Hey asshole, buy your scratcher and move on

[EVIL COW PIE]

God Damnit! I know the economy sucks and it causes you to want to win the lottery. I could care less Mr. Homeless man that you spend all your panhandling money trying to win more. But buy your ticket and get the fuck out of the way instead of scratching and exchanging while holding up the line. If you win you can always get back in line. I go to convenience stores because of the, you know, convenience. If I wanted to get held up in line I would go to the supermarket, where shit is half of what is here, and stand in the '15 items or fewer' line and get held up by some douche with 27 items.

Fuck.

[Shot From Guns]

Some day, when I rule the world, it will be legal to drag these sorts of people outside and curb-stomp them. That includes anyone who violates an "X Items or Fewer" express lane item limit. And anyone who labels an express lane as "X Items or Less." Or, for that matter, "X Items Or [Fewer/Less]."

[Drunky Smurf]

I bet the two types of people the OP described are one and the same. Double assholes.

So not only do they get curb-stomped so do their offsping and if their offspring have offspring then they get sterilized.

[Encinitas]

Opps! Though the OP was referring to a back scratcher.

_{Carry on.}

[Bill Door]

What bothers me the most is the assholes who spend 10 minutes picking their tickets like they're diversifying their fucking 401k.

"Let me have maybe two of the scratchers, three of the $50,000 a year for life, a couple of Pick-Sixes and oh, lets see, half a dozen Powerballs."

Tell you what big spender, give me $50, I'll kick you in the crotch, and we can all go home early. It's a big time saver.

[shiftless]

Convenience stores lost my business a long time ago for this reason. It's not convenient anymore if I have to wait behind 5 people buying scratch-offs, scratching, then cashing in the winners and starting the cycle over. Clearly the convenience stores make more money on the lottery tickets than they do on milk and snack cakes so they aught to call themselves something different - gambling dens maybe.

[Drunky Smurf]

Originally Posted by Encinitas

Opps! Though the OP was referring to a back scratcher.

_{Carry on.}

That would be jerkish behaviour as well. Here I am trying to buy some lube and cucumbers and some jerk who just purchased a back scratcher is standing there scratching his back he is going to get a Bill Door*

*refer to quote below

Originally Posted by Bill Door

What bothers me the most is the assholes who spend 10 minutes picking their tickets like they're diversifying their fucking 401k.

"Let me have maybe two of the scratchers, three of the $50,000 a year for life, a couple of Pick-Sixes and oh, lets see, half a dozen Powerballs."

Tell you what big spender, give me $50, I'll kick you in the crotch, and we can all go home early. It's a big time saver.

If I owned a store I'd hire you.

[Rhythmdvl]

Originally Posted by Encinitas

Opps! Though the OP was referring to a back scratcher.

_{Carry on.}

Your (almost) not alone.


I thought ball.

[Ferret Herder]

Originally Posted by Encinitas

Opps! Though the OP was referring to a back scratcher.

_{Carry on.}

<Family Guy>"Butt scratcher? Butt scratcher!"</FG>

[runner pat]

Originally Posted by shiftless

Convenience stores lost my business a long time ago for this reason. It's not convenient anymore if I have to wait behind 5 people buying scratch-offs, scratching, then cashing in the winners and starting the cycle over. Clearly the convenience stores make more money on the lottery tickets than they do on milk and snack cakes so they aught to call themselves something different - gambling dens maybe.

In California, the tickets are sold at face value, the store gets a small % of winnings but not on the tickets themselves.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

Originally Posted by Bill Door

What bothers me the most is the assholes who spend 10 minutes picking their tickets like they're diversifying their fucking 401k.

"Let me have maybe two of the scratchers, three of the $50,000 a year for life, a couple of Pick-Sixes and oh, lets see, half a dozen Powerballs."

Tell you what big spender, give me $50, I'll kick you in the crotch, and we can all go home early. It's a big time saver.

Yup...and then there's the multiple numbers guy. "OK, I need these numbers here on the Pick 3, these numbers on the Powerball, etc".

I don't understand why convenience stores don't make the lottery purchasers wait instead of everyone else. It should be policy that they need to leave the register with their purchases and do their scratching somewhere else, then get back in line if they win. Or make all scratch offs sold only by a vending machine or something, away from the line.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Tell you what big spender, give me $50, I'll kick you in the crotch, and we can all go home early. It's a big time saver.

What about if other people give you $50? I'm sure that you could probably get a lot of people to donate a few bucks each just for the joy of seeing the Big Spender getting kicked in the crotch.

