business, and the lady was a b****y soccer mom in her mid-thirties so I doubt she was the confession on here but it's interesting to know how common this apparently is!

#15

Bracelets that harness the healing energy of magnets.

Image credits: punkbyte

#16

One of our customers buys anywhere from 25-32 bottles of laxatives a week. Every week and not the oral kind either.

Image credits: Stineyd

#17

I got judged by a cashier once.

I was working in a welding and fabrication facility at the time as a repair guy. Since I wasn't one of the welders I would often get tasked with whatever needed doing.

The particular job at the time required ultrasonic testing of bends made in some tubing to ensure proper wall thickness. We had one tube of ultrasound gel. Sure enough, the tube got knocked off the table and run over by a forklift.

The job was very time critical and we need to do the ultrasounds NOW. A good substitute for ultrasonic gel is KY.

I grabbed a fistful of petty cash and rushed over to a nearby grocery store and grabbed *every* tube of KY they had.

I then ran up to the cashier who then rang up tube after tube after tube. I was in such a rush that I really hadn't thought about the normal use of KY. As she was looking at me oddly and silently ringing up my purchase I said something like "It has been crazy at work today."

The look on her face was priceless.

Halfway out of the parking lot I realized what happened. We all had a good laugh about it at work and I had the nickname of "KY" for a few days.

#18

Years ago, I worked at a d**g store that had a liquor department. One customer has forever stayed with me, because she broke my heart. She was older, maybe in her late 60s/early 70s, always clean and neat but clearly living on a very restricted income. Very polite as well. She came in every day to buy the exact same thing, with no variation- a pint of the cheapest vodka we had, a can of cat food, and a lottery ticket. After about six months of this I asked after her cat and she told me she did not have one, that this was "cheap and good enough" for her to live on. I was floored. To think of this sweet lady eating cat food so she could afford her lottery ticket and vodka, it still messes me up.

#19

I'm not a cashier, but once my husband and I were buying cosplay items. We bought a crowbar, a bat, and duct tape. The Cashier asked if she needed to call the police.

Image credits: anon

#20

Was a cashier at a pet store for two years, so I judged people based on the dog food they bought. Still do.

Rant: Why bother getting a dog if you are going to cheap out on everything for it, including not taking it to the vet when needed because it's too expensive, get mad at every single purchase you have to make for said dog, then buy it some alpo/pedigree/beneful and wonder why it's going through it so fast and s******g everywhere. Take your 19 kids and have them find a better home for your poor mistreated pitbull who is forced to wear spike collars 24/7 and buy a d**n car seat.

Sorry. I worked in Buffalo.

#21

I was seeing a girl in my first year of university, we got comfortable having s*x (and we weren't seeing anyone else)so we stopped using condoms. One morning she felt really sick and demanded i got her Plan B. I was so f*****g nervous so when I went in i also grabbed the biggest box of Trojans there was. When i went up to the cash i placed the Plan B down first and the condoms behind it. The cashier looks up at me and was said "...well you f****d up, would you like a bag with that?".

#22

I was a cashier at Costco. Dude bought a giant jar of vaseline, a giant bottle of wine and the movie Brokeback Mountain.

#23

Worked at a Walmart in a college town, had about 9 guys come through together and bought between all of them 3 containers of beer each, 2 boxes of condoms each and then each guy had 2 boxes of sleeping pills. It was a bad combination to buy all together, my manager ended up pulling the tapes and getting the police involved.

#24

Not a cashier, but I learned the other day that apparently you get judged for buying alcohol at 7am. The cashier was pretty vocal about it and if I wasn't so non-confrontational, I would have told a manager. She flat out said something along the lines of, "It's a little too early for boozin' up, don't ya think?" Uhm.. One: None of your business if I'm drinking early in the morning. Two: It was on sale during a routine trip to get milk and such. Am I supposed to just leave it and come back after 5pm to buy my alcohol?

However, when I got home, I realized how my entire purchase looked. I got milk, chocolate milk, Lunchables (also on sale), and a strawberry daiquiri. She probably thought I had kids or something, so I understand her concern... kind of. She didn't have to say anything, though. It really struck a nerve.

