regulars

If you work in customer service, you're bound to start recognizing regulars. Many of ours I remember but treat as if I don't. I interact with these people for a total of about 20 seconds and immediately forget them until the next time I see them. It's not worth wasting their time and mine pretending we share some sort of bond over our repeatedly reinforced relationship. There are a few people I remember however. They stick out. I anticipate their arrival and (mostly) enjoy their brief company.

There's a guy who drives an unusually short blue car with a black racing stripe down the side and a Domino's Pizza sign on top. He comes around after he gets off work and gets ten bucks regular, cash, never wants a receipt. His car is old and finicky; you have to treat it just right. I love that car, and the driver is nice and laid-back and normal-seeming, the kind of guy who is working his job for the same reason I have mine.

A very small young lady drives a huge catering truck through our station sometimes. She always pays in cash because she wants to opportunity once we've helped her to hand us our lunch. The first time she came in, she tipped my in tacos. She comes around shift-change, so it's a toss-up who gets to help her, but it always makes us smile to see that tiny lady in her giant truck drive away.

Some people you remember because they're assholes. Usually self-assured men in imposing diesel trucks who do as much of your job for you as possible then stand over your shoulder to make sure you do the rest of it right, they always seem to be in a hurry and annoyed at Oregon gas laws. Really, people? This job is not that complicated. I can do it. Please stay in your fucking vehicle. I get tired sometimes of dealing with the consequences of this company having hired a host of incompetent, pot-head high-schoolers.