Baa Baa Knit Stitch

So… I popped into our local gourmet dog food/dog treat store to snag some of Penny’s favorite treats.  We needed to stock up, and since I hadn’t been able to locate them online at a more favorable price, it was time to bite the bullet and go in.

I located the treats, and grabbed 5 bags so I wouldn’t have to go in again any time soon.  I proceeded to the cash register where the young woman started ringing them up.  She let me know that I owed $27 and some change.  I put my credit card in the chip reader, and then it hit me… I had five bags of dog treats at $10.99 a bag (yes, my dog is spoiled… hang on while I go get her some brie…).  $27 plus change wasn’t nearly enough.  I pointed this out to the cashier.

“Oh.”

Oh?  Hon, I coulda just walked out of here with 30 bucks of hot dog treats, and that’s all you have to allow??

“You need to void that sale and charge me the proper amount.”

“Hmmm.  Looks like I charged you the individual stick price for the other bags.” (She starts counting the number of sticks in each bag… then punches numbers on the register.)  “That’ll be $61 (and change – I’m rounding here for the most part).”

“Uh, no.  I owe you $58.25.  Five times $10.99 plus six percent tax.  I want to pay you what I owe you and no more.”

“Oh that’s what you owe.  I charged you for the rest of the individual sticks”

“How much are the sticks?”

“$1.29 each.”

At this point, I’m realizing we have a clear failure of the public education system.  “Sweetie, how much is 10 times $1.29?”  She just stared at me.  “I’ll tell you – it’s $12.90.  Now, why would I pay $12.90 for a bag of treats when it’s marked for $10.99?”

Clearly exasperated, she calls her coworker to the other register: “Would you ring up these five bags and tell this lady what she owes?”

“I owe you $58.25 total.”

The second girl rang it up, looked at the first girl and meekly said “$58.25”.

I subtracted the $27 and change from the $58.25 total.  I owed a little over $30 for the remainder.

The math wizard started pounding on the register.  Heaven help the person who has to balance that thing at the end of the day.  She finally came up with the same amount I had and hissed “Is that alright with you?”

“Yes, because it’s correct.”

She took my card, gave me the signature slip, then ran to the back.  Her coworker gave me the first slip (for the $27 and change which I asked to sign since I never had) and all of my receipts, and apologized.

Basic math, people.  It works.  Has for years.  Still does.

I’m really glad I don’t have to go back for awhile.  I’m pretty sure they are too.