**EDIT:** For those asking if she was joking, *maybe*. Her tone didn't sound very jokingly, but I may be wrong. Either way, alcoholism is a serious thing and it kind of strikes a nerve when it's implied in such a manner. **If it was obvious she was joking around, I wouldn't have gotten so upset over it, but her tone really did make it feel offensive.**.

#25

If every single product is organic and costs twice as much as its non-organic counterpart , and you talk on your phone while checking out and wear your sunglasses inside and your little tennis skirt..

..I don't like to judge people, but that just screams upperclass white entitled b***h. And I'm white.

#26

I used to work at a local pharmacy and a regular customer came in. The only items he purchased were a wrist brace and a tube of KY jelly... He must have noticed me looking at the items and he said "I swear these are unrelated!"

Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude.

#27

Homeopathic 'remedies'.

Image credits: techniforus

#28

On Mother's Day a young guy (probably too young to have kids of his own) checked out with a Mother's Day card and a box of condoms. I said, "you must really love your mom." He said, "oh god I didn't even realize.".

#29

There's a woman who comes into the grocery store I work at and buys between $90 and $100 in groceries every week. Normal enough. The thing is she ALWAYS pays with five $20 billsthat were printed before the 1998 redesign but have clearly never been in circulation because they are in perfect condition.

We know they're not counterfeit, and if she was dodging taxes in a cash business back then the money wouldn't all be in new condition... Bank robber? Former d**g kingpin? I mean who has thousands and thousands of dollars worth of really old, mint condition $20's laying around?

#30

Before the days of TLC coupon clipping reality shows, one woman came through my line and bought 217 bottles of assorted kraft salad dressing. She ended up paying nothing for them, because of some weird coupon loophole. After my manager had cleared her and she left the store, I was initially impressed but then thought *what the hell are you going to do with 217 bottles of salad dressing?*.

#31

Two years ago I had a lady buy 100 Farmville cards. I have never judged a customer more harshly than that.

Image credits: kaybray13

#32

This only happened once, but I used to work as a cashier at a Whole Foods in Boston. A man came in one day with a swollen black eye, cut lip and blood all over his shirt. He then proceeded to buy 50 cases of maple syrup.

#33

I used to work in an upscale china shop...we had a set that sold for between £2000 for a side plate and £25,000 for a casserole dish...yeah...they were gaudy and ugly and overpriced and yeah...if you bought any of it, I assumed you were a senseless p***k with more money than taste...

#34

I work at Sears. I silently judge people for shopping at Sears.

#35

Had a teenage girl come in with several members of her family. They all came up to the counter practically in tears and bought a pregnancy test.

She then went into our bathroom to take the test, which I thought was odd. Seems like the kinda thing you'd do in the sanctity of your own home.

Then the girl comes out, bawling, and then her family starts bawling and they're making a huge scene in the middle of my store. It was super duper awkward.

Image credits: xanas1489

#36

Ex cashier of 5 years here. After a while you don't notice and it all becomes the same because you're so familiar with the items your store carries. Only time I have made an extreme judgement based on items purchased was when a man came in and purchased peanut butter, dog treats, condoms, lube and rope..... not even joking.

Image credits: citcat94

#37

The only time I can remember having a thought about a customer was when they bought our camouflage print lingerie with pink edging. I honestly could care less if they wanted to buy it, even though I thought it was hideous, but while folding it I couldn't get over how itchy the fabric was. I was curious about why someone would subject themselves to that.

#38

I have had to buy a few pregnancy tests in my time and I always switch the diamond ring my bf bought me to my left hand so I dont get a look of pity.

Just so you think I am not crazy, I have a really really irregular period. Some times itll skip a month. Sometimes Ill get 2 in a month, but point is that I am on no schedule so I have to take pregnancy tests a lot because I am not sure if it is my weird period or pregnancy.

#39

Lol I work in a small hardware store and if someone comes up to buy a plunger (and sometimes it's these young women) I wonder if they're the ones who just took a big enough s**t to clog up their toilet and have to come get a plunger.

Image credits: Maximus2005

#40

Not a cashier, but I worked in fulfillment for Amazon for four years. I can't tell you how many times I checked out the name on the label for a shipment of questionable combinations.

