"bartc" wrote in message news:EN6wB.770830$uh.63078@fx28.am4...
On 19/09/2017 11:46, Larry Martell wrote:
>
> True story - the other day I was in a store and my total was $10.12. I
> pulled out a $20, and the cashier (probably age 23 or so) immediately
> entered $20 as the amount tendered. Then I said "Let me see if I have
> the $0.12." I did not, but I had $0.15 so I handed her $20.15. She
> literally froze in place with a classic deer in the headlights stare.
> I said "$10.03" She said "What?" I said "$10.03 is my change." She
> said "What?" I said "Just give me $10." She did not reply, opened the
> drawer below her register, rummaged around and came out with one of
> those giant key calculators, and with a look of dogged determination,
> did the calculation, looked at me and said proudly "$10.03 is your
> change."
My bill in a store came to £3.20 (GBP3.20), so I handed over £10.20.
I was given back £16.90 in change!
It turned out the cashier had entered £20.10 as the amount tendered. It
was sorted out in the end.
My favourite true story on this subject -
In England, just after decimalisation was introduced, I was at a lunch with
a few other people. When we asked the waitress for the bill, she brought out
a hand-written list of what we had ordered (no computers or calculators in
those days) and proceeded to add it up manually. The total, in new pence,
came to four figures. She then, talking to herself, did the next bit of the
calculation. 'Lets see, there are 100 new pence in a pound, so divide the
total by 100, ...'. She worked the whole thing out using just pencil and
paper, and then when she had written down the result, exclaimed 'Oh, it’s
the same!'.
Frank Millman
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