# Retail Stupidity **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 9, 2019, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807 "2019-07-09T23:58:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/341 "2019-08-15T19:59:50Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I grew up in the Detroit area in the 1970’s. Lots of violence then, which is why the I got the hell out of Dodge as soon as I could and why I don’t like real life violence. > > Yes, people fight all the time. That does not make it OK. Lots of rape and murder all the time, those aren’t OK either. You can purchase kiddie porn, that does not make it OK. > > Have I mentioned you are one of the most amoral/ethically impaired people I have encountered? Please quote the post where I said that fighting is OK. I bet you can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/342 "2019-08-15T20:02:57Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Have I mentioned you are one of the most amoral/ethically impaired people I have encountered? This seems strange to me. I’ll donate $25 to your charity of choice if you can provide proof of my amorality or ethical impairment. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/343 "2019-08-15T21:28:32Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Please quote the post where I said that fighting is OK. I bet you can’t. > [@Slash1972](#): > > Meh. People fight all the time. You can watch it on pay-per-view. Seriously, that “Meh”. Just this whole three sentences. You aren’t bothered by people getting hurt or people paying money to watch people get hurt. > [@Slash1972](#): > > This seems strange to me. I’ll donate $25 to your charity of choice if you can provide proof of my amorality or ethical impairment. There’s a lot strange about you, with no “seem” about. And giving $25 to charity does not make up for callous disregard of other people. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/344 "2019-08-16T02:07:16Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Seriously, that “Meh”. Just this whole three sentences. You aren’t bothered by people getting hurt or people paying money to watch people get hurt. I’m not? That seems a strange thing to say. Plus, millions of people pay money to watch people get hurt via PPV boxing and MMA fighting. Perhaps you are the odd one out? > [@](#): > > There’s a lot strange about you, with no “seem” about. And giving $25 to charity does not make up for callous disregard of other people. I don’t have callous disregard of other people. Strange that you think that. I’m sure you have no actual posts of mine that show my immorality or being unethical. I guess you are allowed to insult other posters based on nothing but your own thoughts in any forum you want, as long as it’s not misogyny. :rolleyes::rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/345 "2019-08-16T04:49:07Z")
Can we get back to retail stupidity? I was behind a woman in the grocery store trying her hardest to find 87 cents in the bottom of her purse. I rolled my eyes and threw a single on the belt to the amusement of the cashier, but in retrospect I’m glad Mrs. Exactchange didn’t see me. But what’s the link between grey hair and the need to never break a dollar bill? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/346 "2019-08-16T07:37:58Z")
It’s not the grey hair, it’s that the kids are no longer using cash, just apple or google pay. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/347 "2019-08-16T08:16:10Z")
I was in a Petsmart once here in Arizona and heard a woman at the next register explaining that in her home state of Oregon there was no sales tax, so it would be nice if they waived it for her. The clerk: No. This led to a flurry of pleas. The clek: No. I left before I caught the end of this. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/348 "2019-08-16T12:13:57Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > I was in a Petsmart once here in Arizona and heard a woman at the next register explaining that in her home state of Oregon there was no sales tax, so it would be nice if they waived it for her. The clerk: No. This led to a flurry of pleas. The clek: No. I left before I caught the end of this. I grew up in Oregon, but still knew by the time I ventured into other states that sales tax is a thing in most places, and it wouldn’t occur to me to assume that tax could be waived. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/349 "2019-08-16T12:38:03Z")
I call it Customer Logic. Any errors or mistakes in their world view is always, _always_, in their favor. Notice she didn’t assume, _Well, I don’t pay any sales tax at home so I guess I should pay extra here._ ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/350 "2019-08-16T13:26:57Z")
Oh, the correct change people. You’ve got four people on line, and you have to wait for them to find 97 cents. And will they give you the four quarters in their wallet? No, they have to give it to you in nickels and pennies, so you have to count it twice and sort it out to put in your charge drawer. And then there’s the idiots who keep their bills in different places by denomination, and their coins in other different places, also by denomination. By the time they’ve finished counting out correct change, you could have rung up three customers. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/351 "2019-08-16T14:55:56Z")
I don’t get people who wait till everything is rung, bagged, and back in their cart before they take out their wallet for their card/checkbook/cash. Once I have everything on the belt, my card goes in the machine. I have things to do, and I don’t want to waste time in the checkout lane. Sheesh… ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/352 "2019-08-16T15:10:30Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > It’s not the grey hair, it’s that the kids are no longer using cash, just apple or google pay. Nah, I was last a cashier about 40 years ago , and even then , (when everyone used cash at the places I worked ) it was mostly the grey hair set trying to find 29 cents without using a quarter.Younger people did it sometimes, but not nearly as much. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/353 "2019-08-16T19:07:16Z")
May I add that no grown adult should ever be pulling wadded-up bills one by one from their pockets/purse/bra/wherever and dropping them on the counter. This happens much more often than you’d think. ---