Memorable shipments:

* Lube + d***o + Baby Einstein video
* 16 bottles of laxatives + adult diapers
* Anytime someone orders "Thai Hookers 101 - What You MUST Know About S*X And Prostitutes Before Coming To Thailand."

tl;dr: Don't ever think that buying something online means that you escape the judgement of others.

#41

I always thought it was a little funny/ironic when a person in medical scrubs comes in and buys cigarettes. Also for some reason they always tend to buy 3-4 packs at the same time.

Edit: I guess I should mention it might be because being in the medical field is a stressful job, but still.

Image credits: amansingh1211

#42

Not a cashier.

I silently judge people that buy really cheap whisky or vodka.

#43

I don't usually judge people on what they're buying to be honest.

The most memorable customer I've ever had, however, was buying a pack of toilet paper, a pack of paper towels, a plunger, bleach, and rubber gloves. I shudder to think what kind of mess he was dealing with that day.

#44

I worked for a liquor store chain for 11 years, I really didn't pay attention too much to the actual item they bought, but the cost and quantity. Had one lady buy three 1.75 bottles of $9.99 vodka every morning. Her skin was yellow.

#45

Not a cashier either, but when my friend would buy Depends you could tell the cashier and *everyone* in line would judge him hard. He was a 23 year old college kid who still peed the bed when he drank... He tried his best, man

edit: No, he didn't wear them to parties. He *tried* to remember to put them on when he drunkenly got home. This led to him putting them on backwards multiple times. This effectively kept his p**s out of his diaper and in his bed. Once he forgot to put them on and brought a girl home. Let's just say he convinced her that he drunkenly showered in the middle of the night. Her ride home must have been mortified. He's not my friend anymore.

#46

I work at a golf course and a medium bucket costs $7 for 40 balls while a Jumbo is $13 for 100 balls. When people come in and get two mediums for $14 it instantly makes me think they're idiots. In case you're stupid too, two mediums is a dollar more for 20 less balls.

#47

In college I worked at the camera counter. I didn't do most of the cashiering but did occasionally. Here was a combination of items purchased by one customer that caused me to raise an eyebrow

Chocolate syrup, astroglide, childrens toy handcuffs.

#48

Wife was buying stuff for camping. Hatchet, rope some duct tape for the hole in the tent, small shovel and matches. The cashier was looking at her and she just bursts out "Husband pissed me off for the last time" Cashiers eye bugged out and just let her go. Wife and daughter come out and are laughing and crying.

#49

Manga and a live octopus.

#50

Copper chore boy, baking soda, and a tire pressure guage.

#51

Anything old ladies buy at ross. They come in every day and spend all of their money on useless items and clothes and shoes. Then they return everything at different Rosses and buy more junk. It's an a*******n.

#52

Not a cashier, but I shop at Whole Foods. Invariably there will be someone in front of me. She will have some 30 buck snake oil supplement and an overloaded container of prepared food, the kind where you pay by the pound. She will pull out cash as she is wrung up and realize that she doesn't have enough to cover both so she takes the snake oil and leaves the food, which cannot be resold. I assume not only is she a moron for buying some b******t supplement but is hoping the cashier will let her keep the food once it has been voided since it is going in to the trash.

#53

I worked at a restaurant for a while. To say we frequented Obese people would've be an understatement. I wasn't one to judge, but I work out often, so when people come in I would guess what they wanted.

Three porkchops, two waffles, a triple hashbrown double covered in every topping avaliable, some texas toast and a salad with five packets of ranch later, and I am surprised the guy is still alive.

I mean, you are free to live how you want, but the fact that you made it past 40 is a honest miracle.

#54

I used to work at a Save-A-Lot as a cashier. Our client base tended to be a little lower on the economic ladder. At the first of the month (when the benefits get loaded to their cards), I always hated to see people push a cart up full of soda, chips, etc. These people also usually tended to be in poor health. I didn't really judge them, I more felt pity for them.

I also didn't like seeing people who would come in with the PIN Number for their card on a piece of paper. It was a small town, I know that wasn't your card. I didn't hold it against the people who had the misappropriated card, but more against the people who sold their $300 worth of food stamps for $150 so they could buy alcohol, cigarettes, d***s, etc. The sad part was, a lot of the people selling had kids.

