March 4, 2026
Thomas Viollier, a cashier at Luke’s Local grocery market in San Francisco, poses daily questions to shoppers as they check out: “Would you rather feel seen or heard?”
It’s part of a self-created polling system that allows customers to compare their answers with those of their neighbors. Viollier said he enjoys creating small moments of connection in a fast-paced city.
“I see 300, 350 people every day, and I think a lot of them are kind of starving for that interaction,” he said.