Comments When Buying In Person

[dfw4ever]

I don't contribute as much as I should, so I'd like to begin a topic I rarely ever see. I've been buying diapers in person for over 20 years now and when I think back, there were a lot of times where people made funny or interesting comments about it. Most of the time it came from the workers but occasionally another customer would chime in. I've got several of these to share so I'll post them as I remember more. I'd also love it if you would please share some of your experiences buying diapers in person!

1.) When I was first buying medical diapers, I found a cute medical supply store with two adorable older women who sold the incontinence products. That was an incredible experience. I sat down with both of them and after establishing the diapers were for me, they managed to get a lot more info than I expected to provide. We were in a room off to the side with a large medical bench/table, a few chairs, and a large basket with a whole lot of adult diaper samples. This place only carried Attends and Tranquility, which was fine because I had only tried Depends and store brand briefs up to this point. The Tranquility ATNs were among the better reputation diapers at the time, second only to the Abena Abri-Form X Plus. For context, the baby-blocks fronted original Bambino diapers were still quite new, so ATNs or Attends were realistically the best I could get.

The ladies were very friendly and asked me how often I wear and use diapers so they could figure out how many I would need per month. I told them "I need one for overnight and I wear one during the day just in case" and one of the ladies immediately replied "so you use about 60 diapers a month," as she took a note. It was the first time I ever heard a voice that wasn't mine say that I use diapers in a definitive manner. She had me lift my shirt to take a waist measurement, which I wasn't expecting. I was wearing a pull-up that was extremely visible (I think we all know how absurdly high pull-up waist bands are.) Of course, both being professionals, neither said anything. I think it reminded one of a question they didn't ask because while I was being measured the other asked about volume and how "heavy of a wetter" I am. I answered that I need the most absorbancy possible for overnights, but can get away with lesser protection during the day.

Then, she asked a question that pops into my head maybe once a week. She said before she picks some samples for me to try she needs to know if I "do any soiling in the diapers" or if it's "just wetting." (As an aside, I don't know why I hyper-focus on the phrasing she used but these are terms that really do it for me. I love mixing professional verbiage like briefs and soiling with the gentle mom language of phrases like "just wetting" and "how heavy." As if peeing my pants is no big deal. I can't get enough of the "It's no big deal he's just wetting" casual acceptance.) I had already let on more than I expected so I answered with what I wanted to be the truth, that the daytime protection is for soiling and only sometimes for wetting. The pull-ups I had on at the time were the Depends adjustable, which did actually come up the back a lot higher than any current depends pull-up and worked pretty well for moderate bowel containment, despite the lack of standing leg cuffs.

She told me the Tranquility ATN is the best they have and she handed me two large and two XL samples, plus a few of the Slimline blue briefs and a few of their Select briefs. She said they should work well for my bedwetting and are the best available for "holding both your accidents." I told her I had heard about the ATNs and was looking forward to trying them and she said to call her in a week and let her know how well they performed. I should have called. I still can't believe I got to sit (on what was definitely a changing table) with two older women while they ask me about my embarrassing bedwetting and soiling accidents so they could pick out diapers for me. Easy top 5 diaper buying experience.

2.) Second time is basically an extension of the first but was a few weeks into me being a regular customer. There was a new policy (don't remember if Medicare or otherwise) that came through and basically disallowed the supply store from giving out free samples, so they had two large boxes of samples they couldn't give to their customers and asked me if I wanted them. She hand-trucked the two boxes to my car and as I was loading them in she said "just be aware that these ones are pretty bulky" and she made this motion with her hands behind her butt like expanding out to emphasize the bulkiness. I said it's not a problem for me and we both laughed at her gesture. It was so easy to be open with these two ladies because they were just so friendly and helpful. On days I was picking up diapers, I'd wear shorter t-shirts that barely covered my waistband. I loved that they knew. The shorter shirt meant when I loaded the boxes into my car I was showing several inches of ATN waistband. She definitely noticed because asked me about them and how they performed. I said they were much better than the Depends I had been using. I know it was just from working there, but she spoke like she had personal experience. "Definitely, the Tranquilities are much better than the Depends for bedwetting. They are also really good for handling number twos." I cannot overstate just how much I love the way she phrased things. I really miss buying diapers from those ladies. I saw a meme a while back about the "overly helpful medical supply store lady" and damn was it accurate.

