It Dosen't Add Up!

   My wife and I joined some friends for an
evening snack at a popular 'fast food'
restaurant a couple of days ago.
   We encountered a pleasant young lady,
at least she was probably pleasant, who has
us wondering about the status of our
educational system. I think she did smile
one time....or...maybe it was pain.
   We used some coupons to save a buck or
two. My wife had a 'Buy One, Get One Free'
coupon for hot dogs. The clerk looked a bit
confused and called one of her colleagues
over to help her write up the purchase.
    She didn't understand why her
computer wasn't reading the cost of a hot
dog based on that coupon. Her colleague
explained it was the "Buy One/Get One"
deal at which point she asked my wife if
she wanted two hot dogs.
    Let's see now...buy one then get one...
Yes! That does add up to two and my wife
explained that's why she used the coupon!
    After surviving that ordeal I threw the
real 'Monkey wrench' into the purchase.
    Our bill came to eight dollars and five
cents.
     I had a twenty dollar bill (once I had
three at one time!)
     In an honest attempt to try to make
the exchange easier I gave the clerk my
twenty (that was to cover the eight dollars)
and a quarter (that was to cover the five
cents).
     One would think I had asked her to
explain Einstein's theory of relativity!
     I wonder how HE was at subtraction?
     She must have punched the computer
for twenty dollars, looked at the reading
and handed me the change that came up on
the screen.
     My wife took a pen and did the
math on our bill so the clerk would
understand...but it was clear she did not.
     After a three or four minute discussion
she apparently decided it was easier to give
me my twelve dollars and twenty cents
change rather that to understand the
equation!
     I had to go back for my ice cream.
     It was on the bill....but not on our
table.
     I don't think the problem is unique
to that restaurant or that clerk.
     That's why some places simply close
down when they loose power and their
computers don't work.
     I remember a grocery store in the
Poconos that handled a power failure
by giving customers flash lights and
having the clerks use hand calculators.
     Guess they didn't trust them with
pencils and paper.
      How I long for the days when the
owner of the small grocery store would
simply write all the amounts on the very
brown bag in which my purchases were
stored. He would add up each column
and give me the total owed. I'd give him
money and he would give me change....
the right change.
      Of course I'd like to go back to the
days when I had those three twenties too!
      Hope you get the correct change
and that all your NEWS is good!