# What do you do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2000, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/9623 "2000-04-02T20:04:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/9623/1 "2000-04-02T20:04:00Z")
This is maybe a MPSIMS topic but I’m sure I’ll be told/moved if it is . I was in the post office yesterday paying bills which I knew came to a total of £475 . The cashier who was dealing with me was a trainee and had an observer checking him out . I gave the cashier £480 but recieved change for £500. I was left with 2 choices . 1 = Take the money and run and leave the poor guy with a short till at the end of the day or 2= Point out his mistake in front of his trainer . I plumped for 2 but was it the right thing to do ? The trainer was having a go at him as I was leaving and I felt kinda bad about it. ---
**Author:** ![Jeannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@Jeannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeannie)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/9623/2 "2000-04-02T20:11:00Z")
I would have done what you did. The other choice pretty much amounts to stealing. ---
**Author:** ![Zor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/848f3c/32.png) [@Zor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zor)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/9623/3 "2000-04-02T20:11:00Z")
I’d slip the £500 back and ask him if he has any loose change for it, or maybe tell him that it was a tip. Perhaps he’ll get it before his trainer does… ---
**Author:** ![Zor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/848f3c/32.png) [@Zor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zor)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/9623/4 "2000-04-02T20:15:00Z")
By the way, if he were smart enough, he’d hand me back £5 in coins right away 🙂 I’ve had my boss stand behind my back several times when I had to take up tamporary jobs in libraries and such, so I know anxiety is not good for job performance… ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/9623/5 "2000-04-02T20:41:00Z")
It also would have paid for my cinema ticket directly afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/9623/6 "2000-04-02T20:48:00Z")
You should point out the mistake. After all, how is the person ever going to learn to be more careful? If the person had done it before, then the trainer would like to know if there was a pattern developing. However, if it’s a one-time offense I doubt anyone is going to lose their job over messing up that amount of money? Don’t British cash registers have a key that figure out the change. Hardly any cashiers in the US figure out the change themselves anymore. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/9623/7 "2000-04-02T20:59:00Z")
> [@](#): > > This is maybe a MPSIMS topic Yep. * * * [NYC IRL III](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/006163.html) is on April 15th. Do you have what it takes?