Fear of Recognition

[Point]

So. This morning I was driving to school and I hadn't eaten breakfast yet. I woke up late and had to run out the door without eating anything. Lucky for me, I save my change - change I can believe in - and had around $2.50 which I could buy breakfast with. I am fond of the sausage burritos at the McDonalds which is conveniently on the way to school, so I considered going there... except for the fact that I had already gone last Friday and I recognized the lady working there after seeing her a few times. I don't know if she recognized me, since she had to glance at people all day and probably didn't care, but I really didn't like the fact that I recognized her. I wake up late often, but seldom go out to eat for breakfast unless I'm really hungry. Except for sometimes the Chemistry teacher sells muffins to raise money and they're really good and cheap. So, instead, I just didn't eat breakfast for fear of being recognized. I don't like being a "regular" at a restaurant, and I don't like people being able to predict my tastes unless I know them personally. I get really embarrassed when I walk into the chemistry lab (I haven't had the teacher's class yet) and he notices me and says, "We're busy today so we're not selling muffins". It's not a phobia, but it's definitely a deterrent. How many people experience similar feelings? Do you avoid places because the owner knows you but you don't know them? etc. etc. usw.

 

[Boogeyman]

Yep. I absolutely hate it when I run into someone from school at a store or something. It's just so... awkward.

 

[EmeraldsAndLime]

How ironic, I just came back from McDonalds and was served there by a woman who's been working there for over 10 years. That Maccas is just down the road from my old high school, so I use to go in more often than I probably should have and she was always there. Probably been served by her 100 times, at least.

But yeah, I have a little fear of recognition, but mostly because I don't want people talking to me about the last time I was there - and my region is known for having random strangers just chatting to you. In the past I've avoided going into a restaurants/cafes/shops on consecutive days, which means that I've actually inconvenienced myself by going to another place. I feel a bit scummy if people who work there start recognising me as a regular, or they remember me buying the same things from the previous day/week.

There is one notable exception though. There's a restaurant here where I used to go in at least twice a week. The food was too good and I had a slight addiction to it. The owner of the place started seeing me come in a lot and every so often he'd give me more than what I paid for.

 

[starshine]

I'm the opposite. I love running into people, and I enjoy conversations with strangers, I'm usually the one to strike up the conversation.

If I have a choice, I would go places where I would bump into people I know, just because I enjoy the conversation.

 

[dogboy]

I'm pretty well know in my town as I'm a known musician. It doesn't bother me, but sometimes they know me, and I can't remember their name. That's always embarrassing. I just keep talking to them until I get a clue. Sometimes I'm clueless...haha!

 

[frillyfoxy]

I love it. I am a pretty memorable person so normally if I frequent a place they remember me and I remember them. It is nice since you get better service.

 

[Trevor]

I'm pretty well know in my town as I'm a known musician. It doesn't bother me, but sometimes they know me, and I can't remember their name. That's always embarrassing. I just keep talking to them until I get a clue. Sometimes I'm clueless...haha!

I can't speak for Point, but that isn't the concern for me. I don't mind knowing people, it's the casual recognition of someone who doesn't actually know me. There was a store where I had actual conversations with the owner because of shared interests, so I had no problem going there. I just don't want to be recognized as a vague collection of superficial traits. I know it's nothing special to me, people do that with everyone, but I don't care for being known as the guy who orders his pizza a certain way or whatnot.

As Point said, it's not a phobia; I can go wherever. It is on my mind, though, and I tend to change up the places I go to minimize the effect. Minor neuroses make life interesting.

 

[timmahtherebel]

Nah. I like being a regular at an establishment. I've been going to a Subway for a year now and whenever I walk in all I have to say is I want the usual and he will give it to me. If I want something else, then its good too.



Also the same w/ Mcdonalds.

I'm kind of lazy, so I frequent the same stores, have actually made good friends like this.

 

[FittedForME]

I'm a regular at a few restaurants near where I live, and I actually enjoy it:

1. Buffalo Wild Wings: I order 10 Hot Boneless wings every Thursday; I call up, tell them my name, and they just ask if that's what I want, rather than having me tell them(they even ask if my brother wants anything, since he sometimes has me order something for him).

2. Fricker's: I order Killer Frickin' Chicken Chunks with a side of bleu cheese about once every two weeks; same situation as Buffalo Wild Wings.