It's the same people who don't take their money or checkbook or card out until their order has been rung up, and who don't move aside for the next customer when they put up their wallet or checkbook.

[descamisado]

Originally Posted by Rhythmdvl

Your (almost) not alone.

I thought ball.

I thought an oldster buying a backscratcher and was sure they'd be paying with copious change (or an unfilled-out check) and arguing for five minutes about an expired coupon.

[Freddy the Pig]

Isn't the person the scratcher, and the ticket the scratchee?

Sometimes at my grocery store, if the "15 or fewer" lane is open, the cashier will wave me over even with more items. Then a few seconds later somebody with fewer items will show up and I jsut know that person is looking at me, wanting to take my 50 bucks and kick me in the crotch.

[Anne Neville]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

who don't move aside for the next customer when they put up their wallet or checkbook.

I ran into a horrible one of those at CVS today. The person in the pharmacy was helping me, I was literally reaching over this clueless wonder to give my credit card to the pharmacy person, and she still didn't get the message that it might be a good idea to find someplace other than the pharmacy counter to look through her bags. Yes, it is important to make sure the pharmacy gets your prescription right; they do make mistakes sometimes. No, you don't have to stay there at the pharmacy counter in the way of other customers to do that. Move your ass!

Oh, and stores give you slips of paper with the amount of money you spent on them. They're called "receipts". If you need to balance your checkbook after making a purchase, you could use this "receipt" to do that somewhere away from the cash register. Then you wouldn't have to be in anybody else's way.

My local supermarket has the cash registers set up so that, after you finish at the register, you make a 90 degree turn to the left. There's a fairly narrow corridor between the registers and a wall. DON'T STOP in that corridor, people! Keep moving until you get out the door! Then you can do whatever the hell it is you were stopping to do, without being in everybody's way. One of these days I am going to run into one of your slow, oblivious asses with my shopping cart! I won't be sorry when I do, either. I might tell you I am, but I'll be thinking, you got what you deserved for stopping there. And I will be happy when I think about how you won't be able to sit down comfortably for a couple of days.

Originally Posted by FoieGrasIsEvil

Or make all scratch offs sold only by a vending machine or something, away from the line.

I think they can't do that because then they couldn't make sure nobody under 18 buys a lottery ticket.

[Chefguy]

Originally Posted by Tahssa

That would be jerkish behaviour as well. Here I am trying to buy some lube and cucumbers and some jerk who just purchased a back scratcher is standing there scratching his back he is going to get a Bill Door*

*refer to quote below

If I owned a store I'd hire you.

Yeah, man, this is just right the fuck. . .wait, wait, wha? You were buying what now?

[Attack from the 3rd dimension]

Lube and cantaloupes, ya perv.

[susan]

This thread is making me itch.

[asterion]

Originally Posted by runner pat

In California, the tickets are sold at face value, the store gets a small % of winnings but not on the tickets themselves.

That was my experience as well in New Mexico. To make it worse, the business has to pay the lottery commission up-front for the packs of scratchers. However, the state would only reimburse for the store's cost or for payouts in a lump sum some time later. So there was a big liquidity dump to the state from the business. There is no money in lottery sales, except for the need to have it to help drive traffic.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

Originally Posted by susan

This thread is making me itch.

Then scratch it, dear Susan, dear Susan, dear Susan, scratch it, dear Susan, dear Susan, SCRATCH IT!

[Autolycus]

Originally Posted by Anne Neville

I think they can't do that because then they couldn't make sure nobody under 18 buys a lottery ticket.

In Japan here they have cigarette vending machines that require you to scan your ID before they will dispense said tobacco. So, a lotto vending machine is possible.

[ZipperJJ]

Actually we have scratch off vending machines in Ohio. It just occurred to me that there is no way to check ID - the one I know of just sits perpendicular to the checkout lines at the grocery store.

In fact, I've seen people give their kids dollar bills to buy tickets. But, a kid could never claim the winnings himself so does it quite matter?

[Larry Mudd]

Originally Posted by ZipperJJ

But, a kid could never claim the winnings himself so does it quite matter?

If they're still able to throw their allowance down the pit, then it probably does.

[El Presidente]

I agree I cant stand people who hold me up from buying essentials such as . . food? . . . . for their fucking lottery tickets.

Most of the people I see buying them look like they have low IQs. Well, the good news thanks to The Stupid Tax aka The Lottery local governments have found a way to get revenue off the lowest producers in society so in part they can pay for their own welfare.

Good post.