#55

Not a cashier, but I have a story. I got rectal cancer at age 28. I had my r****m removed. During recovery I became completely incontinent. So I had to start wearing Depends.

Just for clarity, I'm a tall, skinny, relatively well dressed young woman. The teenage boy checking me out at Wal-Mart let out a quiet "d**n" when he bagged them.

#56

Not a cashier but my weirdest purchase was:

* Bottle of vodka

* Condoms

* Lube

* Collection of 1950s-60's cartoons. It had Popeye, Superman and other classics and it was only 99 cents.

I must have looked like I was headed to be on "To Catch a Predator".

#57

I was subject to a cashier's judgement last night. Every week for the past 3 weeks, I've grabbed two packages of pre-made cookie dough. Pretty decent and it's 2 for 3 dollars. 20-ish cookies a pop. We do a lot of United Way and Humane Society fundraising and I grab the cookie dough and pop them in the oven. Easy-peasy.

It just so happens I got the same cashier eacht ime. A short, young brunette. I get off work at 9pm every night and the store is directly on the way home. Last night, I grabbed the two packages of dough for the bake sale, my Mountain Dew, and some shredded cheese for my dinner that night. Same cashier girl.

This was the third week in a row I've bought these so I unloaded my basket, set my stuff on the belt, and wait for her to process the items. As I'm waiting, she scans the cookie dough and stops, gives me a very weird, almost smug/pity look and says, "How is it that you never have enough cookies". My face felt like it was on fire and I managed to say that we've had a lot of charity bake sales lately and I like helping. (Soft spot for the Humane Society).

She just looks down and turns red as well while the guy who was tossing my stuff into a bag starts laughing at her and says, "This is why the boss said to keep your mouth shut". (This isn't a Wal-mart or K-Mart, it's a locally owned business). I was still beat red because I am a fat guy, so it probably looked pretty bad from an outsider's point of view.

The bagger guy, probably around my age, a big, black guy I've had friendly conversations with when he's come into my workplace (public library), slaps me lightly on the back as I grab my stuff and tells me not to worry about what she said, it definitely won't happen again, and said he admired my will power of just not eating the cookie dough straight up because that's what he would do. The cashier girl never looked up, but her cheeks were still red. I wonder if she'll be there next week?

#58

I find it hilarious when a guy buys lingerie. But when i know its for his SO i cry a little inside.

#59

Saturday morning 9am-ish: Guy walks up to the counter with two wines. The kinds you get in a box and anti-hangover pills and an expression of the sadface.

Our gaze meet. He has a slight nod of "im gunna regret this" look. I nod back and off he goes.

#60

I'm a cashier at a grocery store, and I try not to judge people I only see for ~5 minutes once a week.

...But god damnit, if you buy wet produce and leaking meat and bags of clams and don't put them in the little plastic bags I hate you. Oh my god I hate you.

#61

There's an out-of-the-way grocery store that has great prices on really high quality meat. So I go, like, once every three months and stock up.

One time, I left with 20 pounds of ground meat of various types.

I got judged hard.

#62

Not a cashier either but i know someone whos neighboor is related to a girlfriend of a cashier:

He told that this cashier judges people who buy budget no-name beer - how can somebody just buy this s**t.

#63

We sell batman underwear that comes with an underwear cape at my work. I always have a little bit of judgement when those come through my line.

Also, when old people buy leggings.

Image credits: Pasalacqua87

#64

All of them. I always judge the person buying things. They are so exposed and vulnerable in that moment. They revealed so much of their desires from their purchases and all my cards are still face down. I pick the thing they are most self-conscious about and hold it up a second before scanning. I make eye contact and flash a knowing smile. Then say something overtly humorous with undertones of accusation. "This is a big bottle of wine, I hope you're sharing it with someone." They laugh nervously because they have to but they know I trapped them - they know.

Just because I make minimum wage doesn't mean I can't be a power wielding psychopath.

EDIT : Thank you for the gold kind stranger. I bragged about being gilded to my coworkers and they told me I was stupid.

#65

Comic book store worker here. I'd have to say the series: my little pony friendship is magic comics. those aren't for your daughter and you know it!

#66

Toothless red-eyed twitchy guy with two 8-packs of canned air duster.....have fun cleaning out your processor heatsink there, buddy.