**Author:** ![shellofmyformerself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@shellofmyformerself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shellofmyformerself)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/354 "2019-08-17T02:46:50Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > May I add that no grown adult should ever be pulling wadded-up bills one by one from their pockets/purse/bra/wherever and dropping them on the counter. > > This happens much more often than you’d think. I agree. I live in South Georgia and worked in a bank drive through during college. In the summer we had to post signs stating we wouldn’t accept wet money (wads of which invariably were pulled from sweaty bras and/or socks!) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2019, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/355 "2019-08-17T13:47:38Z")
I’ve had a few children learning to pay cash do that, and some parents will tell them "No, that’s not how you do it. Unfold the bills nicely and hand them to the cashier. Nobody should drop bills on the counter where anyone could walk by and take them. Hand them to the cashier. I had a real good one yesterday when I was doing “last cash.” The items come to $98, she uses her debit card, which has $27 on it! The machine sucks it out and freezes, waiting for the rest of the payment. She has nothing. I call the manager, attempting successfully not to go totally off on her. My machine is the only one with cash in it, and I cannot use it. She calls someone to come to the store and give her the money. I’m stuff on my register until I get the payment and ring up the cash. I leave late, but manage not to cuss her out. I don’t know why I didn’t because the most I would have gotten would have been a half-hearted “Don’t do that again.” ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/356 "2019-08-18T02:04:41Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I’ve had a few children learning to pay cash do that, and some parents will tell them "No, that’s not how you do it. Unfold the bills nicely and hand them to the cashier. I’m still trying to teach my (Chinese) wife what good manners are. She doesn’t mean to be rude, but in China, you throw the money on the countertop rather than placing it in the hand. And I do mean “throw” rather than “place.” I suppose these days, everything is conducted through WeChat, so maybe that no longer happens. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/357 "2019-08-18T02:09:10Z")
My experience with Chinese customers leads me to think that what is customary and polite in China is not the case in the US and probably vice versa. Let’s just say elderly Chinese ladies are… ah… _assertive_. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/358 "2019-08-18T03:10:23Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I’ve had a few children learning to pay cash do that, and some parents will tell them "No, that’s not how you do it. Unfold the bills nicely and hand them to the cashier. > > Nobody should drop bills on the counter where anyone could walk by and take them. Hand them to the cashier. > > I had a real good one yesterday when I was doing “last cash.” The items come to $98, she uses her debit card, which has $27 on it! The machine sucks it out and freezes, waiting for the rest of the payment. She has nothing. > > I call the manager, attempting successfully not to go totally off on her. My machine is the only one with cash in it, and I cannot use it. She calls someone to come to the store and give her the money. I’m stuff on my register until I get the payment and ring up the cash. I leave late, but manage not to cuss her out. > > I don’t know why I didn’t because the most I would have gotten would have been a half-hearted “Don’t do that again.” Have you considered finding another line of work? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/359 "2019-08-18T11:48:11Z")
This happens every time someone in retail comes to a forum to mutter about the downsides of the job: “Have you considered finding another line of work?” “Why don’t you get a different job?” Rinse and repeat No matter how many times it’s said that MOST customers are fine, wonderful, etc. this comes up. Until you work retail you don’t realize that these rare, obnoxious, outliers are the source of 90% of the stress of the job. And they really stand out. Take the manager at my place of work that I mentioned earlier. She’s been in retail over 25 years. She was attacked ONCE in all that time - but that one time sure stands out. Is that one time sufficient reason to find another job? Well, maybe in your mind it is, but then who replaces her? Someone has to do this work if you’re going to have stores to shop in, something people apparently still desire. That new person would be subjected to the exact same general public which is, again, mostly fine but still contains a small percentage of whack jobs that will continue their same behavior. I know you’re used to the retail drones smiling and being pleasant, and finding out that inside we aren’t always so might come as a shock to some people. Fact is, we’re being paid to _act_ - we _act_ cheerful and pleasant (or at least we’re supposed to) no matter what else is going on in our lives, even if we’re tired or our feet hurt or we’ve needed to pee for the last 20 minutes but we’ve got too many customers talking to us or we’re two hours overdue for our lunch or someone just cussed us out for something completely out of our control or treated us like dirt. And when the facade slips or cracks it’s disturbing to people who _really think_ that we’re THAT chirpy and cheerful all the time, for real. Sorry about that, but we’re human. And not professional actors, we’re amateurs struggling to do that and fourteen other things at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/360 "2019-08-18T15:41:06Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Have you considered finding another line of work? Have you considered threadshitting in another conversation? There’s not enough vitriol (yet) for this to go into the Pit, but it’s not like it’s O.K. for folks to wander into the Workplace Rants or Monthly Mini-Rant threads over there, and just tell people venting about their jobs or families to go find a new job. Or family. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807.md?page=19)