3.) Buying Depends fitted briefs in a Wal-Mart maybe 15 years ago, I'm waiting for the terminal and the lady asks me if I want a bag. I said yes please, and a guy in his 50s behind me in line says "he doesn't want anyone to know he's buying Depends!" in a joking manner. He laughed, the cashier laughed, I nervously laughed. He said "hey you'll do a lot worse by the time you get to my age," and I still don't fully understand what that means lol. I imagine he was referring to actual crimes (because what else would it be?) but it's funny to imagine wearing diapers and shitting my pants not being one of the most embarrassing things in my life. As if I could be with friends talking about embarrassing moments and I would choose "I wear and soil adult diapers by choice" as my confession instead of something else.

4.) A CVS near my house was selling Depends booster pads, which I had never seen before. I carried a pack up to the counter and the cashier was around my age, early 20's or so. There were two girls hanging out to the side of the register talking with him as I walked up. He looks at them and said "these for you?" I said "I wish" and all of us laughed. I was glad to have thought of something in the moment because a Shooter McGavin style "NOo" would be a confession.

5.) I was in a Rite-Aid or CVS and standing in front of the incontinence section. An older lady is stocking the feminine hygiene stuff opposite the diapers and after I had been standing there for a sec looking at the products she said "my husband calls those pants bombers," and chuckled. I laughed and forget what my immediate response was but I remember after saying "I do wish they could hold more" and she kind of agreed! I wonder if her husband actually did wear "bomber pants"on occasion.

I'm sure I'll remember more but I really want to hear some of your experiences! I haven't bought diapers or pads in person in a long time and I do miss the thrill and nervousness of plopping down a fat pack of adult diapers on the conveyor belt and buying them for myself.

[ValentinesStuff]

I had a few. Shortly.

1. I spent some time visiting small town pharmacies to see what they had. Every so often they would have old stock from where the only buyer had passed on. I found several cloth diapers in one place. The clerk seemed thrilled to sell them, and told me I'd need my mom to tell me how to pin them on.

2. Getting some help in one hospital supply store, the clerk kept calling them "briefs." I asked why she used that, and she mumbled about patient dignity. My receipt, which I showed her, called them diapers.

3. I had several drug store clerks ask if I needed a bag for my diapers.

4. One annoyance, I was in a college town and watched some frat boys buy out all the Attends they had in stock. I guess some hazing was about to happen.

5. Sadly one store where I had shopped didn't have any in stock, when I asked. They said they couldn't compete with the online ordering. This was very early in online selling.

[EccoHaus]

When I was very young and nervous about buying diapers (2006-2007) it would take all the guts in me to walk to the stores in town and get them. I'd wear a huge coat and take my glasses off, thinking that people wouldn't recognize me in there. Sadly the only things that CVS and Stop and Shop had were Goodnites, but I was still a kid so they worked just fine. One day I walked into the grocery store, nervous, with my hoarded lunch money in hand. I picked my size of Goodnites from the shelf and went to the checkout. There ended up being an issue scanning them so the cashier (who looked about 16) called for her manager which made my stomach do a backflip. She asked

"How much are these Diapers?" while kind of giggling, which sent white-hot anxiety through me. I was still skittish and somewhat ashamed of myself for wanting to put myself back in diapers. 

Ever since that one moment, I've never really had someone questioning or even seeming to judge me in stores. I've gone into dozens of pharmacies, thrift shops, big box stores, and medical stores over the years and nobody seems to bat an eye at what I slap on the counter to buy. Most people just want to punch in, do their job and get back to their real lives. I haven't felt any anxiety or shame about buying diapers in a long time because I've been wearing and using them every day for almost a year and a half, and buying them off and on since I was a kid. 

 

Edit: OH! A little more indirect but about a year ago I biked to a Salvation Army to see what they had and there happened to be dozens of bags of booster pads, and some cheap pull-ups. I grabbed one bag of the pull ups and 4 bags of boosters (all I could carry with me) and went to the checkout line. I was durring out waiting for my turn when the lady behind me who had about 3 kids with her and was talking on facetime with someone else tapped me on the shoulder "Do they have more of those?" she asked, pointing to the bags in my cart. I said "oh yeah tons" and pointed towards the aisle they were in like "just behind where the candles are". She had her kids hold her place in line and came back with about 5 packs of boosters. Not sure if they were for her or for a relative but she was just happy the product was there and I was happy not to be judged for my purchases lol. 

