Convenience store clerks in Lubbock are built differently. They\u2019re part therapist, part bouncer, part comedian, part human lie detector, and part guardian angel who decides whether or not you deserve access to the \u201cEmployees Only\u201d bathroom.<\/p>\n
Over the years, I\u2019ve realized that the clerks around this city know more about me than some of my exes. And, if I’m honest, I trust them more.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a peek inside the secret lives of Lubbock\u2019s convenience store workers\u2026 and what it\u2019s like to be one of their regulars.<\/p>\n
1. The \u201cI Got You\u201d Clerk<\/p>\n
Every Lubbock local has one. Mine works at the gas station near my house and routinely covers my change \u2014 even when I\u2019m short, like, a whole dollar. And he doesn\u2019t even blink.<\/p>\n
He always remembers me, too, mostly because we share the same birthday, and because he\u2019s checked my ID for smokes and booze approximately 400 times.<\/p>\n
These clerks are the real MVPs. They choose kindness every day, even when the customer in front of you is trying to pay with 37 pennies and a Chuck E. Cheese token. (Not even joking about the token.)<\/p>\n
2. The \u201cWe\u2019re Basically Family Now\u201d Clerk<\/p>\n
When I lived across town, I had a gas station buddy who became such a pal that I actually brought him a slice of cheesecake on his birthday. Seriously, y’all, that\u2019s what you do when the clerk has saved you from emotional distress at least six times.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s seen me after breakups, meltdowns, errands, emergencies, and questionable hair days. And he never judged me once. (At least out loud while I was present.)<\/p>\n
Convenience store bonds are sacred like that.<\/p>\n
3. The Stripes on Ave Q: Not for the Weak<\/p>\n
There are convenience stores\u2026 and then there is the Stripes on Ave Q \u2014 the unofficial MMA octagon of Lubbock.<\/p>\n
I have witnessed:<\/p>\n
Fights. Multiple fights. The kind where someone takes off their shirt for no reason other than dramatic flair.<\/p>\n
People yelling \u201cHOLD MY BURRITOS\u201d before charging at someone.<\/p>\n
A man was stealing an entire case of Twisted Tea, like it was part of a grocery pickup order.<\/p>\n
Someone sprinting out the door with a 12-pack tucked under one arm like a football, while the clerk just sighed like, \u201cNot again.\u201d<\/p>\n
That place has more action than a Fast & Furious sequel. The clerks there deserve hazard pay, a therapist, and possibly a documentary crew.<\/p>\n
Read More:\u00a0Lubbock\u2019s Surprising Ranking In America\u2019s Most Sinful Cities<\/a><\/p>\n 4. They\u2019ve Witnessed the Full Spectrum of Our Chaos<\/p>\n Gas station clerks have seen me:<\/p>\n On my best days<\/p>\n On my \u201cIs this rock bottom or am I just tired?\u201d days<\/p>\n On video calls, which were probably louder (and more vulgar) than I realized at the time<\/p>\n Buying booze while probably already a little drunk (not probably…definitely)<\/p>\n During emergencies where they mercifully unlocked the bathroom without a single question asked (this is the greatest honor bestowed upon us by clerks and not to be taken lightly)<\/p>\n If anyone writes my biography, convenience store employees will have their own chapter. Seriously. We go hard in the paint.<\/p>\n Photo by Joel Mott<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>5. They Know Our Patterns Better Than We Want Them To<\/p>\n Clerks can clock a Lubbock regular from a mile away:<\/p>\n The pre-work energy drink warrior<\/p>\n The after-work \u201cplease don\u2019t judge me\u201d booze buyer<\/p>\n The gas-station-dinner chooser<\/p>\n The impulse snack gremlin<\/p>\n They see the cycles. They know the moods. Honestly, they should be licensed to give advice.<\/p>\n Photo by Yannick Pulver<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>6. If Lubbock Clerks Wrote a Tell-All Book\u2026<\/p>\n It would include:<\/p>\n I would buy this book immediately.<\/p>\n Photo by Pete Pedroza<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>Shout-Out To Lubbock’s Gas Station Heroes<\/p>\n Lubbock convenience store clerks don\u2019t just sell gas and gum. They keep this city running \u2014 one shift, one bathroom key, and one emergency kindness moment at a time.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s to the clerks who know our birthdays, remember our faces, silently witness our chaos, and STILL smile at us anyway. We love you. Thanks for having our backs.<\/p>\n Keep scrolling for more Lubbock love in the galleries below…<\/p>\n What Your Favorite Lubbock Snack Says About Your Personality<\/p>\n Scroll the gallery and find your favorite snack to see what it says about you…<\/p>\n Gallery Credit: Chrissy<\/p>\n The Five Stages of Living in Lubbock: From Denial to Acceptance<\/p>\n If you think you’ve never been through this, you’re lying to yourself.<\/p>\n Gallery Credit: Chrissy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Convenience store clerks in Lubbock are built differently. They\u2019re part therapist, part bouncer, part comedian, part human lie…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":54723,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[168,170,169],"class_list":{"0":"post-55474","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lubbock","8":"tag-lubbock","9":"tag-lubbock-headlines","10":"tag-lubbock-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}