Pub Crawl Reporter
Thank God for 24-hour grocery stores.
That's what most night owls think when craving a frozen pizza at 2:30 in the morning. All of us have been there one time or another, especially on a late Friday or Saturday night.
You walk from the darkness of night into the brightly lit nearly empty store. The first thing you notice is the gaseous green cloud hovering over the well-used ATM machine -- a cloud mainly consisting of beer belches and cigarette smoke.
The second thing you notice is the lone cashier looking up to see who has just entered the premises.
You get your frozen pizza and a bottle of 'Yoo-Hoo' and head over the same lone cashier that offered a passing glance as you walked in. He takes your money for the goods, gives back your change and says, "Have a good night." Sounds like a simple job, right?
Well, dude, this guy works the late-night shift, and sometimes nothing is simple when the clock passes midnight.
Bill Nonnast knows all about that.
As a Dillon's customer service representative for the past eight years, he has dealt with all walks of life from those looking for some late-night munchies.
"I've really learned a lot from this job as far as dealing with people because every type of person comes in there," Nonnast said, "Mean people, nice people, grungy people, upper-crusty people - I mean every type."
One of the main abilities that Nonnast has gained over the years is when people are trying to scam him with bad or stolen checks. Through experience, he can spot a few telltale signs, including nervousness and wanting to buy...cartons of cigarettes?
"Especially if they're in there at three in the morning and they want $25 cash back, cartons of cigarettes and a big pile of steaks," Nonnast said, laughing.
He's even seen people steal meat from the store and sell it to others at half price in the parking lot.
But not every act of thievery is something to snicker at. A thief who thought that Nonnast was trying to stop him attacked him with the only weapon he had: the 12-pack of beer that he was trying to lift.
"I just saw this guy running out and he had a case and he just slammed me with a 12-pack right in the face and it exploded and went over my left shoulder," Nonnast said.
The incident gave Nonnast a bloodied nose and sent the intruder to jail. Luckily, that's not a nightly occurrence.
"That's the only time I've ever been assaulted since I've been there," Nonnast said.
Most nights are tame, with the only trouble being an occasional debit card rejection. But every once in a blue moon the late night (and alcohol) will bring the wolf out in some people. These people will sometimes bring about serious instances and mix it with the absurdity that only could happen during the late shift.
Once, Nonnast had to call an ambulance for a girl who got into a fight with another girl in the store's deli.
The injured girl was attacked with spiked knuckles, punching holes into her face and head. Nonnast went to see how the girl was doing before the ambulance arrived and stood face-to-face with the silliness of what the late night conjures up.
"You could see the inside of her nose (from the side) because there was a hole all the way through it," Nonnast said, "and she was trying to put make-up over it."
As it turns out, she was more interested in going to find the girl who attacked her than the bloody gapping holes in her head.
However, with crazy or grumpy customers, vagrants, and late night drunks, one wonders how Nonnast and other people that have to work the late shift at any 24-hour establishment can put up with it all.
According to Nonnast, it all comes down to being good at what you do and knowing what to expect. Not only that, but Nonnast genuinely likes his job.
"My temperament is pretty good for the job. I'm able to take a lot without lashing back. My personality is suited for it," Nonnast said. "I mean most people aren't too bad that come through here."
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