Val Thevictorian: Evil, Evil Do-Gooder

Let the record show that despite recent allegations of her bank branch concerning up-to-date identification, Val tries to do the right thing.

Saturday afternoon, I stopped by the Backroads Hardee's for some chicken tenders. I am a frequent tender-buyer, and I knew that total before the drive-thru speaker told me. $7.14.

In the manner of old people everywhere, I dipped into my change cup on T-Hoe's console. No need to get back a handful of coins. I always pay with a twenty dollar bill, a dime, and a nickel. That way I only get back one penny in coinage, and a ten and three ones in bills. I don't use exact coins, because I don't want to get back exactly 13 dollars! And I don't want to use up my pennies that I need for my 44 oz Diet Coke exact change. It makes sense to me.

Anyhoo...I paid the high school girl working the drive-thru. She handed me back a ten, a five, and a penny. At first, I was like: "YES! An extra two dollars!"

Even if I DIDN'T make this purchase regularly, I would have known, from calculations in my head, that my change should have been $13.01. I'm a former VALEDICTORIAN, you know!

I considered letting his error slide. I stuffed the ten and the five into the side of my purse. But my old people conscience was bothering me. Did I NEED that extra two dollars? No. Would it make a difference to that high school fast-food worker? Yes. She might have her pay docked if she came up short. Or she might get fired!

When HS Gal handed me the bag of chicken tenders, I was still wavering. People were in line behind me. I opened the bag for a quick peek to make sure I had my honey mustard sauce, not that untasty HoneyQ they gave me by mistake twice. Besides, they've been shorting me a sauce. Two is standard.

"I'm just checking my sauce. What? I only get ONE?"

"Oh, here. Let me give you more." She handed me TWO more. Well. That sealed it.

"I think you gave me too much change back."

"I gave you the penny!"

"I know. But my bill was $7.14. You gave me the penny. But I should only have gotten back $13 from the twenty."

"Um. Can you come over here with your key?" She called to the high school boy 'supervisor'. He unlocked the register, and WALKED AWAY as she was explaining her predicament.

"I'm only trying to help. I wouldn't want your drawer to come up short. Here. Take back the five, and give me three ones."

She did. She looked at me like I had three heads. Horned heads, with glowing red eyes. Like I was trying to cheat HER! Kind of scared of me.

I wish she would have just trusted me. Sadly, she would probably proceed through the day, mis-changing customers all willy-nilly, and then blame ME for her shortages at register close-out.

Here's the kicker. Later that evening, I looked at the receipt. She had originally punched in the wrong amount when I handed her $20.15. Then she tried to correct it by putting in another amount.

I folded the receipt so as not to expose her name. She would only have been off by a nickel if I kept that extra money! According to what she punched in, her register would have been 5 cents over. But because I made her give me the actual change I was owed, she was instead over by $2.05.

SHEESH! I sense that this gal is not a future valedictorian. I'm hoping she erred enough on the other side to balance out her drawer. It's a shame that people can't do math in their head these days, without a cash register or calculator. They don't understand why you don't just hand over a twenty, and take a pocketful of change.

I hope she didn't pay the price for my honesty.