ungrateful kid

[MaverickGypsy]

Today was very busy. It had the first feel of Christmas shopping. Long line ups, Christmas music blaring over the speakers. People buying ornaments and decorations and such. If we had snow yet, it would have felt like Christmas Eve.

A young girl, about 11 or 12 comes to my till with 2 items. I ask, "Oh, are you starting your shopping?" She replies that the two items are for her parents and she has saved her money to buy them.

She pulls out her change purse and begins to count it out and comes to the conclusion that she is about 8 bucks short. Yikes! A few cents maybe, a buck or two, but 8?? I tell her that I'm sorry, she doesn't have enough money, when suddenly, the 6 or 7 people lined up behind her start to pass change up to the front. They pooled up and paid for the little girls presents for her parents!

I was so touched that the Christmas spirit was alive and well and teared up a bit. It would have been the perfect Hallmark moment... if the little snot had even bothered to say thank you.

[bainsidhe]

From the contempt in your comment, are we to assume this wasn't a little cherub of a girl?

Still, it is very touching that other customers brought themselves together to help pay for the gifts. I always get warm fuzzies when someone allows another shopper to cut in line, because he/she only has a couple items. At one time, this courtesy was something more commonplace. Now, you rarely see it if ever. But when you do see it, it's usually people in their late 40s or older that allow another shopper to slip in line. Which is unfortunate, really.

[RammsteinGirl]

Hey now! I'll be 21 in January and I let people cut in line in front of me if I have a buggyfull and they only have a handful of items.

I get people who roll their eyes and get annoyed when I invite a customer who's been waiting in another line over when they (the eye-rolling customer) are about to jump into my line (when they just approached the checkouts). No offense to Yankees but I live up in Michigan (Alabama/Florida native) and I've noticed that Northerners are a LOT less likely to let someone line-jump than Southerners!

[Jacen]

I'm only 19 and I'll also allow you to slip in line if I have a full trolly AND I have a good feeling about you. (I'm usually have a good sense of character). But i don't like a**holes, beggers or the "i'm in a rush" people

As a note and reply to Op, I remember when I was young, trying to buy an icecream with 50 cents less then what I needed... and a kind old lady gave me the fifty cents. I however, said thank you - since I was raised with manners.

[Becks]

What a heartwarming story...until the end.

Brat.

[powerboy]

I am 26 and I let people in front if they have a few items. But if they are assholes about it, then screw them. They can wait. I am a dime a dozen for someone around my age, I actually have manners & I use them everyday.

[qaxons]

Firstly/OT: when reading the post, I started thinking of the damn "christmas shoes" song that is the worst country song ever (except maybe Achey Breaky Heart... no, this one is worse).

On the fact of linecutting. I'm a "damn yankee" and I let people with one or two items hop in front all the time, especially if I have a cartfull. Maybe it's more of a "small town" thing than a "southern" thing.

Forgot: I'm 23, and I'm generally polite and good mannered. I was raised that way. Though, if you're rude to me, I'm rude right back.

[BaristaGirl]

I am 26 and I let people in front if they have a few items. But if they are assholes about it, then screw them. They can wait. I am a dime a dozen for someone around my age, I actually have manners & I use them everyday.

Heh... I'm 19 and I say "Thank you" and "You're welcome" more than anything else every day, assuming it is a day when I leave the house and deal with others. The cashiers, the servers, everybody gets one, pretty much.

[iradney]

When I was a radlet (little iradney), if I didn't say thank you, my Mom would take away whatever was given to me. If I didn't say please, I didn't get it.

Slightly O/T: My Mom might be responsible for a whole generation of kids with better manners. We had a tuckshop in my highschool (er, little cafe type thing that sold pies and suchlike).
My Mom volunteered a couple times a week, and ruled it with an iron fist.

If the kids didn't stand in line, she'd send them to the back. If they tapped their coins on the counter to get attention (when you can plainly see she's busy), they get sent to the back. If they didn't say please, they got nothing. If they didn't say thank you, it got taken back and their money returned.

They learned quick when my Mom was working to be polite little angels.

*Loves her Mom*

[mrtauntaun]

What a heartwarming story...until the end.

Brat.

QFT. I was smiling as I read this right up until the last part.

[Giggle Goose]

I have a rule with students that if I give them candy or something, they have to say "Thank you" within three seconds or I take it away. A lot of people say this is mean, but it's better than getting slapped like I did.

The lack of manners among kids today is really sad.

[Dreamstalker]

The cynic in me is wondering if the kid knew all along that she was short that much...a few cents is understandable, but eight bucks?!

[Slow-Jo]

awwww! that really was a tear jerker, until the end!

what happened?! when did kids start thinking that they could be so rude?! probably their parents. im sorry but i had to say it!

ive seen some NASTY 30 year old or so moms! and, well, with children its monkey see monkey do.
if my kid treated anyone like some of the kids now a days do, im going to ground them! literately! up to their armpits, so they can still use their arms. lay out some cookies, milk and an umbrella and leave them there for a hour. would only have to do it once.

[Becks]

Firstly/OT: when reading the post, I started thinking of the damn "christmas shoes" song that is the worst country song ever (except maybe Achey Breaky Heart... no, this one is worse).

Oh, come on. Achy Breaky Heart is the funniest song not sung by Weird Al.

[Jester]

If the kids didn't stand in line, she'd send them to the back. If they tapped their coins on the counter to get attention (when you can plainly see she's busy), they get sent to the back. If they didn't say please, they got nothing. If they didn't say thank you, it got taken back and their money returned.

"NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!

The lack of manners among kids today is really sad.

The above phrase is amusing to me. Especially since people have been saying variations of it for, oh, the entire history of human speech.

Oh, come on. Achy Breaky Heart is the funniest song not sung by Weird Al.

Forgetting for a moment my utter hatred for country songs, I still have to disagree with you. I offer up these lovely songs:

"Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me," by Bernard Derriman.

"The Day the Nazi Died," by Chumbawamba.

Tons of stuff by Mojo Nixon, such as "Don Henley Must Die," "Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child," "Elvis is Everywhere," and "Stuffing Martha's Muffin." Hell, his "This Land is Your Land" is absolutely priceless.

Monty Python's classics "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," "The Galaxy Song," "The Lumberjack Song," and my personal favorite, "Every Sperm is Sacred."

I could go on (I really could), but please....Achy Breaky Heart as the funniest non-Weird Al song? No way!