When people object to being mistaken for clerks, you know what they think of clerks. (I've been a clerk and been mistaken for one.) I shared that comment on Facebook. To my surprise and delight, people began telling about times someone had mistaken them for clerks. Perhaps the most useful advice: Jonah Earl Thomas said, "If you just tell them Aisle 3B they'll go away." Perhaps the funniest:
Ea wrote: "Personally, I'm always flattered when I'm mistaken for a bookstore clerk, because that means I actually look like I belong there and know my stuff."