Community rallies to create 'snack fund' after cashier's kind gesture for a hungry child

Store staff often form bonds with regular customers, leading to acts of kindness. However, some may try to exploit this kindness. Reddit user u/accident_prone9988 shared an incident where a customer asked a cashier to pay for his cigarettes after she helped a kid buy a snack.

The woman shared, "I used to work at a little convenience store in a very small town. Every customer was a regular. I had this one kid who was about 12 years old. He came every school day on his bike. He bought chocolate milk and a thing of cheese crackers every day. The total at the time was $2.08 after tax, USD." The kid used to pay in change. Hence, the woman assumed it might have come from a place like his piggy bank. One fine day, the cashier felt the kid looked off when he came for his usual treat.

"He shuffled through the store and grabbed his usual but was short about 10 cents. He went to put his crackers up and I pulled a dime out of my pocket and smiled at him, saying, 'he's all good and enjoy his snack.' The kid thanked me and left looking quite a bit happier," the cashier expressed. "The next customer was a regular as well but was a man in his forties wanting his usual pack of cigarettes. I ring him up and tell him the total. He smiles and says, 'Well, aren't you paying for it?'" She refused to pay for the man's cigarettes. However, he didn't take it nicely and started yelling at her that if she was buying things for other customers, she should pay for his cigarettes as well.

There was a line of customers waiting behind the man who witnessed the incident with the kid as well. "I tell him there is a difference between helping a kid who is slightly short for an after-school snack and a full-grown man trying to force a woman to buy his smokes," the cashier explained. "He starts yelling at me about favoritism and I look him in the eyes and tell him, 'Yeah, and?'" the woman added. The guy started yelling and insulting her, so she simply grabbed the pack of cigarettes and put it back.

"The guy is like, 'What are you doing!?! I'm buying those!' I responded, 'Not today and not from me, please leave.' He starts to reach across the counter when I step back," she continued. When she stepped back, it revealed her pregnant belly, a feature that she would hide behind the counter. However, once people saw it, they got mad at the man for attacking a pregnant woman for helping a kid. The man left angrily and was no longer a regular customer at the store.

However, an interesting thing happened after the guy left. "Every customer behind him started an 'after-school snack fund' for the kid. Started with the first guy putting an extra dollar on the counter for the kid and it just kept going till I set a jar. The kid had free chocolate milk for almost a month before I had to go on maternity leave." People took to the comments section to talk about the crazy incident.

u/SnooBunnies7461 commented, "This is crazy. I can't imagine how putting down 10 cents equals him thinking you would pay for his smokes. Nuts." u/SuzanneSaltySeas wrote, "That's so awful! That man is an idiot. I had a neighbor who was always trying to get me to pay for 'diapers and baby formula' but would freak out because I wouldn't give her the cash, I'd take her to the store where it came out she was really looking to buy beer and cigarettes. Nope, not on my watch." u/Grimdog7 remarked, "The chocolate milk and cheese crackers were probably the best things out of that kid's day. Bravo."