FreeOwl

yep.

I had a circuit of about seven different places to buy booze.... trying not to go to any one of them too often or too shortly after the last time.... in the end, just realizing that they basically all recognized me as a 'regular'. I discovered that I was the only one I was fooling.

Then as I learned more about alcoholism and participated more and more in recovery, I realized how much of a cliche I was.... this is such a common story it's almost like a caricature.

Arpeggioh

Same store every day; I felt obligated to tell the clerk who orders the liquor that I'd quit drinking, so that he wouldn't overstock. I'm pretty sure my purchases of vodka and cigarettes covered their monthly electric bill...

luvmygirls

I definitely rotated stores, and when I went into a liquor store, I always made a little show to pretend I had to look around, was unfamiliar, etc. When I bought wine at the neighborhood grocery store, I was terrified that someone I know would see me, so I would hide the wine in my basket and stress out until it was safely in my bag and I was leaving the store...mentally exhausting.

Behappy1

And those brown bags. I hate those brown bags. I never had brown bags in the house unless it was to bring vodka in. This is a good thread to show us all how we're not so different in this disease.

jryan19982

I didnt care... when I was drinking I couldnt give two sheets to the wind whether or not anyone recognized me when I came in. I mean I know they did, but that wasnt going to stop me from buying my daily allotment of alcohol.

I never rotated store. I didnt care. As long as I got my booze...

Easy2slip

We have county government run liquor stores here .. So there's only 1 store in my town to buy booze.

So that's where I'd go and they knew me VERY well! Made friends with the clerks over the years.

Now that Im sober I was thinking of dropping in and saying hello. Let them know I'm alive and well.

SoberHoopsFan

I can relate. Towards the end of my drinking, I was a notorious customer of this one liquor store near me, there nearly every day and not at all uncommon for multiple visits in one day. I guess I simply stopped caring about being judged, and they seemed amused enough by my antics (although were probably laughing at me and/or pitying me). Earlier on in my drinking career, I did try to mix up places though, because I was embarrassed by how much I bought.

If you get to a point where you are going to different stores to avoid being noticed, or have become a notorious regular at one particular store, that's probably a huge red flag that you have a serious alcohol addiction. I had many other red flags for sure, but this was one of them too.

Babescake

Well I haven't been drinking as heavily or as long as a lot of folks here. Binge drinking (at most 4x a week), but yet people know me at the convenient stores and what I ask for. I went tonight just for pop/water and talked to the ONE guy who has ever started taking out what I would ask for alcoholically (single shots, tolerance not THAT big). That really made me embarrassed when it occurred.

Now I went back and he was on a smoke break. I talked to him and admitted my attempt to be better and he actually hugged me! Granted, he is kind of young and I'm still semi-attractive/young, but I honestly like to believe he was proud. I'll go with that as the storms set in here...

whopper

Yep. Tried not to go to the same liquor store every week. Rotated thru 6 different locations. Some of the employees rotated between the stores as well since they are gov't operated. I had one recognise me and give me a funny look.

Fluffer

Yes, if I was on a bender I would try to go to different corner markets to hide my shame, but one time I told the clerk behind the plexiglass barrier who looked like a big drinker that I had been drinking since the previous day. He came around the counter, looked me knowingly in the eye and shook my hand. Then sold me the 40. So many strange moments.

mcboyle

I want to laugh really hard...not at you, but at the situation....its 100% a thing. I live close to 3 or 4 different gas stations where I would switch them up so the employees wouldn't think i was out of control. what the heck is that?! obviously i'm out of control if i'm scheming in that way. don't feel bad about the shame. use it as motivaton.

mcboyle

I went to a gas station recently to buy beer more than 2 days in a row...kinda early...like noon :/ and I gave the guy my ID and he was like "youre good, I remember you." It was sorta deflating. made me feel like crap. only 1 day sober. its not much but its a start. you got this!

Dame

I went to the same store too. Mostly because the clerks were pretty much my only friends, and they didn't judge or embarrass me. Now they seldom ever see me (liquor section is 'down the way' from the main checkouts). I figure they've noticed I haven't bought anything in 2 months. I think I'll start stopping by to chat. Seriously, I WANTED them to know I had issues with alcohol, and since I never drove intoxicated I was able to chat and recall what was shared. I don't plan on announcing I've quit. I don't really think they care. They see drunks every day. But I would like them to see that I'm not bruised or limping from an intoxicated accident

MacW

Oh most definitely, I was on first name terms with all the local staff in the small stores that sell beer around where I used to live.

fred59

I have 11 different liquor stores in my small city I rotated , and that is really strange behavior why would I care what they thought.

Lightning Bug

Sure thing. Store rotation was key to lying to myself about how bad it really was. If a clerk recognized me I never went back to that store.

Bruno1979

It's pretty common amongst people like us

try2again

yes and it's tiring. I stopped going to 1 store because the guy started commenting if he hadn't seen me in awhile & joke about his sales for 4loco were down.

Bunny211

Ha Ha yeah me too. Couldn't be bothered driving to another store...went to the same few close to my house. Did not care if they knew I was alcoholic or not.

MLD51

I drank almost exclusively in bars (you know, "social drinking", so it's OK) but it got to be embarrassing that every bartender at all the places I went knew me well and knew what I usually drank. I'm pretty sure my favorite place had to cut way back on how much of my favorite wine they stocked after I quit. The owner got to be a friend of mine, still is - so when I quit I made sure to give him a heads-up that I didn't want the wine glass and bottle to come out automatically anymore. I still go there to socialize, they now automatically pour me an iced tea.