3. Local Chinese Restaurant: I order Beef Chop Suey, and when I go to pick it up, they just grab my bag and tell me the price without asking my name.

4. McDonald's(Breakfast): The same guy takes my order every time I go up there, and he's asked me if I've heard certain songs or read certain books on several occasions.

 

[Charlie]

I have this with the local shop.

I'm big on sweets, and I do get embarrassed if I'm pigging out like mad.

Like once, I bought about a quids worth of sweets, and then later on my parents rented a DVD and asked me to go and buy sweets for the whole family. That made me feel self-conscious. "Do they think these are all for me?!"

With that said, I usually don't care at all. In high school we used to have this ice-cream van that came up every lunch time, and everyday I'd buy a 5 pence strawberry sweet.
The guy in the van probably hated me.

I don't think I have this fear with anything other than sweets.

 

[Pojo]

Me and my friend are somewhat regulars at some places. Usually restaurants, but we don't have a "usual". We're just known for usually laughing a lot >_>

Then there is being recognized at work if I'm there with my friend or my mom. I don't really like that so much, as it's kind of embarrassing with my mom, and my friend likes to ask what their name is, and then will yell it and make it somewhat awkward.

 

[Dawes]

Man! Some of you guys must have never liked Cheers, did you?

 

[h3g3l]

Spoiler

So. This morning I was driving to school and I hadn't eaten breakfast yet. I woke up late and had to run out the door without eating anything. Lucky for me, I save my change - change I can believe in - and had around $2.50 which I could buy breakfast with. I am fond of the sausage burritos at the McDonalds which is conveniently on the way to school, so I considered going there... except for the fact that I had already gone last Friday and I recognized the lady working there after seeing her a few times. I don't know if she recognized me, since she had to glance at people all day and probably didn't care, but I really didn't like the fact that I recognized her. I wake up late often, but seldom go out to eat for breakfast unless I'm really hungry. Except for sometimes the Chemistry teacher sells muffins to raise money and they're really good and cheap. So, instead, I just didn't eat breakfast for fear of being recognized. I don't like being a "regular" at a restaurant, and I don't like people being able to predict my tastes unless I know them personally. I get really embarrassed when I walk into the chemistry lab (I haven't had the teacher's class yet) and he notices me and says, "We're busy today so we're not selling muffins". It's not a phobia, but it's definitely a deterrent. How many people experience similar feelings? Do you avoid places because the owner knows you but you don't know them? etc. etc. usw.

Wow. You could give Joyce a run for his money.

Some people will know me. Most won't. It is only the way of things, so I don't get bothered either way.

 

[moocow]

Nah. I like being a regular at an establishment. I've been going to a Subway for a year now and whenever I walk in all I have to say is I want the usual and he will give it to me. If I want something else, then its good too.

thats how I am with a place on campus. If the lady is working the register, she knows what I want and only asks what type of drink as I will occasionally mix that up on her.

 

[PostTenebrasLux]

Yeah, I get this way. There's this one lady who works at a coffee shop near where I work. Whenever I get coffee there, which used to be every day, she'd give me this mean look like "What you're doing is immoral. I know you drink a lot of coffee--I know your dark coffee secret, you bad person." I get kind of nervous getting my coffee there.

Then there's my favorite coffee shop where I go to read, but it's about 40 minutes away. The lady that runs the place recognizes me--might even know my name--and knows just what I've come for. I like her place, and I like being a semi regular guy there. I walk in, we say hi, I get the bottomless cup, and then nobody bothers me for the next few hours.

 

[quattrus]

I use to go to certain restaurants/bars quite regularly with my group of friends, and we order nearly always the same things... needless to say most of the staff of those places knows us.

I love being recognized by people and, actually, it gets me in a bad mood if they haven't memorized my face or name after some times they see me - or if, after some time I don't go there, they tend to forget about me (which rarely happens, luckily).

Being myself the self-centered bitch I am , I simply hate being considered just "one of the many", and having people recognizing me and exactly remembering my tastes is pure awesomeness which fuels my ego and makes me walk two meters up in the air. :tongueout:

Moreover, as Lukie said, regular customers usually get better treatment than random ones, so what's the advantage in playing stealthy?

 

[PostTenebrasLux]

Moreover, as Lukie said, regular customers usually get better treatment than random ones, so what's the advantage in playing stealthy?

I hadn't thought of it that way.