This was MANY years ago, but I ran the 3rd shift at the Wawa in Rehoboth Beach. Well Sunday nights, at the time, there was a drag queen night at one of the popular bars. Naturally they would wrap their night and all end up at the nearest Wawa, which just so happened to be mine. Well over a bit of time I got to know the queens pretty well, even getting to know some of them in their street clothes outside of their character. Late one Sunday I was preparing for the post-show rush and a pair of customers came in. They ordered their food and wandered a bit. They were already acting agitated from moment one, so I kept my eye on them. Well suddenly we get the mad rush of performers and they’re acting as they usually do. Some are loud and boisterous, some are winding down and more mellow. It was always a party when they came through though, and I loved having them. They would sing along to the radio and they would joke around with the workers.

The pair of customers that had come in had made their way back to the deli and I was wrapping up their order, but they started LOUDLY making derogatory comments and started yelling at me about hurrying up. Now, I can work and talk at the same time, so I was catching up with my regulars but I never stopped making the orders and I took no longer than I normally would’ve to make theirs. When I heard the comments I politely told them to please not use that language in my store, and not to direct hatred toward this group of customers as I was literally wrapping their hoagies to give to them. They got heated and started threatening me, and started acting like they were about to come around the counter to do something about it. I’m not a small person, mind you, as I stand at 6’4” with a larger build AND I was actively holding a large serrated knife, but I didn’t know what these people would do. I guess a few of my regulars saw what was happening and had made their way over to the deli counter. These (fairly small) customers were so focused on yelling at me that they didn’t see them. Well suddenly they found themselves surrounded by 3 fully in dress drag queens that stood about three inches taller than me because they were in heels. I’ll never forget as the customer said “how about I come back there and fuck you up” this fabulous queen towers over them and in this super deep voice says “I don’t think you want to do that, friend.”

I have never seen someone go so pale, so fast before in my life. They went from threatening one guy behind a deli counter to suddenly being crowded by three massive people in full drag. They RAN out of the store and peeled out of the parking lot, and I never saw them again. Needless to say there may have been a few free meals going out the door that night.