No Hope

[Iowa Dave]

I know I’m pretty much Stone Age any more. My two daughters both cashiered at part time jobs and were count the money back capable.

My son on the other had was a store shelf and stockroom employee. Later he was on a crew that cleaned sewers with a vac truck. That made him know he wanted to keep going to college but grounded him in the real world.
When earning a personal finance merit badge in Scouts on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout, the Asst. Scoutmaster who taught the badge was also our City Auditor /Comptroller He had those boys pretty knowledgeable when he was done with them.

At scout camp we opened the “bank” each morning so the boys could visit the commissary and get a Choco Taco during the day. One day a boy asked for a few dollars from his account.
I asked him what he was going to buy.
“Nothing in particular, I just like to have some JWA cash in my pocket.”
I asked him what JWA stood for and he said “Just walking around”
He was a great kid and the same age as my boy. I felt pretty bad when he died of a liver disorder at 35.

Thanks to everyone who posted on this seemingly mundane topic, I’m impressed with all of the different opinions. Though it doesn’t CHANGE a thing.

I was in Chamberlain South Dakota a few years back. On the counter by the cash register in a gas station/gun store was one of those little “penny cups”. There was a hand printed sign taped to the cup.
It said “ If you need a penny take a penny, if you need a handful, get a job.” And so it goes.

Iowa Dave

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Thanks to everyone who posted on this seemingly mundane topic, I’m impressed with all of the different opinions. Though it doesn’t CHANGE a thing.

Aw shucks, it was just a case of contributing our two cents.

[Ron in BC]

One thing about Dave, you never have to say "a penny for your thoughts".

Ron

[Iowa Dave]

It’s not a stream of consciousness, it’s more like a river of unconsciousness. There are some loose connections somewhere with lots of arcing. Need some better crimps I think. By the way, tomorrow I will post a picture of a suicide cucumber. Don’t miss it.
Iowa Dave

[bborzell]

Bought two Subway sandwiches last week. If trying to navigate the new menu wasn’t enough, when I went to pay, I gave the cashier $20 for a $15 and change order and the register froze up.

The look on her face was bordering on terror. She look back at the manager and it was clear that she feared telling her that she couldn’t figure out the change.

I quietly said, “I’ll bet you don’t often have to deal with a frozen register so let’s walk through it.” We did the change math and then the dollar bills. All was well.

Might have been that she did not have the basic math skills or maybe she just went into a “tilt” mode when the machine failed her.

[emers382]

Last week our nearly sixteen year old spent some nights with us as his family was away and he's working for the town this summer. He would sit at our table looking at the clock on the wall and ask us the time. He cannot read a clock unless it's digital. He and a coworker neither one of whom had a watch or phone (grandson went swimming with his last phone) had to go near lunchtime to a restaurant to find out the time to see if it was time for lunch yet

[Mike G]

I taught 7th grade math for one year. Yup, many of them could not read the analog clock on the wall. The majority of them did not want to bother learning math and thought it was a waste of time; they figured they could either use a calculator or look up the answer on the internet, so why bother understanding how the answer is arrived at?


There were a few kids who actually put in the effort and excelled. I was most pleased with one girl who was on an IEP and started the school year struggling (with Ds and Fs), but by the end of the year she was earning As and Bs. On one of the last days she told me I was "the best math teacher ever." That made me feel like all the crap, disrespect and anxiety some of the other little darlin's put me through had been worth it.


That said, I'll never do it again.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by emers382

Last week our nearly sixteen year old spent some nights with us as his family was away and he's working for the town this summer. He would sit at our table looking at the clock on the wall and ask us the time. He cannot read a clock unless it's digital. He and a coworker neither one of whom had a watch or phone (grandson went swimming with his last phone) had to go near lunchtime to a restaurant to find out the time to see if it was time for lunch yet

Obviously he’s not a light eater or a seefood eater like I am. I eat when it’s light or when I see food. This has always worked for me, and a flashlight counts. When I was a kid I bought a pizza once. The guy asked me if I wanted it cut into 6 or 8 pieces. I told him 6, because I didn’t think I could eat 8. Tell me for real now, doesn’t the phrase cross your mind once in a while?
Iowa Dave

[John in Santa Cruz]

glad I don't have to worry much about my kids. Kid #1 has his PhD in Geology, and is doing postdoctoral research for Oxford... He's currenty back in Reno, and texted me today with some questions about the turbo on his F550 based homemade camper which has the early version of the Ford 6.7 Powerstroke diesel, he replaced it, and his boost gauge wasn't reading, but we finally determined the engine was in fact getting boost, just teh gauge was offline for some reason. I dunno anything about 6.7's, just the 7.3 on my F250. The mornings project completed, he installed his battery powered minisplit air conditioner.





(these are all work-in-progress pictures from a couple years ago before he had to go back to the UK... he's back in Reno getting ready for Burning Man).

[MyronL]

Totally awesome!

[John in Santa Cruz]

the other TBD part of this project is replacing the highway dualies with super-singles and a mild lift. But he wants to wait until its finished, and he can weigh it, and downgrade the GWR so he can use 37's rather than 43's, and not need a huge lift or massive fender mods.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Yep, far different than a cashier just loading up the palm of my hand with my change back. Counting back is unusual anymore.


Cash itself is going out of style. During the height of the pandemic a number of stores I shop had stopped accepting cash. Couldn't even buy wood at some of the Oregon State Parks... needed a credit/debit card.


There's still one restaurant I patronize that doesn't accept cash. BUT, their reason is they had been robbed too many times and wanted to stop putting their staff and customers in danger. I expect that's going to happen more and more as time goes on.

Hi: Donna D... During Co-Vivid I wore out the tap action on my CC. The co. had to send me a new one. At least you only have to reach out and not touch anyone!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[ghosthunter]

I managed a C Store for 27 years. All the cashier’s could count back change. But unless you were standing there they wouldn’t. Modern day POS systems make it so easy if they enter in the correct amount received and if they have a line they rush.

Surprising many customers don’t want a cashier to take the time.

Now retired I often feel out of place. I prefer to deal in cash in a world that only wants cards most the time.

Once I bought my wife a $200.00 gift at a office store, turned out it wasn’t what she wanted. I paid cash for it. When I took it back they did not have cash to refund me. I had to wait two weeks for a check from corporate to be mailed to me.

It’s not just young folks a lot of adults struggle with every day functions.

We offered a .10 a gallon discount for cash on gas. Not debit or credit.
The pump would display the credit price until to paid the cashier cash before pumping, once you had paid and selected grade the pump would change price to reflect your discount.

Lots of folks argued they paid full price till I showed them the receipt in there hand.

Many folks argue debit is cash.

Some times we would have to close to solve a issue and would have large sign out that we were closed. Still lots of folks would walk up and rattle the door.

Than this