7-Eleven

I have (!) to review my hometown 7-​Eleven. It’s one of the nicer convenient stores now that I think about it, especially now that I live in the East Bay. All 7-​Elevens have the same basic structure: milk, soft drinks, beer, energy drinks, 7-​Eleven staples, such as slurpees, big gulps, etc.
The real test of a store like 7-​Eleven is being able to come into the store at 2 or 3 in the morning and not having the fear of being robbed by a lunatic off the street. Luckily, Novato doesn’t have such unsavory characters, so this store passes with flying colors.
Oh thank Heaven.
Note: Avoid those Hill Middle School thugs from 2−3pm.

Update from my review beneath the little dotted dashes below:
They’ve gotten better. No more arguments and they clear the parking lot of gang bangers. The people are actually pretty friendly there now and they are trying to make a go in a rough neighborhood.
My remaining complaint is that they are often understocked on some items and
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MY ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I’ve been going here since I was five. Seriously. It’s been through a series of owners and managers over the past five years. It’s a 7-​eleven. I don’t expect a concierge. But I do expect someone to occasionally mop the floors, empty the drip tray beneath the coffee machine, stock the shelves, and make sure drugs aren’t being sold in the parking lot. Wiping the counters is right out.
There used to be a delightful man who was a partner with his aunt and he managed that store. He was either shipped off to another one of their stores (my theory) or back to India (his aunt’s explanation).
Never go there between 2 and 3 in the afternoon on weekdays. You will be faced with forty (no exaggeration) kids in the parking lot.
Never give money to the homeless people there every single morning. It encourages them to stay
They don’t give out bags. You have to ask. Their english becomes increasingly sketchy when you ask them for a bag, lotto numbers, or anything that doesn’t involve you giving them money.
Do go there if you want to listen to loud family bickering among the middle eastern generations who work there.
Unless you are well trained or well armed, never go there in the evening. The city of Novato, in its latest act of social engineering, has dedicated the Wyndover Apartments and Center Place (two large complexes directly contiguous to this store) as public housing. Gang-​bangers are everywhere. If you are a girl they will hit on you. If you are a guy they will mad-​dog you. I’m well trained, so I go. But I feel sorry for people that have to be intimidated just because they want a half-​gallon of milk at eleven o’clock at night. They installed security cameras in the parking lot. Those got ripped off. Yeah, really.
It’s only a matter of time until the gunshots start ringing.

Note to all Slurpee drinkers: Stick with the Wild Cherry flavor, seriously. I tried the Peach Mango flavor and it was SO nasty. Yuck. It kicked up my gag reflexes and I almost puked in my mommy’s car.
+ This store carries the following random thing that I needed to buy: Q-​tips.
— This store does not carry the following random thing that I needed to buy: Ivory soap.
**I usually come on weekends during the day when I am visiting my dad and the same register guy is always there. Impersonal fellow but whatevs.