Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Modern Times: Buying a pack of gum

This is a true account of buying a pack of gum at Duane Read today:

I put the gum on the counter.

Cashier: Hi do you have a club card?
Me: No.
Cashier: Would you like to sign up for a club card today?
Me: No.
The cashier types in $1.35 and the register adds the tax, totalling $1.51 (why don't they just price the fucking thing with the tax at a round number?). I hand the cashier two dollar bills and fish around my pockets for a penny. In that time the woman has typed in $2.00 and the register indicates that I am getting 49 cents change. I find the penny and hand it to the cashier. This causes some confusion.
Cashier: well, I don't have two quarters so I'm going to have to give you...
Me: Fine.
The cashier extracts a quarter a dime and three nickels from the register, waits for the receipt to print, puts the receipt in her hand and the change on top of the receipt. I take the whole ungodly mess and leave the receipt on the counter.

I walk out feeling vaguely guilty that I have left the responsibility of throwing out the goddam receipt for my pack of gum with the cashier and determine that I will blog about the absurdity of modern life.

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