quote:

I’m just guessing, but that happened to me yesterday. My meal (at the cafeteria in my building) came to 7.16. I handed her a $10 and fished in my pocket for change. She didn’t notice me trying to use change and already rung up the $10. I didn’t have exact change, so I gave her a Quarter and a penney ($.26) She had no idea what to do. I had to tell her, "$3.10 please."

You might ask, "why" I did this? I’ll answer: Because I would’ve had way too much change in my pocket. I was able to lighten my pocket by getting rid of a quarter and a penny and replacing it with one thin dime. I like to keep the change in my pocket low, so when I get a chance to redue the change, I do it.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who does this. If I can off load some change, I’m going to do it. I also hate having all my change dumped in my hand. It makes it difficult to put back in my wallet. When the coin is put in the hand first, then the bills, it is much simpler for me to put in my wallet.

My daughters first job at a home town fast food place, the owner put a piece of paper over the display of the register so the cashiers had to know how to give back change. My daughter greatly appreciated that lesson.

Now, I’m a ranter from ‘way back so I’m OK with that. I also think its "another example of something or other."
But to be devil’s advocate, my 14 yo daughter has learning disabilities, and she still struggles with counting $ and also times tables. Her reading is fine, but she just never did and still doesn’t "get math." Now, who do you think works at McDonald’s, Sonic, etc? Harvard Grads? These are (unfortunately) probably kids with "issues" that maybe all schools can’t really handle. Not that this is an excuse, nor even "appropriate" but, hey..

quote:

Originally posted by MiamiDon

It is the fault of the education establishment that, for some time now, has insisted on not teaching rote skills. But the kids have really great self esteem!

I love it when people blame our education system. Meanwhile, any technological problem that needs attention, the average middle schooler can easily remedy. Yes, education has changed. And, we can blame education for lots of discoveries too.

I will say, that in my case, the cashier’s education was not from a school in the U.S.

It is the fault of the education establishment that, for some time now, has insisted on not teaching rote skills. But the kids have really great self esteem!

quote:

Originally posted by soozycue520

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

I bet what happened was, the teller rang up that you gave her a $20, so the register said the change should be $14.63. The teller, probably forgot the total price, and was having a hard time adding the $.37 to the $.63 and was probably wondering why you gave her $.37 in addition to the twenty. That’s why she blanked out at the screen.

AHA!!! That’s why. [:p]

I’m just guessing, but that happened to me yesterday. My meal (at the cafeteria in my building) came to 7.16. I handed her a $10 and fished in my pocket for change. She didn’t notice me trying to use change and already rung up the $10. I didn’t have exact change, so I gave her a Quarter and a penney ($.26) She had no idea what to do. I had to tell her, "$3.10 please."

You might ask, "why" I did this? I’ll answer: Because I would’ve had way too much change in my pocket. I was able to lighten my pocket by getting rid of a quarter and a penny and replacing it with one thin dime. I like to keep the change in my pocket low, so when I get a chance to redue the change, I do it.

In my 9twisted) mind, if you have more than $.99 in your pocket, you’re losing the change war. And if you have more than 4 pennies in your pocket, you’re losing the penny war. There are lots of wars out there I suppose…War on Drugs, War in the Middle East…but the only war I know I can control is the one that keeps my pocket free of excess change.

Sure, I’ve heard of people saving their change and using it to go on vacation. But I use my stipend from one of my conducting gigs to pay for that. Plus, I don’t really like the look of those large plastic bottle change holders. I don’t want to look at that thing everyday.

Another way I get rid of change, is by sitting on my couch. Inevitibly, the change ends up in the seat cushions. One a week, my wife raids the cushions and buys herself a Caramel Macchiata at Starbucks (it’s her little vice).

I suppose that by trying to reduce the change in my pocket, I’m keeping my wife from having one of her guilty pleasures, but then, even with all this change management, she’s still managing to find enough of my change droppings to keep up her weekely fix…although, now that she’s pregnant and abstaining from coffee, I think I’ll be seeing more ice cream in the freezer from my pocket losses.

Where was I?… oh yeah….it’s a real pain in the arse when a cashier can’t count money!

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

I bet what happened was, the teller rang up that you gave her a $20, so the register said the change should be $14.63. The teller, probably forgot the total price, and was having a hard time adding the $.37 to the $.63 and was probably wondering why you gave her $.37 in addition to the twenty. That’s why she blanked out at the screen.

AHA!!! That’s why. [:p]

It really doesn’t take a rocket scientist to count money. In fact, counting money was the way I learned math as a small child. Money was always important to me, and gave me a reason to be interested in adding & subtracting.

On another note, I have worked on & off as a server all my life, and used to have to use paper checks. I’ve had to add up the bill & calculate the tax.

Now that I work in a hotel bar with computers that do everything for us, I don’t even know the price of a drink anymore. People look at me funny when they ask the price, and I have to run to the computer to look. However, in my defense, we add sales tax to the price of a drink, and the sales tax in my area has gone up & down on a fairly regular basis.

What I don’t understand, is why she didn’t enter the amount you gave her into the computer. The computer would tell her what change to give you. DUH!!!

I bet what happened was, the teller rang up that you gave her a $20, so the register said the change should be $14.63. The teller, probably forgot the total price, and was having a hard time adding the $.37 to the $.63 and was probably wondering why you gave her $.37 in addition to the twenty. That’s why she blanked out at the screen.

Happens all the time, and, yes, it is infuriating!