I never liked having to write in cursive; it was great when by high school and college, teachers no longer demanded it. Then again, I'm left-handed and like most things, cursive (as well as calligraphy) was designed for right-handed people.
I have had similar experiences as everyone else here with this "change" thing". And this discussion makes me wonder how the decline of cursive will rear its ugly head. I use it all the time myself but it's mostly (always?) done privately (notes to self, etc.) and does not involve social interaction or intercommunication. It's certainly a skill that has a reduced importance but doesn't seem to me that it's ready for the trash folder. If nothing else it may have value in developing cognative skills, but maybe those are heading to the trash folder as well.
"By golly, if I hadda learn it then everybody else gotta learn it too!"
I never liked having to write in cursive; it was great when by high school and college, teachers no longer demanded it. Then again, I'm left-handed and like most things, cursive (as well as calligraphy) was designed for right-handed people.
let me get out in front of this and say that I blame Joe Biden
I have had similar experiences as everyone else here with this "change" thing". And this discussion makes me wonder how the decline of cursive will rear its ugly head. I use it all the time myself but it's mostly (always?) done privately (notes to self, etc.) and does not involve social interaction or intercommunication. It's certainly a skill that has a reduced importance but doesn't seem to me that it's ready for the trash folder. If nothing else it may have value in developing cognative skills, but maybe those are heading to the trash folder as well.
"By golly, if I hadda learn it then everybody else gotta learn it too!"
This drives me nuts and not because kids, but the managers aren't good trainers. I actually like showing people how to make change.
I don't think making change is something we should be training people to do. K-8 education should cover that.
A 5-year-old...sure, but when working-age people can't process your intent it goes to a deeper lack of mental dexterity. Maybe most concerning is a lack of empathy (used in the generic sense of "putting yourself in someone else's shoes"). Not being able to understand the moment when someone gives you too much money in an odd configuration of currency ($21 when the cost is $10.25) is a tragic failure by and for all of us. That type of understanding is what builds community. Knowing (and caring) about what others want in daily interactions is an important life skill.
The year I turned 50, I lowered the average IQ of 2 demographic groups simultaneously. That's a trend that needs correction.
This drives me nuts and not because kids, but the managers aren't good trainers. I actually like showing people how to make change.
I've had similar things occur when paying with cash, but not just always from young people. Plenty of times I've gone into convenience stores or other shops with clerks well over 30 or 40 who get confused by something like a $20 bill and a single to pay for something that is $10.78, or give them a $5 bill and two quarters for something that is $5.47 . I think part of it is that fewer transactions have been cash transactions for quite a while now, so dealing with cash - especially in any way other than increments of fives or tens - can seem incongruous when they're in their "debit card grooves". However, other times - particularly in convenience stores or smaller businesses - the cashiers are thankful when I provide them with $1 bills or change (especially quarters) because they run out of those at busy times.
This drives me nuts and not because kids, but the managers aren't good trainers. I actually like showing people how to make change.
Yeah, these are training issues.
At our favorite South of the border fruit and veggie stand, they often prompt the clueless gringos with "tienes trenta dos pesos?" when some one is trying to buy 132 peso worth of stuff with a 500 peso bill. I've tried to explain from the position behind them that they just want small bills so they don't use up all their change, but it usually ends up with the person emptying their pockets and the cashier picking through their coins to get it right.
Story 1
My order was $10.37.
I gave the girl a $20 and the the 37¢ in coins so I didn't get back a bunch of dollar bills and change back. She stared at the coins and didn't know what to do with it. I had to explain I get a $10 bill back.
Story 2
I paid an order with some bills and about $3 in quarters that were collecting in my car.
She stared at the coins and didn't know what to do with it and called over a manager to count it.
Yup.
Story 1
Many years ago I was at some store in a mall. Like you, I handed the clerk - a late teens or 20-something guy - a bill and some change.
1st try: gave me back too little. No, that's not right, please try again.