Edited December 3 by EccoHaus
Grammar stressin'

[Little Sherri]

I buy most of my products online, and when I’ve bought the sad, medical products you can get in retail stores, they’ve barely raised the eyebrows of the cashiers. I suspect they think I must be buying them for an elderly relative, or a kid, when it’s Pampers or Goodnites. The only notable diaper buying experiences I’ve had stem from my very early days as a DL-in-training, and when I rediscovered my ABDL inclinations as an adult.

When I outgrew bedwetting at 10, I also outgrew “legitimate” access to diapers, and I realized quickly that I missed them. But I had no money, and baby diapers didn’t fit me very well, anyway. I had not thought to try and buy adult products, which seemed huge, and again, I was a kid and had no money. But one day, walking the baby aisle as I often did, on my way to get whatever my mom had sent me for, I noted that the drugstore down the street from my house carried blister packs of diaper pins, for like $3.99, and a plan was hatched. I saved my allowance for a couple of weeks, and then I rode up there on my bike, after school, before my parents got home. 

I was shaking like I was about to rob a bank. I went in, pretending to be scoping out my options in a couple of aisles, and then I grabbed a pack of white-headed ones, took a breath, and went to the cash register. She didn’t care, took my money, gave me my change, and put my diaper pins in a little plastic bag for me. I rode home at top speed, and went and stashed them under my mattress. I think I’d crafted my first homemade cloth diaper by that weekend.

Fast-forward 30 years, and I found myself sitting in my car outside of Rearz, in Waterloo, Ontario, back when they had a retail outlet. I’d driven around the block a couple of times, waiting for there to be nobody else in the parking lot, which was shared with a transmission shop. You had to hit a buzzer to be let in; my face, I’m sure, was a deep shade of red, as I shopped for ABDL diapers for the first time. I selected a bag of Bambino Classico’s, and also, a couple of pacifiers, and then I paid cash, with shaking hands, like I was buying drugs. The lady, a gothy-looking girl in her 20’s, asked me if I wanted a bag, and I said, “Sure”, thinking that I didn’t want to walk past the windows of the transmission shop, carrying a visible bag of adult-sized toddler diapers. When she bent over to get the bag, I saw that she was wearing a pull-up. THAT revelation helped to lower my blood pressure a fair amount. The next time I went back, I wore a diaper under my jeans. I’ve probably spent $20,000 with them, since then, although mostly online - their store has long-since closed.
 

 

[Goerge]

When I was 22 I had to take a taxi to a disability shop that sells wheelchairs and stuff to buy some adult nappies because I wanted them that day. The two women were loverly and kind, they gave me black bin liners to stick my packets in, they was just generic nappies put the packs where large, the bin liners didn't over the ends and I had to get into a taxi with the driver who was young and stupidly I got in the front seat, It was awkward silence and he kept glancing at my adult nappies, I was super embarrassed. lol 

[Moochie]

Fantasy from sales person: "Are you wet, I can change you in the back for you to see how these new diapers feel."

[vvp39]

I haven't bought anything in person in decades, but I do remember buying a couple of plastic raincoats on sale in colors I didn't have on what turned out to be the hottest day of that summer. If the clerk had any reaction I don't remember it.

[rusty pins]

9 hours ago, Moochie said:

Fantasy from sales person: "Are you wet, I can change you in the back for you to see how these new diapers feel."

Actually, many years ago in a medical supply store the woman clerk showed me to the back room (a consulting room), let me try two different sizes of Salk waterproof pants on over my disposable diaper to see which would be the better fit.  She even tugged the back waist of the pants checking to see how snug they were.  True, and that was amazing and totally unexpected.  She was an RN though, not your average store clerk making minimum wage.

[carsfan]

I recall once going to a medical supply store in my early 20s. I was still living at home and was unable to order any of the emerging paradigm-shifting AB/DL products I read about online. There was a medical supply store about an hour away where I would go to buy Attebds and Tena. I asked the sales woman a question about fit or sizing of a particularl model they had and she responded with" it's like a baby pamper but for adults". I recall feeling very sheepish and recalling the feeling of relief when the woman at the register was different than that person.
 

