QUEUE HERE FOR CHECKOUT CHEER
WHETHER you’ve just finished a big shop, or you’re only picking up a pint of milk, most of us always pick the shortest queue at the tills.
But customers at one Asda in the Valleys are more than happy to deal with a long queue just to be served by a legendary checkout worker who brightens everyone’s day.
Alnashir Pabani has worked in the Tonypandy store for more than eight years, quickly becoming hugely popular for his cheery personality and friendly banter.
After fleeing his home country of Uganda in the 1970s and arriving in the UK as a teenage refugee, Alnashir has since become a local icon.
Alnashir, also known as Joe or Nash, said: “I’m quite cheeky so I get on well with the customers.
“I regard them as friends more, really. They’re fabulous.
“I always make sure to have a laugh with them or just talk to them.”
He added: “I never ever get out of bed in the morning and think I don’t want to go to work, I love it. It’s the best job I ever had.
“The thing is I hate sitting around, so I love coming to work.
“I’ll phone up my boss and ask if they need a hand, it’s better than sitting around all day doing nothing.”
During one shift on a Saturday morning when WalesOnline dropped in, dozens of customers chatted to Alnashir. He often tells them his name means handsome. Several regular customers waited to be served by him.
One customer has known Alnashir for around 40 years – and helped deliver two of his children.
Former midwife June French, 80, from Tonypandy, said: “He started working with my husband many years ago. My husband became very ill and he was the only one who stayed true to him.
“He’s a great friend. He’s always so happy and chatty, nothing ever seems to get him down.”
Another customer, Ivor Brown- ing, 60, from Tonypandy said: “He’s great. I go straight to him at the checkout, he’s just so friendly.”
When Alnashir was just a teenager in early August 1972, thenpresident of Uganda Idi Amin ordered all of the country’s Asian minority to leave within 90 days.
After the ultimatum, Alnashir fled to the UK with his parents and siblings.
Alnashir, 60, said: “I left Uganda when I was just 15 in 1972. I was in a refugee camp in the Midlands for six months, and then we came to Wales.”
After arriving in the Rhondda in 1973, Alnashir, who lives in Ystrad, said he hasn’t looked back since.
He said: “I was only young when I came to Wales, but I’ve got to be honest, I loved it.
“The people, they are all so friendly.
“When I used to work in London for a while people were just so fast and always in a rush.
“No one cares about each other there, but it’s different here.”
A picture of Alnashir was recently shared by Rhondda artist Bagsy, known for his drawings of Valleys life on supermarket carrier bags. It attracted more than 2,500 likes and hundreds of positive comments.
Alnashir said: “I was quite shocked. I was chuffed to see all of the lovely comments. It’s just nice to be appreciated.”
Not only does Alnashir bring a smile to customers’ faces, he also helps raise thousands of pounds for various charities with his fellow Asda workers.
At Christmas he can be found wearing light-up festive jumpers, Easter bonnets at Easter and he even dyes his hair pink in September to raise money to tackle breast cancer.
“He’s great. I go straight to him at the checkout, he’s just so friendly
IVOR BROWNING FROM TONYPANDY