Wednesday, March 30, 2005

A Pet Peeve

We’ve all got ‘em. Some are just mild annoyances, but others really get you steamed.

This one of mine is very minor. When I fuss about it to Carol, she just rolls her eyes. Of course, she rolls her eyes at my blogging also. A waste of time, she says. Who cares about your pet peeve, she says.

Yeah, OK, so she’s right.

But some people do read it. Some read it every day. I’ve got comments and emails to prove it. So there!

Back to my pet peeve.

When a cashier gives you change, why does he/she ALWAYS place receipt on top of the bills (if any), put the pile of coins on top of that, and drop the whole handful of mixed paper and metal into one of your hands? Are they trained to do that, or do they just see others doing it and imitate?

Have you watched others in line ahead of you receiving their change? Everybody I watch always separates the items, puts the coins in a pocket or coin compartment of a wallet, puts the bills in a different compartment, and usually puts the receipt in the sack.

(Well, that’s not true. Whoever’s ahead of ME in line ALWAYS writes out a check. Often they’ll make a mistake and start over. Or they’ll swipe their credit/debit card, and then stand there waiting to sign something or writing the total in their register. It takes them three times as long as paying cash would, but at least there’s no change and extra bills to worry about.)

But if someone DOES pay cash and doesn’t have exact change (I never do—in fact, I think that’s one of Murphy’s laws), they get the mixed-pile-in-one-hand treatment. Then the cashier looks at you while you’re separating everything and putting it all away as if to say, “Move it, buster, you’re holding up the people behind you.”

My wife tells me I should just cram the whole pile of paper and coins into a front pants pocket and sort it all out later. You know what? She’s right again. That’s what I should do. It won’t hurt a bit to leave all that stuff in my pocket until I’m home and sort it out there.

I prefer to huff a bit and stand there holding up the line while I put it all where I want it. To my wife’s embarrassment I sometimes ask the cashier why she doesn’t let me put the bills (or coins) away first, and then hand me the other items. When I do that she just shrugs and rolls her eyes.

So that’s my pet peeve. Women who roll their eyes at me. Wonder what makes them do that?


P. S. On a slightly different note, Christina today received a check from the Texas Workforce Commission for TEN WEEKS of unemployment compensation! We're celebrating with her.

5 comments:

Candace said...

I used to think I had to cram everything in my pockets so as not to hold up the line UNTIL the day I got home without my debit card! I drove back to the grocery store, and was lucky enough to find my card still on the pavement next to where I had parked the car earlier; it had fallen out of my jeans pocket. (CONGRATS to you and daughter!)

Anonymous said...

I SOOOOOOO agree with you. I hate that too. Being a woman and sometimes not having a front pocket to cram everything into, at times it has all ended up thrown into the bottom of my purse. Trust me, that's no better. I have worked as a cashier, and would typically hand the customer their change (coins) first, then hand them the bills, and put the receipt in the bag. I have decided I don't care how long I hold up the line, I stand there until I put everything where I want it!

Duke_of_Earle said...

Wow! Looks like I touched a nerve with that pet peeve, huh?

Joe, "orientated" bothers me too, but I REALLY hate it when people say "nuceelar" instead of "nuclear." Bill Clinton did it, and many other intelligent, educated people.

I'll have to put together another pet peeve posting in a week or so.

By the way, Chenoah, thanks for your support!

VikiBabbles said...

Damn, Duke, you've hit the nail on the head. I go out of my way to thank the cashiers who give me my change first (immediately goes into the pocket or the bottom of my purse while they stand there holding the cash and the receipt), but so few actually do that. I make people wait behind me while I sort it all out.

And I find it hilarious that after all of that about the change, the peeve is really women who roll their eyes at you. Damn those women.

Anonymous said...

Cashiering is one of my many jobs. I hand out change first, then bills with the receipt on the bottom. We would like you to move it, Buster, because we are rated for raises and the like by our IPH (items per hour).My pet peeve is people who slam their money on my counter instead of handing it to me. I'd love to slam their change on the counter rather than handing it to them. You want your change in both hands? Do you hold out both hands to the cashier?