Time For Another Game of "Who is Stupider"

This contest pits Val, a former valedictorian, against a 20-something grocery store cashier. 

Place you bets. 

 

Friday, I popped into Country Mart to buy Hick's bananas. That's all. No grocery list. Just bananas, and of course a stop by the lottery machine for scratchers. I got in line behind a person with half a cart full of groceries. The checker was a gray-haired old lady I hadn't seen there before. I was in no rush. It's not like I'm on a schedule.

 

A dark-haired, well-kempt, 20-something dude in a store apron came up behind me, and said he could help me over on the short register. I guess it used to be an express lane, but they don't have a limit on items. I moved over and set my bananas on the short conveyor. I had my debit card in my shirt pocket as usual. In fact, I had it ready to insert into the card reader when Dude said,

"That's a dollar sixty-five."

"Oh. Well. If I have three ones in my pocket, I'll just pay cash. I gotta have one left for the lottery machine!"

I did indeed have three ones, so I peeled off two and handed them to Dude. He put them in the register, closed the drawer, and tore off the receipt.

"Do you need your receipt?"

"No. That's fine."

 

I went to the scratcher machine, surveying the floor for loose coins around the kiddie dispensers, and finding none. I got my tickets. Went to T-Hoe and stowed the bananas on the passenger seat. And then it hit me:

 

DUDE HAD NOT GIVEN ME CHANGE! 

Huh. It was not worth walking back inside, tracking him down, and asking about it. I didn't have a receipt, either, though I'm sure he would have remembered me, and the register would have the transaction on the tape. Still. Not worth it for 35 cents.

Huh. Just more proof that young whippersnappers don't know how to make change. Don't understand the concept of a cash purchase. Dude had just turned to ask me about the receipt, dismissively, as in, we're done now. Not that he was rude. He was very nice, a good customer service dispenser, aside from KEEPING MY 35 CENTS in his register!

Of course it wasn't my fault! You shouldn't have to ASK for your change! It's understood (by people of a certain age) that you hand over your money, and get back the leftover part that the item didn't cost. Nope. I wasn't wrong! Dude is the one who varied from societal norms, not me!

I was telling Hick about it later, and he agreed that kids these days have no idea how to handle cash. He pointed to the marred coffee table, where a small mound of coins lounged besides some ones folded into a small rectangle, and a folded over couple of bills that were a five and a ten.

"The Pony don't know how to treat money. Look at that! I oughta pick it up and take it to Vegas on my trip!"

"No. That's not right. Wait a minute! Seeing those coins... the LAST time I went in Country Mart, they had a sign taped on the sliding glass doors. Something about the 'coin shortage,' and thanking people for using their cards instead of cash! Maybe Country Mart isn't giving back change right now! What if that Dude was just following store policy, not handing back coins?"

No. I refuse to believe that scenario. I don't remember the sign saying they would KEEP your coins. Surely Val is not stupider than a grocery store cashier! Stop that ENGLAND IS AN ISLAND talk right now!

 

We're going to need an investigation before those bets are paid...