"I'm sorry, but I don't work here."

It started happening when I was 15 or so. About every month or two, where ever  I happened to be, people would mistake me as an employee and ask me questions.

• Grocery store: "Where can I find the olives?"
• Department store: "Where can I find children's socks?"
• Hospital: "Where is the Cardiology Department?"
• Library: "Where is the book return?"
• Restaurant: "Where's the bathroom?"

At first I think that I was annoyed by this and probably threw some less-than-polite teenage attitude at my fellow shoppers. When I realized this was a common problem, I just started saying, "I'm sorry, but I don't work here." Sometimes people are apologetic. Sometimes people are angry with me for looking like an employee -- as if I was actively seeking to deceive them. My favorite example of this happened in the Saco Reny's about 7-8 years ago. I was making May Day baskets for all of my neighbors. I was short on time and ran out of something that I knew I could get at Reny's. I debated about whether to make myself more presentable before leaving the house. I said to Dorothy, "Forget it. I'm going as I am!" So, with my sweatpants and paint-stained shirt, I made the quick trip to Reny's. Sure enough, as I was searching the shelves for my desired item, a woman approached me from behind and said, "Where can I find the irons?" I was used to this routine by now. I turned and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't work here." In a disgusted voice she said, "Well! Maybe if you didn't look so professional I wouldn't have made this mistake!" I was floored. I was wearing sweatpants and a shirt with paint on it. 

That's when I confirmed what I had always suspected to be true. Somehow, I project the image to others that I look like I know what I am doing. I don't know how I do this, since clearly my clothing is not communicating this. Although, there was the time that Ames department store (do you remember Ames?) was rearranging their entire stock without closing the store...I happened to have on my Girl Scout leader uniform that day. I was stopped by three different customers in a matter of 10 minutes to give direction on where they might find tampons, sewing thread, and the like. In truth, if the person has been nice enough to me and I know the location of said item, I will direct him/her to it. Most of the time, though, I don't have the answer.

I thought that maybe this problem would go away with age. It had been a while since I encountered this problem. But, sure enough, last weekend I was shopping at Tom's Discount in Salisbury. I was facing a wall displaying hundreds of flip flops. I was carrying a wallet, a shopping basket with items in it, and I had sunglasses perched on my head. In my mind, I looked like a shopper. But, then, from down the isle, I heard a woman say in my direction, "How much are these?" I turned to her and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't work here." Apparently, even when I am lost in a sea of flip flops, I still look like I know what I am doing. 

Tips for solving this problem are welcomed.