If you see someone at the store in dirty clothes, not looking the best, don't assume.

[Ottakee]

Don't assume that they are poor, don't care, etc.

 

I just thought of that this week as we are in the process of trying to turn 4 acres of woods into horse pasture, coordinate a barn building, redo much of the inside of the house, etc.

 

It has been ME that has done to the store in a dirty T-shirt and shorts (me who is NEVER seen in shorts but it has been very hot here) with my slip on shoes. I know I must fit the "people of Walmart" stereo type but honestly, I have been working most days from 7 or 8am until 9pm or later and I just don't have the time to go home, take a shower, put on clean matching clothes to run to the store for a needed item only to have to go back home and put on my old stuff to get back to work.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Something like this happened to me a number of years ago when I was using a paint sprayer to spray the walls of one of our rentals. My blood sugar was low and I had to get something to eat post haste. I ran into the grocery store and it was only after I got a lot of strange looks that I realized that I was covered in white paint from head to toe - the only parts that were my natural skin color were a goggle shaped area where my safety goggles had been! (I think I looked more like an alien than a person of Walmart).

[GoVanGogh]

I used to host an annual Christmas party. One year, I was deep in the middle of baking - ratty clothes, hadn't showered yet, caked in flour, probably looked very frazzled.

I had to run out to the grocery store for something quick and realized on my way out the door that I still needed to drop off our donations at the local charity. I didn't even give my appearance a thought. :001_huh: When I went into the charity's office to drop off my donation, the lady gave me an application to fill out. I was, like, "What?" She said, "Oh, I assumed..." Only then did I realize what I looked like. :tongue_smilie:

[DarlaS]

I live in a small community. I see anyone filthy around here, I probably not only know them, but know what they've been up to.

 

I'm somewhat dirty most of the time running errands lately myself. The employees at the lumber yard have never batted an eye at a customer covered in sawdust--and if I need milk, I'll head right into the grocery store that way. It's not a special occasion. I do try not to stink. :D

 

Three more days until we get our new kitchen cabinets. I need to fix another piece of water damaged subfloor, prime & paint the walls and put down underlayment (in two rooms + a hallway) all in the next two days. I'll be grubby tomorrow too. ;) And Sunday. :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: The lawn is looking pretty bad off these days too. If I get this other stuff done in time, I foresee taking a mid-day yardwork break covered in grass (with little green bugs in my hair :w00t:). I might just head to the deli.

Edited August 6, 2011 by darlasowders

[datgh]

I was a grower for a large greenhouse operation. Do you know what happens when you are sweating and trying to fill pots with potting soil? It is not pretty. I would be so tired and filthy by the end of the day but I knew if I stopped at home first before the grocery store I never would have anything to eat. The older ladies in my apartment building finally made a comment one day about how my single status could be related to my level of cleanliness at the end of the day.:glare: Flowers may be beautiful but you sure do get dirty growing them.

[elegantlion]

I live in a small town. There are farmers, construction workers, and lots of "dirty" people out and about. I was glad of that today when I had to run and get cat food. I was in my sweats and a baggy t-shirt. I stuck on my Tevas, some makeup, and ran gel through my hair. I did not appear out of place at all.

[KungFuPanda]

THIS is one of the best parts about not living in a small town. You can run to the store in sweats with a dirty ponytail and never see anyone you know :001_smile:

[Bluezoo5]

THIS is one of the best parts about not living in a small town. You can run to the store in sweats with a dirty ponytail and never see anyone you know :001_smile:

 

Yes! I have recently had to get used to this as well, since we recently moved from a city to a small town.

[Desert Rat]

No one notices if I stop by a store in my grubbies after cleaning houses. Nice part about living in a big place. No one notices one worker ant.

[Tap]

It is very obvious when someone is 'fresh' dirty vs 'old-funk' dirty. There is a smell about people who stink like they haven't showered in a month. There is a very different smell around people who showered in last 24hours. The smell to be concerned about is the smell people have that lingers for 5 minutes after they walk away!

 

When there is obvious dirt on clothes, it is usually fresh. When they have worn the same shirt for a while, the dirt falls off and leaves various colored spots. The more colors of stains....the older the funk! (and I am not talking about paint splatters!).

[LidiyaDawn]

Pffft ~ who gives a monkey's butt what anyone thinks?

