To Make Change...

[Chromatix]

This is from a few days ago, as I needed to drag my lazy arse into the office to get something working. There's a small convenience store just between me and the railway station, which I often use to get caffiene and chocolate to wake me up.

Due to the blizzard that hit us at Xmas, the railway was running commuter trains at twice the usal time interval. However, with 5 minutes to go before the next one, I thought I could go to the shop quickly enough if I paid in cash.

I was wrong.

The total came to €5.10. I handed over a €10 note, then found a 20-cent coin to simplify the change. Those of you who work retail will immediately realise that the change was now also €5.10. But...

I'm not entirely sure how, but the girl behind the counter managed to mess up the "cash given" entry, and the change amount it returned made no sense whatsoever. To her credit, she realised this, and tried to figure the change herself. Unfortunately, what she came up with was €4.10.

No, I wasn't about to let myself get shorted. I patiently explained the arithmetic, out came the calculator, and I got my correct change (there was at least no dispute over how much I'd handed over).

But when I finally left the shop, there was my train, just pulling away.

[Amajean]

I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry!! That's sad and ridiculous!

[Teskeria]

It's what you get when you start kids using calculators in 3rd grade or so. adults who can't do basic math. when my daughter was in, I believe, 7th grade, she was doing her math worksheet without a calculator. Teacher told her to get hers out and use it and my daughter explained she didn't have one, and wasn't permitted to use one anyway. Teacher was quite shocked that I refused to allow my daughter to use a calculator for her math. However, when her store lost power and had to process transactions using paper and pencil, her till balanced properly and her line moved much quicker. All the other young cashiers needed to wait for the store to find calculators for them to use.

[aurelemsrealm]

I keep scrap paper handy to write notes to myself, like vehicle and driver descriptions and license plate numbers when authorizing pumps in case of drive-offs. I also use the scrap paper to write out calculations if I make a mistake typing things into the register, and need to figure out the correction. I can usually count the change back without trouble, but once in a while mistakes happen. We have a calculator, but I rarely use it.

[Frantic Freddie]

A few years ago I was at our local McDs,my order came to something like $4.17,I handed the young lady a 5,she rings it up,the drawer opens & then I find a quarter in my pocket & since I'd rather have less change I say "here's a quarter"

She froze.I'm talkin' Looking into the Eyes of the Gorgon frozen,Lot's wife looking back immobile,just staring at the drawer & change in her hand.

Not wishing her to break into a million pieces I say gently "Just give me a dollar bill & 8 cents,it'll be OK"

No movement or sound from Little Miss Mount Rushmore.

So I catch the eye of a nearby manager & point at our little titanium statue,mgr comes up & gives me my change.Again,no sound,almost no movement,I'm beginning to wonder if she's gone into rigor mortis while still alive,a feat for the medical record books.

I was in a hurry so I got my food & left,I didn't see what happened next.I'd like to think they unfroze her,but who knows,they might've just set her in the playroom for the kids to climb on.

[Chromatix]

My wallet has a coin pocket, but it's really not meant for handling coins regularly. So the next time I wanted to pay cash in this shop, I ended up handing over too many coins.

And the same girl was on duty.

Fortunately she does seem to be reasonably on the ball, as she gave me back the extra coins and made correct change for the rest. It probably was a genuine Brain Burp the first time.

[Betweenshades]

Maths are hard.

Maths used to confound one of my coworkers when I worked in fast food at the dawn of time. They must be related :P