We don't need no education

[Lace Neil Singer]

Sometimes, around 3:30 in the afternoons during term time and at lunchtime too on occasion, we get hordes of school kids coming in. Now, that's usually not that bad, but we do seem to get a worryingly large amount of kids who can't bloody count; ie, they pick up a stack of shopping, then don't have enough money.

I know I should be patient, but patience has never been one of my virtues; especially when I have a queue of customers waiting in growing impatience as a school girl vaciliates, "Oh... um... I only have £3." To which I reply, "You'll have to take some things off. What do you want me to take off?" "Um... I don't know. I really need all this."

Cue about 10 minutes of deciding what to do, usually with input from equally stupid friends while I nearly tear my hair out with impatience and the queue gets restless. Grr...

[Polenicus]

I suspect it's less indecision and confusion on their part, and more hoping that you'll give them a pass and say 'That's alright Little Billy, you can pay me when you're all grown up and have big people money. Now run along and have fun with your friends!' and let them underpay for their junk.

Now, obviously it fails with you, but bet you money that sad, forlorn, 'I don't have enough money but I really need all this stuff' routine has either worked in the past, when they were smaller and cuter, or has worked infrequently in the present enough for them to keep trying it.

I suspect they'll soon learn the enhancing effects of throwing a fit and complaining to spineless management has on getting free stuff, and will graduate from clueless customers to true suck. But then, I'm a bitter, empty shell of a man.

[cinema guy]

I get that too.

Or they bring one item to the till, buy that so that they know how much money they have left and then go and find something else they can afford andcome to the till and buy that, then know how much money they have left... and so on until they've spent all the money mummy dearest gave them.

[Plaidman]

Yeah, I get a horde of kids that seem to pile on junk, and not have enough money.

I love it when they try to give me a dollar for a 2-3 dollars of stuff, and looked confuse when I ask for money. Espeaclly the middle schoolers. Didn't they learn to count, like, 10 years ago, or am I being optimistic?

[Becks]

Espeaclly the middle schoolers. Didn't they learn to count, like, 10 years ago, or am I being optimistic?

I think optimistic. Why? I was 12 and 13 in middle school. Maybe I could name numbers, but COUNT ten years earlier than that? I don't know.

[Sableonblonde]

Yes, I love it when kids come up to order and then discover they don't have enough money, so they run off to find mom or dad and get the rest. I don't want to have to void the order off so I have to stand there and wait until they come back; meanwhile my line builds up and the next person in line is giving me the stink eye.

Then the other day I had a situation where two friends came up to order, I took the first boy's order but it turned out he was fifty cents short, so he just pointed to his friend and told me to take his friend's order first instead, that way he could get the change and then have enough. Well, being that I'd already rung up his order I just gave him the hairy eyeball and suggested he borrow a dollar from his friend right now. That sure was a process.

[AirHostess]

I fear for the worlds future!

[simplyanother]

I think optimistic. Why? I was 12 and 13 in middle school. Maybe I could name numbers, but COUNT ten years earlier than that? I don't know.

At first I thought you were being sarcastic...(as in haha, when I was 12 I didn't know how to count. lol. It's been a long day).

Then I realized what you meant, and you have a point. However, my kiddos could count before they could identify numbers. (My two year old can count, and name the number 4. lol)

Small children who do not belong to me, irritate me almost always. I'm just a grump. lol

[Dragonlover]

Used to happen to me at the garage as well. Although, the one that hacked me off was 'How much does this cost?'. The answer is either 'Exactly the same as it did yesterday when you bought one' or alternatively 'We have price tags. Read them.'

Dragonlover

[blas]

It was worse at the gas station.

The parents in that general area were such lazy wastes of skin that they'd force their elementary school aged children to walk across the busy street (and trust me, many times I stood outside smoking and nearly saw those kids get smacked by 18 wheelers) to get their soda pop and Ho Hos and chips.

So the poor little kids would come in with $20 or more on them (and there were some bad people around there, I wouldn't give my own kids that much money on a trip to the store!) and have to lug HUGE bags of pop and candy home with them. They'd always proudly say "This is for mommy!" or "This is for gramma!"

I always wanted to say "Tell your lazy ass mother to get off her butt and come here and help you carry this home!"

Yes, we had some rotten little shits who would steal. But I felt BAD for these kids. Half of the time, they didn't have ANY shoes or shirts on. And they had to WALK to the store across the street.

I remember as a little kid walking to the bakery down the street for my parents. But back then, and this is sad because it was only 15 years ago or so, but back then, you could send your kid to the store and not have to worry about your kid being abducted or ran over by a semi truck.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Yes, we had some rotten little shits who would steal. But I felt BAD for these kids. Half of the time, they didn't have ANY shoes or shirts on. And they had to WALK to the store across the street.

I remember as a little kid walking to the bakery down the street for my parents. But back then, and this is sad because it was only 15 years ago or so, but back then, you could send your kid to the store and not have to worry about your kid being abducted or ran over by a semi truck.

I don't even like to walk down my driveway to get the mail without shoes...it hurts!

When I was a kid my brother and I used to walk from my grandparents' house downtown to Woolworth's to buy candy. It was a small town and only about 3 blocks from the house but I don't think I'd let my kids do that today (if I had kids...).

[myswtghst]

We had a convenience store in the area of my parents' house, along with a Blockbuster, a record store (where my dad knew the owners!) and a Little Caesars, all that we could bike/rollerblade/walk to when I was younger. From about the age of 9, when I was allowed to go on my own, I was always so proud of what money I had (usually earned by doing chores) that I knew exactly how much I had, and exactly what I wanted to buy with it.

Although, I did have really great parents, who taught me manners, and values, and how to work for my money. Maybe that explains it. As my former employer/current friend Jeff would say, "some people's children."

[Plaidman]

I think optimistic. Why? I was 12 and 13 in middle school. Maybe I could name numbers, but COUNT ten years earlier than that? I don't know.

Hmm. Maybe it was because I could, and I had never considered myself smarter then the averge, and assummed everyone else could at 3-4ish years old.

[sms001]

...we get hordes of school kids coming in. ... "Um... I don't know. I really need all this."....Cue about 10 minutes of deciding what to do, usually with input from equally stupid .

I feel your pain! There are also knowing scammers as well. The ones that expect to slide for "a few cents" or that get NON-returnable items (fountains sodas, slushies, etc.) knowing they don't have enough. I would throw them away. Almost worse is the "friendly adult" behind them who would offer to chip in. NO! This kid pulls this every day and you are encouraging him.......grrrrrrrrr.

[Plaidman]

Almost worse is the "friendly adult" behind them who would offer to chip in. .

I had a kid who was short well over two dollars, and the adult behind him gave him two dollars. You know what the kid did? Took his stuff, paid the money he did have, and didn't even BOTHER to look at the guy. No thanks, no thank you, just grab and bye. Little snot. I let the guy who paid for the kid have his soda for free, as my own way of saying thanks to someone who was nice.

(BTW, I'm allowed to give free fountain and coffee, so nothing was short on inventory!)