 

..I wore pj pants and a tank top to Walmart the other day. [with blue crocs]

 

DO NOT CARE. :D

[Lizzie in Ma]

You should see the state I've gone in the store in. :D

[SailorMom]

Don't assume that they are poor, don't care, etc.

 

I just thought of that this week as we are in the process of trying to turn 4 acres of woods into horse pasture, coordinate a barn building, redo much of the inside of the house, etc.

 

It has been ME that has done to the store in a dirty T-shirt and shorts (me who is NEVER seen in shorts but it has been very hot here) with my slip on shoes. I know I must fit the "people of Walmart" stereo type but honestly, I have been working most days from 7 or 8am until 9pm or later and I just don't have the time to go home, take a shower, put on clean matching clothes to run to the store for a needed item only to have to go back home and put on my old stuff to get back to work.

 

 

:lol:

 

We have been waist deep in home construction for about 6 months now - and I have gone to Wal-Mart looking quite like a bum :)

 

I have what I call (on normal days - not construction days) Lowes-acceptable and Wal-Mart acceptable. Lowes acceptable means no holes in which one can see skin :) Wal-Mart acceptable is no big stains, and not smelly.

[AuntPol]

I've been going to CrossFit gym in evenings. I am usually in baggy t-shirts and shorts to work out. When I am done, I am sweating head to toe. However, because I'm schooling all day, the only time I have to run errands is on way home from gym. I am sure I look horrendus with hair unstyled, face red as a beat, and that sweaty stinky smell.

[Punks in Ontario]

I can handle hard working people in work clothes most of the time. I thought the pig clothes with manure, blood and another white substance along with the smell was a bit over the top. I actually know the guy so I got to talk to him in the checkout line for a few minutes. I just tried hard not to think about what might be on his hands. :tongue_smilie:

[Daisy]

I can handle hard working people in work clothes most of the time. I thought the pig clothes with manure, blood and another white substance along with the smell was a bit over the top. I actually know the guy so I got to talk to him in the checkout line for a few minutes. I just tried hard not to think about what might be on his hands. :tongue_smilie:

 

Shudder.

[Kalmia]

There is a big difference shopping in my current suburban community than in the rural working community I was raised in. People are all fancied up for their trip to the grocery store here. BAck there people stop by on the way home from work and everyone's okay with farmers in dirty boots, fishermen who smell like fishermen, painters covered in paint. Even the businessmen and businesswomen could wear their work clothes, though I bet they felt like they didn't fit in!

[simka2]

Somedays, when I got to the store straight from the barn............... it is not a pretty sight!!!! :D

[Carrie12345]

While you're at it, please try to forgive women who look AND smell like heck. They may have a reflux baby who refuses to sleep for more than 5 minutes at a time. On them. After screaming bloody murder for an hour. For three months straight. And the grocery shopping is their vacation.

 

I'm just sayin'!

[Daisy Mommy]

I was dying my hair once and halfway through realized that I didn't have enough hair die for all of my super thick curly hair...also...when I die my hair I have to comb it out and I look like the wicked witch of the west/destroyed barbie doll...

 

SO I went to the store in an oversized men's tee shirt that covered my shabby workout short...My hair was two toned...and I didn't want to wear my nice shoes so I grabbed my brother's flip-flops...I was sooooo embarased and I ran in and out of that store super fast!

 

:lol:

 

I can laugh about it now though...

[Elinor Everywhere]

I've been going to CrossFit gym in evenings. I am usually in baggy t-shirts and shorts to work out. When I am done, I am sweating head to toe. However, because I'm schooling all day, the only time I have to run errands is on way home from gym. I am sure I look horrendus with hair unstyled, face red as a beat, and that sweaty stinky smell.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who runs errands after a CrossFit workout. I just pray I don't run into the "always looks fabulous and fresh" neighbor, who already thinks I'm weird & beneath her because I homeschool. It's just a matter of time... :D

[Elinor Everywhere]

This happened to us when we went to buy a car. We were living in Orange County, CA at the time, and had been out racing sailboats all day. We were sunburned, wind-swept, salty, and dried-sweaty. For some reason, we decided on our way home to swing by the car dealers and look for my new car.

