I hate it when people who are just as friendly and nice to me when I'm waiting on them at the bank basically ignore me when we meet out in the real world! I don't know how many times I've smiled and greeted someone who is a customer--either at school, at the market, at the gas station--only to have them barely say "hi" or even to just not answer. I realize that I'm "just" a means to an end at my job (be nice to me and I'll give you money), but why not be civil in other places? It's a small town, for goodness sake! Would it hurt so much? What's the deal? Grrr!! (Thanks, I feel sort of better)

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 11:52 am:

You know, there is always the possibility that they don't recognize you out of your "normal" surroundings. I found myself not recognizing staff from my local library when I ran into them in other places, and I am in that library at least twice a week since 1992 and have chatted with all of them extensively.

By Janet on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 12:04 pm:

LOL You know, you may be right. Hard to believe that someone would forget me, though, sparkling personality that I am...

By Kate on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 12:14 pm:

Ginny could be right. These customers probably spend the rest of the day driving themselves crazy trying to 'place' you. *grin*

By Crystal915 on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 01:04 pm:

Honestly, I'm so scatterbrained sometimes that I don't recognize people I know from "business" environments. For example, DH saw one of the kids' pre-school teachers downtown at a club, and recognized her, but had it been me I would have been completely clueless. I'd forget my own name sometimes if I didn't have to show my ID a thousand times a day.

By Mommmie on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 01:08 pm:

I have trouble recognizing people out of context, too.

By Janet on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 01:33 pm:

Well, OK...so it's not necessarily that they hate me. That's a relief! Thanks for the perspective (and remember to smile at your friendly neighborhood bank teller).

By Marg on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 01:55 pm:

I agree with Ginny. People will say 'hi' to me, only hours later will I remember who they are.

I think really for me it is placement. I can remember a person in the place I am used to seeing them. But when it's in a store or something it will bother me until I figure it out.

You must be doing a great job if they are always pleasant to you

By Kaye on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 05:42 pm:

Let me give you a BTDT story. We recently swithced churches, we have been in a sunday school class. There was this lady in there, I KNEW i knew her, but couldn't place it. In the meantime I didn't have a chance to speak to her, and I might have avoided it, because I couldn't place her (long story..but trying to put her with the right situation). Well she never came and spoke to me either. So a month later, mid class it dawned on me!! This was my dd's counselor, we spent A LOT of time with her, she literally saved my daughter. Huge deal, but out of the office, it had been a year, it just didn't click! I went and spoke with her after class and she said, yeah I know..but some people like to keep church and those matters seperate, so she didn't come up to me Anyway, so it could be a number of things.

By Cocoabutter on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 06:34 pm:

Same with me. I used to work in a convenience store about 12 years ago, and I still get looks. Sometimes people will come up to me and say, "Where do I know you from?"

By Dawnk777 on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 09:10 pm:

When Sarah and I went to see the high school play last fall, there was one girl up on the stage who looked soooooo familiar, but through going 2 different nights to see the play, I couldn't place her!

Then, about a month later, we went out for pizza with our friends at a place we have been a bazillion times! Guess who we saw? The girl from the play. So, I even know her name now, too!

If she had seen me at the play, she might have recognized me as a customer, but I don't know. I did say that I'd seen her in the play and couldn't figure out who she was. She thought it was funny.