2nd try, now using a calculator, gave me back too much. No, that's not right, please try again.
3rd try: I help him with the right answer, with the lineup behind me watching on, very unimpressed
I dunno what they've been teaching in school these days, but clearly its not the most basic things. - like math.
Imagine how much that store is losing - does the till EVER balance?
Story 2:
A MacDonald's a few yrs ago.
Bought a single sandwich and maybe a coffee.
Handed the teen girl a $5 bill.
She looks at the bill, pauses, then sideways again at the bill.
She says to me: I'm not taking this. It's counterfeit.
Jaw drop.
I ask her to call over her manager; she does
I tell him his staffer just told me I was trying to pass a counterfeit $5, and show him the bill.
Manager is silent, then apologizes. Offers me my food for comp, I say no. I pay with the same $5 bill.
I sit down to munch my meal
Manager comes over a few minute later to tell me he had sent her home.
The problem: my $5 bill was of the previous all paper type, not the current polymer style bill. This clueless teen with bad, bad, not good, decision making skills decides to accuse patrons of illegal activities. And I wonder where she was taught how to spot counterfeits?
Story 3:
Taking some relatives to the big, stupendous, dumb, massive mall in our city to do some shopping
Stopped in at one store selling handbags, wallets and such
Visitors decide to buy something, we go to the till
Behind said till is a silent sullen teen.
Silent because she's standing there sucking on a baby pacifier.
Me: Incredulous
Sheesh. How is it that these teens even get hired for retail - and are often left unsupervised to do their damage to the store rep, like #1 & #3.
Story 1
My order was $10.37.
I gave the girl a $20 and the the 37¢ in coins so I didn't get back a bunch of dollar bills and change back. She stared at the coins and didn't know what to do with it. I had to explain I get a $10 bill back.
Story 2
I paid an order with some bills and about $3 in quarters that were collecting in my car.
She stared at the coins and didn't know what to do with it and called over a manager to count it.
I had a job at a an Ace Hardware Store and most of the time I worked in the back in the little glass and window screen room. Nice and mellow. But sometimes they would put me on a register and at the day your till had to balance out to the penny. Sorry, I can't count - especially when there is a line of people staring at me. But thankfully all modern tills will tell you what the deal is as long as you tell it how much the customer tenders. Making the correct change was never a problem. But man those Marinites... each and every one is the center of the universe. But not being able to count quarters. I can't imagine that.
Story 1
My order was $10.37.
I gave the girl a $20 and the the 37¢ in coins so I didn't get back a bunch of dollar bills and change back. She stared at the coins and didn't know what to do with it. I had to explain I get a $10 bill back.
Story 2
I paid an order with some bills and about $3 in quarters that were collecting in my car.
She stared at the coins and didn't know what to do with it and called over a manager to count it.
This drives me nuts and not because kids, but the managers aren't good trainers. I actually like showing people how to make change.
You got to love those millennials and their public education in practice.
And don't give them real cash because they won't know how to count back the change you are due.
Two stories from the Wendy's Drive-thru
Story 1
My order was $10.37.
I gave the girl a $20 and the the 37¢ in coins so I didn't get back a bunch of dollar bills and change back. She stared at the coins and didn't know what to do with it. I had to explain I get a $10 bill back.
Story 2
I paid an order with some bills and about $3 in quarters that were collecting in my car.
She stared at the coins and didn't know what to do with it and called over a manager to count it.
And don't give them real cash because they won't know how to count back the change you are due.
Irrefutable evidence that people are getting stupider.
Their minds can't comprehend your interest in fewer, smaller coins and whenever possible, converting the coins you're already carrying into full dollar bills.
It's simultaneously amusing and dishearting to watch.
Location: On the edge of tomorrow looking back at yesterday. Gender:
Posted:
Feb 21, 2023 - 1:14pm
WOW!
You got to love those millennials and their public education in practice.
And don't give them real cash because they won't know how to count back the change you are due.