 

We first went to the Toyota dealership, and the sales guy LITERALLY told us to "try Honda", which might be more to our liking. WHAT? A car salesman who doesn't want to show me a car?? Since I was specifically looking for a convertible, we then drove over to the BMW dealership, bought a car (they weren't so judgmental), and naturally I had to drive back through the Toyota lot and show the salesman my new car. I've never forgotten that, and I try not to judge by appearances. The nerve of that guy!

[Tap]

This happened to us when we went to buy a car. We were living in Orange County, CA at the time, and had been out racing sailboats all day. We were sunburned, wind-swept, salty, and dried-sweaty. For some reason, we decided on our way home to swing by the car dealers and look for my new car.

 

We first went to the Toyota dealership, and the sales guy LITERALLY told us to "try Honda", which might be more to our liking. WHAT? A car salesman who doesn't want to show me a car?? Since I was specifically looking for a convertible, we then drove over to the BMW dealership, bought a car (they weren't so judgmental), and naturally I had to drive back through the Toyota lot and show the salesman my new car. I've never forgotten that, and I try not to judge by appearances. The nerve of that guy!

 

 

We had that happen on a camping trip once. I was very pg with ds16 and was 22years old, and we were on our way home from camping for the weekend. We saw a Westfalia van on a VW lot and they wouldn't even get the keys for us to test drive it. After a bit of tenacity on our part, they finally relented and let us take it for a drive.....the sales man didn't even bother to go with us. When we got back we had to hunt for a salesman to make an offer. We made a cash offer and they insisted on still running our credit. They were very dismissive until they ran our credit and realized that yes, we did have the money. Then it was MR and MRS Smith and how can we help you today. We did buy the Westfalia despite their treatment because it was a very good price for an expensive van that we never would have bought otherwise.

 

It was amazing to see how their attitude changed.

[Elinor Everywhere]

Then it was MR and MRS Smith and how can we help you today.

 

:lol::lol: Love that!

[musicmommy]

Although we live in town, we are surrounded by farms, ranches, vineyards and many, many people who just love their horses. Looking nice and put together is kind of out of the norm for the stores here. :D

[justamouse]

This happened to us when we went to buy a car. We were living in Orange County, CA at the time, and had been out racing sailboats all day. We were sunburned, wind-swept, salty, and dried-sweaty. For some reason, we decided on our way home to swing by the car dealers and look for my new car.

 

We first went to the Toyota dealership, and the sales guy LITERALLY told us to "try Honda", which might be more to our liking. WHAT? A car salesman who doesn't want to show me a car?? Since I was specifically looking for a convertible, we then drove over to the BMW dealership, bought a car (they weren't so judgmental), and naturally I had to drive back through the Toyota lot and show the salesman my new car. I've never forgotten that, and I try not to judge by appearances. The nerve of that guy!

 

Lol. On a smaller scale-

 

I was mucking out a friend's horse barn, and then stopped in Talbots on the way home. They looked at me as though my $ wasn't green. :lol:

[T'smom]

We were at Wal-Mart the other day after being out and I did have a stain of something my toddler had spilled on me, but it wasn't THAT bad. The cashier yelled at me for not separating my stuff. "WHAT?" He informs me that WIC won't pay for some of my stuff and the WIC stuff has to be rung up separately. I said "Um, I don't have WIC" He backpedaled pretty quickly....saying he was "so sorry" he "just assumed" "has people doing that all the time"

 

Not that I think people who have/use WIC look a certain way.....but this cashier obviously did. And I obviously looked like it.

[misidawnrn]

Trust me, I am a farmer's wife. I have went to the store plenty of times looking like a homeless bag lady!:D

[BamaTanya]

THIS is one of the best parts about not living in a small town. You can run to the store in sweats with a dirty ponytail and never see anyone you know :001_smile:

 

I wish that were true here. I've lived in the same city for 39 years, went to school, college, and grad school, taught 12 years, and attended 3 churches. Right here.

 

I can't go ANYWHERE without seeing someone I know. Usually several someones. :001_huh: And it's usually those I know professionally and I wish I'd done something with my face before heading out.

 

Oh. Well. I do dress up for work.

[mcconnellboys]

Oh, dear! I've gone straight from the garden to the grocery at least a couple of time in order to save money this year, LOL. It never occurred to me that people couldn't figure out that my dirty covered front was from working in the garden (or elsewhere outside)....