# En Retard **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 12, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/en-retard/383824 "2006-12-12T16:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/en-retard/383824/41 "2006-12-15T16:51:44Z")
This whole thing hinges on how quickly we went from the declaratin of the total to the swiping of the card. \*\*elbows[/s] says it happened quickly (or I inferred such). Now if the postal worker was here it would probably have been (gender misspecification apologies): “So I give the total and the woman hands me her card and I swipe it. Then she realizes I made mistake. I apologize and then we have to go through the hassle of reversing the transaction.” I am not saying this is the wayit happened or **elbows** is closer to the truth, just saying it is actually probably somewhere in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/en-retard/383824/42 "2006-12-15T16:53:28Z")
Wow, somebody really screwed up that coding. Probably me, but I am going to deny deny deny, on advice from counsel. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/en-retard/383824/43 "2006-12-15T22:57:24Z")
I’m sorry for having read this thread while you were posting. :o ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/en-retard/383824/44 "2006-12-16T19:45:41Z")
Obviously nobody should be pitted for making a mistake on a keypad and punching in 36 instead of 6. That’s the kind of thing we all do on a regular basis. But saying “That’s why I always say the amount before I swipe the card” does make it sound like the clerk is blaming the customer for the mistake. That’s not cool. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/en-retard/383824/45 "2006-12-17T09:29:33Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] I see your point. But if you can’t sing a whiny aria in the Pit, where the fuck can you sing a whiny aria? This place is made for just such lieder. [/QUOTE] Sigh. Are you really not paying any attention at all? My point, again–and AGAIN!–is that the NEED to sing a whiny aria is where elbows is wrong. I don’t care where she does it. The fact of the matter is that the situation called for a little mutual respect and forgiveness, and the fact that elbows feels the NEED to sing her little whine is evidence that she is oblivious and spoiled. And I’d hand her a map to Blockbuster and cancel her account if she were a customer at my video store. (And thanks for the rules correction, but I don’t bold names, and I don’t use smileys, because I think it’s stupid to have a board-specific writing style. If I can’t communicate clearly in plain written English, then I shouldn’t be here. Not that–oh never mind.) ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/en-retard/383824/46 "2006-12-17T15:38:05Z")
Who’s not paying any attention? I have already explained that this was not a ‘whiny aria’ about the quality of service, or the person serving me, or even the unfortunate, though slight error. It was a reflection on how unfortunate it was to have to do a difficult job, during trying seasonal rush, beneath a sign that reads, “En Retard”. Mistakes are inevitable. How horrid to make them before a crowd of people with nothing to do but look at the sign over your head. You’re not really a very good, well, listener. And I’m starting to think that you’re retarded. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/en-retard/383824.md?page=2)