It is broken..deal with it.

[TruthHurts]

Something has happened to our EBT card reader, it will not connect to the server. Someone's coming to fix it and until then we are SOL.

Enter Mr. Clueless. Despite the multiple signs posted everywhere he still attempts to use his EBT Card.

Me: I'm sorry, the EBT machine is currently down. (Points to the sign posted near the register)

SC: What!! I need to buy groceries
Me: I am sorry , the machine is down.
SC: Don't you have another machine?

(If I had a working machine, then I would be running your card, you dolt

We go back and forth. He tells me that we are the only store in town that accepts EBT. I tell him of a couple stores that I know ten minutes away that will help him. Cue another tantrum because he doesn't want to drive that far. He then storms out.

A half hour later he comes back in and grabs a candy bar.

SC: Can't you just check if the machine is really broken?

I swipe the card because it is easier to do that as opposed to argue with him. Machine tries to connect and SC starts to smile.

SC: See it's working. My friend said that your machine was down for a week but now it works.

Oh if your friend who doesn't work here says that then it must be true

Of course, machine can't connect and spits out a receipt saying machine error blah blah blah.

SC: It worked
Me: No it didn't
SC: Yes, it did. It gave you a receipt.

He proceeds to reach across the counter and snatches the receipt from the machine.

SC: See! It charged me 95 cents
Me: No it says machine error and do not dispense goods.
SC: What am I supposed to do about dinner?

I again tell him about the stores ten minutes away. He again declines. After all he doesn't feel like driving

[Teefies2]

"Oh if your friend who doesn't work here says that then it must be true"

I had one of those today .... she said her friend told her we were selling all of our cigarettes for $10 per carton. I ... what???????

Cigarettes WERE $10 a carton, back when I started smoking - about 35 years ago!

[Grendus]

Ahh, EBT. Fun times.

Don't get me wrong, 99% of the customers I got on EBT were grateful for the help (or at least, quiet about it). Occasionally though you'd see a customer who thought that spending their government benefits made them a bit shot or entitled them to select service. Just... ugh/

[Argabarga]

In a much broader sense, some people I think are genuinely unable to comprehend that stuff breaks, that short of being crushed under a giant boulder, there are times when the machines just aren't going to work as designed

I'm amazed at all the times I've seen people pull down "out of order" signs, remove or try to remove traffic cones, ropes and other barricades, pull the tape off of covered money/card slots or jiggle the handles of things that are CLEARLY marked as being out of service as if it's all a practical joke they are NOT going to fall for! This machine was working yesterday, so there's no reason it won't work NOW!

[blas]

I agree with Arga.

I infact work with one over arrogant passive aggressive little man bitch and one psychotic woman who are constantly playing with tagged machines to "be sure" they are actually broken, before maintenance comes in, so we don't waste their time I guess.

I always hope and pray and hope and pray that the machinery truly is broken. I love the look of sheer crestfallen popped balloon of an ego look on that man bitch's face.

Now if only we could do lockout/tagout on EVERY order we called in, at least they'd get fired for what they do.

[RealUnimportant]

I encounter both sides of this; those who presume that signs are there to stop OTHER people, but not THEM, and those who will tell me resolutely that the machine's not working AGAIN when they never even bothered to try using it...

[skeptic53]

The most fictional science fiction I ever encountered was the first "Star Trek" movie. The final plot twist (spoiler alert!) was that the nemesis calling itself "Vee-jer" turned out to be the Voyager space craft, whose computer had been working and updating itself for thousands of years. The idea of a computer functioning for that long gave me a good laugh...

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I'm amazed at all the times I've seen people pull down "out of order" signs, remove or try to remove traffic cones, ropes and other barricades, pull the tape off of covered money/card slots or jiggle the handles of things that are CLEARLY marked as being out of service as if it's all a practical joke they are NOT going to fall for! This machine was working yesterday, so there's no reason it won't work NOW!

I'm waiting to read about the person who removes a "BRIDGE OUT" sign and barricades, climbs back into their car, and drives right into a river.

