Math + Cashiers + Safeway + Sobeys

[DuffMan]

I know at the Safeway I go to, your change is automatically dispensed to a small tray and then the cashier hands you the bills. So this is good for those people who want to sleep through Math class, and go on to become Cashiers as a living. Today, I was at a Sobeys, where they don't have the automation of Safeway. My bill was $6.09 and I gave the girl a $5 and a toonie. I watched her for a few minutes, keep putting different combination of coins in her hand trying to figure it out, and I was actually kind of amazed at this. She finally had to call over a veteran cashier lady to help her. The older lady gave her a pretty quick but stern lesson on how to add up 91 cents using quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. The girl did have an "In Training" badge on. I was going to tell her to get a job at Safeway, when she doesn't make it past the probationary period at Sobeys, but it looked like her day was going bad enough as it was.

[Jason14h]

Was she good looking at least? Cute girls don't need math

[Byrns]

Back when it was difficult to get a job at Safeway (80s) they tested their employees math skills before hiring them. The world's gone crazy!

[Red Ice Player]

Kinda makes you sad,angry and incredulous at the same time. I bet the poor girl can't read a clock face too.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Red Ice Player

Kinda makes you sad,angry and incredulous at the same time. I bet the poor girl can't read a clock face too.

There is a girl at my work just like that...cute as a button but can't read a clock face. But she has her uses...

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by Red Ice Player

Kinda makes you sad,angry and incredulous at the same time.

That's pretty much exactly how I felt. I wanted to help her, yet knew I would probably do it in an unsympathetic tone, and also knew she is going to have to learn simple addition sometime soon.

And no, she wasn't hot, otherwise I probably wouldn't have noticed the whole can't add thing.

[Red Ice Player]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

That's pretty much exactly how I felt. I wanted to help her, yet knew I would probably do it in an unsympathetic tone, and also knew she is going to have to learn simple addition sometime soon.

And no, she wasn't hot, otherwise I probably wouldn't have noticed the whole can't add thing.

Yes...all that precious self esteem built up over years of getting promoted from one grade to the next...all to be shattered by being told you don't have the math skills of a second grader.

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by Red Ice Player

Yes...all that precious self esteem built up over years of getting promoted from one grade to the next...all to be shattered by being told you don't have the math skills of a second grader.

Exactly

I recently saw an ad for a 2nd class power engineer noting a high school diploma was required, seemed weird because they pass everyone that goes, and the math involved in power engineering would put a high school grad into shock.

[Kipper is King]

When I was reading the newspaper at work one time, I mentioned Stephen Harper when discussing an article with a coworker. A girl seated next to us said "Who?". She had no idea who the PM was!

[Mazrim]

They'll probably put that girl at Sobeys onto the Self Checkout, then she doesn't need to worry about adding up anything!

[Daradon]

Meh, you run into this at the convienence stores too and have for a long time. Way before all the automation came out.

It boggled me for a while cause I could do that kind of math in kindergarten (not joking) but you do see it. You'd think they'd give a simple course to new employees or at least give them the tear out math pages from Gr. 3 texts to practice at home.

What can you do?

[Pinner]

My dad drilled me with homemade flash cards and to this day I'm often the quickest in a crowd, well more than often.

Once you master the basic math you can learn more advanced math, but so many people can't add, subtract, multiply or divide in their head, it's sad really.

Now if I could only learn to spell.

[CaptainCrunch]

I carry around a dozen apples in my pocket so that I can do math.

[bomber317]

I find it funny when cashiers have problems with the following example

$7.67 charged

I give

$12.75

They either

a) Pause, look, look again, give me $5 back and change
b) Try to give me back the small change
c) Enter it into the till to see how much they need to give back
d) already rang up $10 into the till and now need to manually calculate the change as the gears start to turn in their head

[Tyler]

Women not good at math? How is this news?

[Yeah_Baby]

Hooray, let's harass the 'under employed'! Sexism ftw!

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by bomber317

I find it funny when cashiers have problems with the following example

$7.67 charged

I give

$12.75

They either

a) Pause, look, look again, give me $5 back and change
b) Try to give me back the small change
c) Enter it into the till to see how much they need to give back
d) already rang up $10 into the till and now need to manually calculate the change as the gears start to turn in their head

E) look at you like your the worlds biggest jerk, tell you that they only have pennies so your going to have to accept your change in pennies

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I carry around a dozen apples in my pocket so that I can do math.

Is that why your hands are jerkin around in your pants when your looking at the cashier with that weird drooling look on your face.

[CaptainCrunch]

Yes . . . apples

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Yes . . . apples

Goes with the onion tied on your belt.