A MAN who endured agonising small talk with the cashier at his local shop has been forced to find a new place to buy essentials.
Julian Cook only wanted a pint of milk from his local corner shop but found himself locked in a conversation about the news, football and whether there were ‘enough hours in the day’.
He said: “I did everything I could to avoid getting trapped in an awkward chat about nothing. I was frowning, had my headphones in, and I wasn’t making eye contact with anyone.
“But then I got to the checkout and the woman serving me asked how I was. Everything spiralled out of control from there. Before I knew what was going on I was agreeing that it had been ‘a bit too muggy’ lately.
“Soon we’d discussed our weekend plans, how well Team GB is doing in the Olympics, and whether we’d be able to go abroad this summer. The whole thing was a horrific nightmare.”
Cook, who has already begun hunting for a new shop with unfriendly and monosyllabic staff, added: “I can’t ever go back there. How can I shop in peace knowing that someone could strike up a conversation with me at any given moment?”
Cashier Donna Sheridan said: “He paid for his sodding pint of milk with a handful of coppers. I deliberately chat to people like that so they piss off and never return.”
