I don't mind being predictable at restaurants--woot for fresh-made sushi after they ran out for the night!--but I resent the proprietors thinking that my regular patronage is equivalent to some sort of friendship. It's a congenial, profitable business arrangement--I get something I like, they get a dependable customer. This does not mean I want to know how their kid is doing at school or answer questions about my personal life.

So I need massive ~ma to my Aunt W, her son, and grandson. I don't know what is going on, but I was talking to Mom and she got another call. She said she had to go because there was some kind of family emergency.

Connie -- I get that; I think people's MMV massively on that.

askye -- -ma to the family!

I've been put off by overly familiar wait service too; it makes me feel uncomfortable if someone I don't know is making assumptions about what I like or acting as if we're old friends. Of course, I don't mind that sort of thing from people who've dealt with me frequently at places where I'm a regular. In that case the familiarity feels earned.

it makes me feel uncomfortable if someone I don't know is making assumptions about what I like or acting as if we're old friends

Oh, yeah--"Hi, I've never seen you before, but we're going to be the bestest of friends!" No, thank you.

I have one restaurant that "knows" us. But it doesn't cause the bug. It is the fact that the pharmacy staff has my stuff pulled as soon as they see me in line. While it gets me out of there fairly quickly, it still feels weird.

Family~ma, askye!

There's a restaurant that I go to nearly every week where they recognize me. They don't assume I'll order the same thing, even though I will about 3/4 of the time. But when their credit card reader went down for about an hour, and I didn't have cash, they just waved me along and asked me to check back after I finished lunch. I saw them put a sign on the door telling people they couldn't accept credit card payments until things were fixed, so I think I got "regular patron" preferred treatment there.

Dammit. I just read the ultimate In 'N Out secret menu guide and now I want one. Animal style!

Have we seen this Malvin and Cobbes T-shirt?

Erin, I've had too many retail people look at me funny when I go "Actually, no, hot chocolate." Some have the stupidity to look like I've betrayed some sort of sacred retail bond between them. Which is by no means the normal person, but the thing is, there's no point reaching for a given dish/drink/muffin when I come in the door. More often than not, I don't want it. More often than not, they make that moment of "Uh, actually, no" more awkward than I want.

If they treat me like they're familiar enough with me to take my suggestions seriously, or to put aside something when I ask, or give me leftovers free, then it's fine. But it's silly making a reach for my usual--that chick was good on Monday because she didn't assume she knew what I wanted. I hadn't wanted a smoothie in months. Just, last time I had, it was the Strawberry Twist. That's not prediction that's tracking details.

The dry cleaner I stopped going to because they pulled my clothes by the time I got to the counter on like my third visit there--that was just creepy. I didn't even see them look up the number on the spinny rack that matched my last name. Made me think they had nothing better to do than sit around and think too much about their random customers. Weirdos.

Lots of ~ma to your family, askye.

Oh, god, our pharmacy knows Hubby and me by name. But considering how many prescriptions we have and how chatty Hubby is, I'm not surprised.