Red Alert at the Cash Register

I love wasting my spare time accomplishing mundane tasks like going to the store and running errands. What makes it better is when it's a Sunday morning and I can think of a million things I have to do instead. So, of course, to my dismay, I'd get to endure another thrilling experience of 21st century cashiers who bring manners, civility, and intelligence to an all time low.

My first complaint is that these kids at cash registers have no sense of simple mathematics. How many times do you need to check the screen on the cash register while you're making change? My item cost ten dollars, I gave you a twenty, it's ten dollars change! How difficult is that? I was in the store the other day and had a purchase for $4.01, so I gave the cashier a five and didn't have any change. Any schmoe can figure out my change in their head, but this guy has to check the register screen about three or four times. What if I'd had the chutzpah to give him a penny after he already entered it into the computer? Brain overload! What do I do now? Maybe a good way to solve this problem is to have people perform a simple math test before they take on an after-school job working the register. It would certainly encourage people to pay more attention to their first grade math lessons.

And then manners and civility, what happened to that? I can't believe I should have to walk up to a cashier and their focus isn't on me, the paying customer, but on their friend with the twisted ankle who got hurt playing beer pong. Have this conversation on your own time; right now I expect you to be polite enough to say good morning. Of course, this is too much to ask from these kids. Well, I make my purchase, get my change (which was probably wrong) and at no point do I get either a "Hi how are you today" or a "Thank you, have a nice day." This is one store I'll never go to again.