People who confront you outside of work with work-related questions

[CrazedClerk]

So I'm on my break the other day in line at a coffee shop. Now it had been a very long day at work and I was very thankful to have a 30 min. break from the general craziness around my store.

Anyway I'm waiting in line and there's another guy waiting beside me. He says to me "Hey you work at ABC games don't you?" I grudingly answered yes and he proceeded to ask me at least 5 questions about some new PC game that just came out. I answered and then he started to ask more questions (grrrr) to which I replied "sorry, I'm on a break right now and I'd like some privacy, you're welcome to come by the store later" and he gave me a really dirty look like "some nerve you have."

Excuse me, a break is just that, thirty minutes that I DON'T have to deal with customers while I'm on a work shift. This was a nine hour shift that I had the one break for and I wanted to use it to relax and you know, NOT think about work.

Now if he happened to come into the store as I was on my way out, I'd have no problem, but please people, if you see me out and about and you know, NOT at work, let me be!

[Cedophile]

I hate that so. When I worked in the computer lab, there were few enough employees that everyone knew who worked there. They'd always bug me for computer help when I was just sitting in the lab, doing my thing.

I used to give in. When I go back, I'll tell em to shove off. I'm not their monkey.

[dizzy_starshine]

I hate that too. One day I was walking home and someone passing me said 'oh no! is the pharmacy shut now?' I opening laughed and told her no they actually employ other people to work there besides me and it doesn't shut just because I leave.

[Phone Jockey]

That's one reason I don't wear my employee badge on the way to work. If I stop by a convenience store, ppl always want to hit me up about cable & internet stuffs. I don't have time for that, let alone the inclination to talk to strangers about these things...I have somewhere to be!

[Worker-Intellectual]

That is why I wear a jacket to work even if it's 35 above out. I can imagine I look kinda silly wearing a jacket and getting hot coffee at Tim's on my lunch break during a heat wave. But it beats dealing with customers in the parking lot.

[Kitten in the box]

Here's what I do..when I see a customer look at me with that "Im about to ask you something totally stupid about a product that I can answer myself" look I pull out my cell and act like I am talking on the phone with someone. Usually they get the hint and walk away but once in a while you get the scoffers who grunt and stare waiting for you to look at them... I NEVER do and just walk past like they were invisible.

[ArenaBoy]

I always bring a change of clothes with me to work because of that. I don't want to deal with you before I punch in, I don't want to deal with you when I'm leaving. The cell phone thing works like a charm and it is quite amusing to see people get visibly angry as I leave and go into my car.

[Rahmota]

Fortunately I usually didnt have that problem with my jobs.Either due to steps I took or circumstances. Since I live at least 20 miles from where I've worked (until recently when I took over the family farm) I wasn't around people enough for them to really recognize me from work.

Also when I worked security I usually went straight to and from work with little deviation. When I would stop for gas or something most people didn't want to bother the guy in uniform with the utility belt full of cop stuff.

Sprint I carried a spare shirt or jacket.

At the car lot I looked like any other bummed up guy. Although I would get some looks when I'd take something like the Viper down to gas it up and they'd see a guy in jeans and a common t shirt getting out of a 90K car. I guess they'd figure it was stolen. Especially as how the car would not have tags on it since the UDF was right down the street from the dealership and it would take longer to get the tags out of the box then to run down and back.

[Clintmax]

I hear ya, CC! I only get 30 minutes break every day too, so I take my lunch with me so I don't have to spend time *going* someplace to buy it. Then I sit in receiving and eat, then go outside for the last 10 or so minutes. Luckily, I haven't had any customers bother me while I'm out there. I'd say the same thing if they did though..."Leave me be!"

[KaeZoo]

There's a wireless phone company that has an ad campaign built around that idea... their ads build up the idea that their employees are THE experts on wireless phones by showing people recognizing their shirts and asking them questions on the street, in restaurants, etc. One shows an employee being harassed with questions while rushing his wife to a hospital maternity ward. All I can think of is how, if I worked for that company, you'd never see my blue shirt outside the store.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

We (Me, husband, and a friend) actually had this stupid broad approach us while we were sitting at a table at the State Fair, eating a fried onion. She was a SUCKY Kinko's customer who had a job in house, and had the unbelievable audacity to approach our table as we were eating to bitch about it.

We stared at her for a bit, stunned. Then reminded her we weren't at work and she needed to move on.

Un. Freaking. Believable.

[lordlundar]

I never have that problem. It's probably because When I'm off work I have a scowl that usually scares people. They realize that playing with poisonous snakes gives them better odds of survival.