Another time I went to buy some boosters off market place. I think the seller assumed they were for a relative but she asked me if I wanted a big I must have sounded a bit embarrassed becayibsaud yet. She replied with " there you go honey, all set", and smiled. 

[Snugglebear_69]

Honestly, it's always been a non-issue for me. Go in, pick what I want and buy. Staff have never commented on it because it's really a non-event kind of thing.

[brain]

I've really never had many comments when buying diapers. Only one time, I was buying Attends at a pharmacy in a nearby town and the pharmacist offered me a bag of diapers that they special ordered for someone that never picked them up. I happily accepted them but unfortunately they were way too big and pretty poor quality. 

[UsuallyDiapered]

I buy most of my diapers online, but I have bought them in person on several occasions. I have never experienced comments or gotten "looks" from staff or other customers. During the summer I was in Paris and I bought a pack of Tena Maxi diapers in a medical supply store...It was all very matter of fact - I went into the store (there was only one other customer), took the pack of diapers from the shelf and went to the counter. The other customer, who was probably only a bit older than me, was completing some business with the cashier and didn't bat an eyelid seeing me with a pack of diapers in my hand. The cashier was pleasant, told me the total cost, took the money, and that was it. I asked if she had a bag as I didn't fancy walking to my hotel through the streets of Paris with a pack of diapers! She told me the bags she had were too small, so I tried to put the pack into my backpack, which didn't work too well either. She then offered a large paper bag to cover the top of the pack, and lo and behold, to my relief we found that the paper bag actually was large enough to carry the pack of diapers. Embarrassment on the streets of Paris averted!

 

On another occasion I went to a medical supply store near my home - I knew they only stocked ID Slips, so I went to the shelf and looked for the highest absorbency, which was Maxi. I knew there was an even higher level of absorbency, Maxi Prime, so I asked the young store assistant if they had them in stock. She didn't know what I was talking about, but she asked "Are they a diaper style?" (as opposed to a pull-up). I was a bit taken aback because (i) they're usually referred to as "nappies" here rather than diapers, and (ii) it made it very real that I was in a conversation about diapers that were for me! They didn't have the highest absorbency, so I took the Maxis and went to the counter and paid for my diapers. Some time later I asked the same question in a different shop of the same chain of medical supply stores - the answer was a simple "No, we don't have them". I just said, "Oh, that's a pity - they're on the website and they have better absorbency", so I'd say it was pretty clear that they were for me.

 

I don't especially like buying diapers in person, not least because they usually only sell inferior brands (and usually cloth-backed), but it's not the worst thing in the world. In medical supply stores the staff, in my experience, tend to be very professional and sensitive.

[diaperuser1]

I went to ABU in Baltimore a few years back.  I was buzzed in and there was one other person there a woman about 30 and she looking at the samples.  The worker there asked if I wanted some help, I wanted a case and asked about sizing of the bodysuit.  He ran me through and asked me hold on a second.  He came out with a peekabu and told my to put it on to make sure I get a good fit.  I obviously went with his recommendation and found a body suit that fits to add to the order.  The woman was checking out when I finished and we had a small chat while I finished up also.

[davohan123]

Had a whole bag of them nappies safari white ones break out of box it was a wet day outside

The delivery driver had to carry them to my door very visible. He was never once rude about it but I felt very embarrassed by the whole situation

[LifesAB]

I still buy in person pretty regulary since there's a thrift store with a pretty big diaper section nearby, and 2 packs for 20 is just too good to pass up.

One of the clerks did make a comment once, "well, these'll keep you dry tonight".

Used to buy at a pharmacy in my school town, first time there i had a consultation in the back room similarly to rusty pins, got home with a variety of diapers and pull ups to try out, settled on the tena slip maxi pretty quickly.

Kept buying those for quite a while there, did have a classmate come into the pharmacy once (luckily i was still in line and they left pretty quickly)

Another one that comes to mind was me buying two packs of drynites, and just as i was putting it in my backpack (already feeling embarrassed from the fact i was just buying two packs of diapers, and the clerk was my age) two girls from my class came up to the bagging area.

Still don't quite know if they saw what i bought.

[diaperwerx]

I've bought store brand diapers around the world...never had a question.

[Moochie]

I have bought diapers while in a wet diaper and never had a quizzical look. Only comment made is "Would you like a bag?"

