Ghosted by the cashier…. again!

Let’s talk about something that’s becoming far too common: being ghosted by a cashier.

You know the drill. You approach the counter and expect a simple interaction. Maybe a smile or a brief exchange of words, but instead, you are met with… nothing. They’re there, sure, but their attention? Entirely elsewhere. It feels rude, doesn’t it?

I was recently at a BP petrol station and it hit really hard. It was an entirely new level of being ignored. Maybe I needed connection more than him, or at least some level of ‘service’, but the cashier didn’t even glance up from his phone.

No eye contact, no greeting, not even a grunt.

“Err Hello” I said, waiting for a response, but still nothing….he just waved his hand towards the card reader, still scrolling away, I felt my mood change, and that was when “Nice Paul” gave way to “Old Paul.”

“Sorry, mate, was I interrupting you?” I blurted out, unable to hold back. Not my finest moment, but can you blame me?

For a split second, I felt totally invisible, and his response…..well, it stuck with me for the journey home.

“Sorry mate, people don’t talk to us these days, they just swipe.”

At first it seemed like an excuse, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised he wasn’t wrong.

I get that the lure of social media is strong, and for many, it’s become a safe haven – a place where connection feels easier, even if it’s superficial. Certainly for that cashier, the phone in his hand was likely his comfort zone, his go-to escape from a world that often feels indifferent, but here’s the thing: if you’re retreating into social media at the expense of real-world connections, you’re missing out, and for him, could mean losing your job also!

And that’s not just true for cashiers, it’s true for all of us, the amount of dog walkers I see looking at their phone when walking, and parents ignoring their kids at the park, who are also ignoring them. I recently watched a mum pushing her kid on the swing, whilst watching Netflix on her phone…. I did laugh at that one!

Clearly social media isn’t perfect, it can be a vortex of comparison, a time swamp, and a breeding ground for negativity but you can use it to join in, organise, and motivate instead – the trick, as always, is balance.

So, the next time you find yourself on either side of the counter, cashier or the customer, take a moment to engage, make eye contact, say hello, share a smile?

Small gestures like these can reignite the spark of human connection.

What else have we got?

Thank god I’m not old….. oh wait…