[Shot From Guns]

Originally Posted by Autolycus

In Japan here they have cigarette vending machines that require you to scan your ID before they will dispense said tobacco.

When did that happen? I never had to scan an ID to buy a pack when I was living in Tokyo. There was a beer vending machine on the walk between the Yotsuya and Ichigaya campuses that required an ID, though, IIRC.

Originally Posted by ZipperJJ

In fact, I've seen people give their kids dollar bills to buy tickets.

Yeah, when I was a kid once or twice Dad gave me a dollar to go run in and buy a Powerball for him while he was pumping gas.

[Daithi Lacha]

Originally Posted by susan

This thread is making me itch.

It's all that scratchin', right?

[Jamaika a jamaikaiaké]

Originally Posted by El Presidente

I agree I cant stand people who hold me up from buying essentials such as . . food? . . . . for their fucking lottery tickets.

Most of the people I see buying them look like they have low IQs. Well, the good news thanks to The Stupid Tax aka The Lottery local governments have found a way to get revenue off the lowest producers in society so in part they can pay for their own welfare.

Good post.

I know you were kidding, but what really does irritate me about state-funded gambling is that it is clearly a Poor Tax. There's a convenience store in Newark Penn Station with a lottery machine. In Penn Station, there are people of various apparent income levels, but in the long line in front of this machine, there are only apparently poor people.

Yes, poor people are less educated, and more prone to bad financial decisions. I don't see how taxing them further is an appropriate response by our state governments.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Oh, don't worry, the people who have a bit more money go on gambling trips, IME. So EVERYONE gets an opportunity to show off their poor understanding of statistics!

[Hampshire]

Amen and hallelujah for pay-at-the-pump gas stations!
If I had to get in line behind a yahoo buying scratch-offs every time I needed to fill up with gas I'd probably be sitting in jail for assault.

[Damuri Ajashi]

Originally Posted by Chefguy

Yeah, man, this is just right the fuck. . .wait, wait, wha? You were buying what now?

Yeah, I noticed that too... cucumbers... plural.

[Damuri Ajashi]

Originally Posted by Jamaika a jamaikaiaké

I know you were kidding, but what really does irritate me about state-funded gambling is that it is clearly a Poor Tax. There's a convenience store in Newark Penn Station with a lottery machine. In Penn Station, there are people of various apparent income levels, but in the long line in front of this machine, there are only apparently poor people.

Yes, poor people are less educated, and more prone to bad financial decisions. I don't see how taxing them further is an appropriate response by our state governments.

They're getting money from people who won't complain about paying taxes.

[PlainJain]

Originally Posted by Hampshire

Amen and hallelujah for pay-at-the-pump gas stations!
If I had to get in line behind a yahoo buying scratch-offs every time I needed to fill up with gas I'd probably be sitting in jail for assault.

Me too. I used to enjoy pulling up to my local gas station, sliding my CC in the pump and then walking inside to grab a drink or a snack. Now I just linger at the pumps because there is always some homeless fuck clogging up line 'diversifying his portfolio'. Like tho OP, I don't mind them buying and trading them but it's fucking rude to scratch while still at the counter. There is a corner market about 2-3 blocks from my house that is infested with these morons. Sometimes I just drive the 2 miles to the supermarket so I don't have to deal with these assholes.

And fuck you too, clerks, for letting them do it.

[Anne Neville]

Originally Posted by Jamaika a jamaikaiaké

what really does irritate me about state-funded gambling is that it is clearly a Poor Tax. There's a convenience store in Newark Penn Station with a lottery machine. In Penn Station, there are people of various apparent income levels, but in the long line in front of this machine, there are only apparently poor people.

Which way does the causation go, there? It could be that lottery machines are somehow more attractive to the poor than to others, or it could be that a lot of people who use lottery machines become poor as a result.

Our state lottery has ads claiming that it "helps older Pennsylvanians". I find these ads a tad irritating, and I have nothing against state-funded gambling. It's gambling, though, NOT a donation to charity, dammit!

Originally Posted by Autolycus

In Japan here they have cigarette vending machines that require you to scan your ID before they will dispense said tobacco. So, a lotto vending machine is possible.

The laws in Japan are going to be different than the laws in the US. In fact, the laws on this sort of thing are probably going to be different from one state to another. There could be a law against selling lottery tickets in vending machines that dates to before vending machines could scan ID's, but that law hasn't been changed as technology got better. Some people claim that lottery-ticket vending machines attract children (I don't get it, but that's what they claim), so it might be illegal for that reason.