[raudf]

Grrr, hubby used to work in an arcade, one of those that took tokens instead of coins. It was inevitable, a machine would stop working for various reasons (including some idiot putting a quarter in a the token slot, or even more stupidly, in the ticket slot!). Since it couldn't be worked on RIGHT THEN, It would get a sign, duct-taped over the slots and the monitor, stating, "Out of Order. DO NOT USE."

It never failed, that damn machine would become the most popular thing in the arcade.. even if it was the least popular when it was working. And just as predictably, we'd see some idiot storm up to the counter, demanding the clerks fix the machine and give 'em a free play because, "I moved the cardboard and tape that was littering the machine and tried to play it. It's not WORKING!" Well, no shit, Sherlock. That's what that litter was trying to tell you.

Let us see how many clues you missed:
1. The machine has a cardboard sign duct-taped to the slots and the monitor declaring it out of order.
2. The monitor was dead, prolly because either it's the reason it's down or because it was unplugged to keep it from setting fire to the rest of the arcade (this happened once.)
3. If it's not unplugged, then it was likely yelling, "SERVICE TO SPIN TO WIN! SERVICE TO SPIN TO WIN!" until either it got fixed or they unplugged it. >.<

Nope, the machine telling you it's broke, it being unplugged.. nah, those are just to keep the riff-raff from playing it. It's just the deity's way of saying it's reserved just for you! If YOU play it, it's sure to work!

[TruthHurts]

My other job has laundromat facilities. We will always have some person who tries to use a machine that is posted as out of order.

Of course the drier didn't heat up, did you read that sign before you removed it? No sorry I can't give you a refund for stupidity.

[mhkohne]

I'm waiting to read about the person who removes a "BRIDGE OUT" sign and barricades, climbs back into their car, and drives right into a river.

Not into a river, but close:
http://signal.baldwincity.com/news/2...onstruction-s/

[Geek King]

Not into a river, but close:
http://signal.baldwincity.com/news/2...onstruction-s/

Happens 2-3 times a year with flooded roads near me. Usually just drops the car into a creek runoff, though.

[VenomX]

We have a Coke machine outside of our store.
The old one finally broke for good so they sent us a "new" one.

Well the first night someone used a key and stole al the money out of it.
We called Coke and they came out and added a bar and padlock too.

The other day someone cut the padlock and used a key to open the machine. They took the bill holder, the coin return holder that holds coins to give change, and the box with the change people put in the machine. They either broke all the cans in the machine or when they hid the lock and relocked the machine part way the cans got too cold and busted.

So now my boss is pissed. He told Coke that unless they pay him for what was lost or give us a machine with a different locking system then we are not ordering more cans.

We had an Out of Order sign taped right over the bill and coin slots. And we unplugged it. Some dumbass took the sign down and plugged it in. Not sure if they got a busted can or what, they never came in and complained.

Now that outlet is shut off at the breaker box. No sign, they keep taking it off.
They stand there and try putting coins in and get the coins right back, then come in and tell us it doesn't work. I just tell them the machine is dark, it's not flashing the price and temp of the soda, what makes you think it would work? Put up a sign? Why so you can pull it off and try anyways? Uh no.

[Cranky Cabbie]

I'm waiting to read about the person who removes a "BRIDGE OUT" sign and barricades, climbs back into their car, and drives right into a river.

I'll just leave this here, shall I?

http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2009-04.html

[Trixie]

I get that when our photo machine is down. Like we need a part and nothing will print out at all down. Not even just the one picture they have because yeah, my brain can't even finish the thought. Broke is broke and broke means it will not work.

I also get people coming in saying that someone told them that my store carries a certain product. Then we have to go through the whole thing.

Me: Nope, don't have it.
Clueless One: So you don't have it? Someone told me you do.
Me: No but I can call a manager to double check.
Manager: Nope, don't have it.
Clueless One: But someone said you have it here.
Repeat at least three more times.
Clueless One: So do you know you might have it?