[willnotwill]

I used to love shopping for diapers back in the late seventies / early eighties when you never knew what you were going to find.   Usually, I didn't ask for assistance, but I did go into a drugstore once that had "Adult Diapers" listed in the window (they had a lot of medical supplies).   I couldn't find any on the shelves, so I had to work up my courage to ask.   Alas, they were the far too common back then plastic pants with a single pad in them.   I already had those.   I was hoping for real pin-on kind.

I had mail ordered some of the Sears adult diapers to be delivered to the store catalog department (couldn't really have them shipped to my apartment as I was in college and had roommates).    When the girl at the catalog desk saw what the item was on the invoice, she insisted on opening them up to "check to see if they were OK."   I think she was curious.    Back then I was kind of mortified.   I should have engaged with her (and certainly would have done so later in life).

Another mortifying one is picking up a box of Attends (back when they first came out they were in boxes).    I get to the cash register trying to be discreet and the girl holds up the package and calls out to the next register, "Is there tax on these?"    I wanted to hide.

The other one I can remember of note was picking up a bag of Depends (ugh) and a box of baby wipes at a Walgreens (I think it was).   I plopped them down at the register and the girl making conversation asked how old my baby was.     I pointed at the depends and told her both purchases were for me.   She got really red.

I was at a med supply store once and they asked about my incontinence, and I just told them I liked to wear them.   She told "No problem.  We get a lot of that."

 

[Freckles]

The most I ever got was a strange look. Thanks to the power of the internet, I no longer have to worry about that.

[ValentinesStuff]

4 hours ago, Freckles said:

The most I ever got was a strange look. Thanks to the power of the internet, I no longer have to worry about that.

*Looks at Freckles strangely.*

[spark]

I got a very strange comment from the cashier the first time I ever bought Goodnites. This was right after Goodnites were introduced, and the young cashier (younger than me, and I was like 23) made a snarky comment about it.  It was totally unprofessional, and I'm sure he would have been fired if a supervisor had heard it, but I was totally flummoxed.  I was too paralyzed with shock to say anything, and I quickly left the store after I put them in a bag.

Another time was a bit different.  This time, I was about 10 years older, and bought some tape-on diapers.  By this point, the Pull-up style were more popular, but you could still find diapers at Walgreens.  Two cashiers were talking to each other as they rang me up, and one of them said, "I need to get these for my mom."  Once again, I didn't say anything, but I wasn't as shocked, or paralyzed, when she said it.

[DL232]

I was in a Walgreens one time in high school and I was looking over the diaper trying to find the courage to buy them. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a high school girl videoing me on her phone. I quacked walked out Lol. 

I was at an ABDL store in Denver once and was looking at the onesies. I found one I liked and asked to try it on. The lady behind the counter pointed one to the dressing room and said no problem. I wore it out of the store so I image she knew I was diapered. 

As others have mentioned I buy all my diapers online now days though. 

[LilMarley]

My experience was an unpleasant one going back a while ago now, I was living at home and didn’t want to order online so I went to a local pharmacy and bought some tena slips. I was just expecting to carry them to the till, pay and leave but it wasn’t that easy. I put them by the till and the lady looked at me and then asked, who are these for…..I wasn’t expecting this at all and I went into panic mode but I knew that I had to give some kind of an answer. I didn’t know why she was asking me this at the time so I said they were for my grandad. She then explained about VAT and exemption, I didn’t know anything about this. She then wanted my grandads post code and address which I couldn’t think of at the time and didn’t want to give anyway so she said I could give them mine if I like. I was really embarrassed and just wanted to get out of there because people were queuing up behind me, I gave them my address in the end and left with a pack of tena slips but I wouldn’t do it again. I always order online now i have my own place.

[wellpaddedagain]

I’ve generally had pleasant experiences buying in person but once I went to a medical supply store the next town over and picked out a pack of m4 and a pack of boosters and brought them to the counter. The middle aged woman behind the counter asked if they were for me and I replied, yes.  She scowled and said she’d be right back and disappeared to the back room for about 5+ minutes. I had no choice but to stand around waiting while scrolling on my phone acting like this was the most natural thing in the world. She eventually came out scowling and rang me through.  Since I had an hour drive back home I pulled off the highway and changed into one for the ride home 😂

ps - it was glorious

[carsfan]

You found M4s in a brick and mortar store. I'm impressed!