How do they know, and what's up with grocery stores?

It is so strange, but somehow people just know that I'm a teacher. It happened a few months ago, in Barnes and Noble. Granted, that time I was near the education books. A woman walked up to me and said "You just look like a teacher. Are you?" So I said yes, and ended up in a 30 min. conversation about her kid that I really didn't want to be in.

Tonight was even more strange. I was in the grocery store, getting in line at the express lane. Apparently 10pm is a great time to shop, so the express lane was about 8 people long. The man in front of me, maybe late forties or early fifties, made some comment about the "express" part being more of an idea, and I made some small talk comment about how maybe it wasn't really express, just 15 items or less.

There were maybe 1 or 2 other comments, and then he said "So, what do you teach?" How the heck did he know that? Sometimes I wonder how people know, and then I realize I'm wearing my school sweatshirt, or I have a nametag on or something stupid. No such thing tonight, I just had on normal clothes, and a jacket. I wasn't even wearing my glasses that I think make me look smart. I don't think it was my food either...I just don't know how he knew.

So we talked for a little while, and then he asked me what the kids call me. I'm just not so comfortable giving out information like my name in a public place, so I said "I'd actually rather not say," which I think sort of pissed him off. He said "oh, well I was going to introduce myself. That's what you do when you meet someone and talk to them." He must not have been too pissed though b/c he shook my hand, and I shook his, and we introduced ourselves.

How strange...maybe he didn't get this, but as a single woman, I just feel really uncomfortable giving out my info. to strangers in public. And talking to people in grocery stores in general...I don't really want to have a conversation about what I'm buying, or what they're buying, etc.

The other weird thing to happen in a grocery store is I was steering past this guy's cart, and said excuse me. He stopped though, and said "Hi, how are you?" I said "fine," and he said "good," and went on...Weird.