Club Tom Thumb

For most of my adult life, going to the store has been no big deal. Like most guys, I go in to get very specific items, get them, (self) check out, and get out of there.

But in my post-college life, I've realized that there is no longer a steady supply of cute girls at every turn. In college and high school, it was hard to walk 10 feet without bumping into a new good-looking girl. Now that I'm out of college, I really have to go out of my way to find one.

So my radar is a bit more heightened, you could say. And one of the places where it really goes off is the grocery store. I went shopping at the Tom Thumb yesterday, and there were about 10 cute girls there. And every time I've been inside Central Market, there have been twice as many.

I feel like I need to take a shower, put on a nice shirt, and fix up my hair when I go to the store now. Because if I'm going to meet a girl, outside of a bar or club, the grocery store might be my best bet.

Here's the question - do you dare hit on a girl at the grocery store? Girl friends have told me both "yes" and "no" - but it all seems to stem from one reason: girls are off guard at the grocery store. Some girls say that they'd like it - its a bit of a casual atmosphere, and it'd be a big of a surprise. Other girls I've talked to say that it'd be creepy.

So how do you bridge that gap between a pleasant surprise and creepiness? I think the answer is an unfair one...I'm guessing it depends on looks. I think if a good-looking guy and an ugly girl approached a girl at the store, I'm sure you'd get different responses - she'd be pleasantly surprised to get hit on by the good-looking guy and creeped out by the ugly guy.

If you're average looking, it probably will have to do with your approach. And, honestly, I don't really know an approach that would work. You could ask a girl where, say, the cereal is...that will open the door of communication, but it won't really start you a conversation. The thing I always hear is to see what kind of food they're looking at and ask them about it. "Do you like that brand of spaghetti sauce? I've always wanted to try it. Oh, by the way, my name's Drew."

That might be something to do, but it'd depend on good timing. You'd have to time it correctly so that you're both in the right aisle...it'd be creepy if you followed her around until you get to the spaghetti aisle...and awkward if you tried to ask her about feminine products.

So what's the best way of going about it? Girls, would you want to get hit on in the store? If so, what would be the best way to approach you? Guys, have you tried anything that worked?

All comments are appreciated.