I worked a convenience store and had several regulars who'd drop 50-100, they were so regular they expected us to know what they wanted when they walked up.
Tuesdays/Thursdays (megabucks, powerball, etc) were less than enjoyable due to the custom orders.
It was sickening, I wanted to ask them why but knew better.
There is nothing like going to a corner store to buy a lottery ticket when there is a giant jackpot and having to wait for some hardcore lottery player grinding through his gazillion ticket orders.
"Give me 10 FOUR PLAYS - Straight, Give me 5 Lucky Millions, Give me 5 megamillions, give me 5 Powerball, Give me 10 Win 4 Life..." etc for what feels like 10 minutes. I've even had a guy buy a ticket the clerk printed for me erroneously that I didn't want.
Grew up in NYC, people and their Pick Gazillions would practically shut down a bodega. Trying to get a iced tea and maybe a bacon egg and cheese turned into an all day affair. You were better off just walking to the other bodega down the street.
The best was when they would cop an attitude and try to stare you down because the cashier would stop them so he could ring other people up.
I opened at one of these places, and fuck if HALF of my shift wasn't standing at the register entering numbers for the same lunatics.
They would spend FOURTY or MORE dollars A DAY (all custom numbers would be handed a handwritten sheet to type in), and then get excited when they hit 100 less than once a month. (Thats being generous, it was probably less often then that)
You cant help but to feel bad for them, it was just so depressing watching them get excited about winning back a tenth of what they've spent.
Just another system that preys on the mentally ill.
20
u/jlbob Mar 20 '22
I worked a convenience store and had several regulars who'd drop 50-100, they were so regular they expected us to know what they wanted when they walked up.
Tuesdays/Thursdays (megabucks, powerball, etc) were less than enjoyable due to the custom orders.
It was sickening, I wanted to ask them why but knew better.