I'm not a math whiz...but...

I'm not the greatest at math. I was essentially a journalism major in college. We're not known for our stellar math skills. I remember having to re-take timed subtraction and division tests in 3rd grade. I had to re-take them so many times that I had to start coming in during recess to take the tests since most of the class was so far past this point. Then, in 6th grade they started this 'accelerated' track for science and math. And for some reason they put me in it. I have no idea what they were thinking. I remember my high school algebra teacher putting his face in mine and yelling "you're just not trying!" Um, yeah, way to motivate.

But, well, I muddled through. Got my C's (which was a terrible grade to me) and moved on. I was required to take a math class in college as a general requirement. I "re-took" algebra. Essentially all things I'd supposedly already learned, and still got a C. Oh well, so I'm not a math whiz. Good thing I wasn't looking at it as a career.

I've worked fast food, grocery, retail...all at the cash register. Granted, those dumb cash registers usually tell you what you need to give as change. (I think now they actually tell them things like 1 quarter, 1 dime and 2 pennies...yikes!) Once in a while you'd have that customer who'd change what they want to give you after you'd already rang it in. Uh-oh. You have to figure out the change on your own. This was not a problem for me...but oh, it was for many of "my" employees once I was an assistant manager.

So are kids just getting even dumber about math than I am? Honestly, isn't figuring out change a pretty basic math function? Don't they want to make sure they're not getting screwed out of money????

Which brings me to the cause of this rambling post. Case in point. I was at Target with my Mom. I still have a few of those "5 free 2-liters of Coke" coupons and they expire sometime in August so I thought I'd better get to using them up again...It's always "entertaining" (for lack of a better word) to watch how these cashiers deal with the coupon. Today takes the cake though.

She scans the coupon and types in $1.49. "Um, no, that's not right. I get FIVE free, not just one."

Seriously she said this: "Oh you want all FIVE free?"

"Well, that is what the coupon says."

Uncomfortable giggle escapes cashier. "I'm so bad at math. How about I just take off $5?" and she quickly keys that in.

"Um, NO. They are $1.49 each. That isn't 5 free."

"Oh, I'm going to have to call my manager..." repeats herself "I'm so bad at math."

At this point it's become entertainment for me. (Only because my children are not with me, driving me nuts and screaming to leave.)

The manager comes over and also says "Oh I'm so bad at math, I'll have to get a piece of paper to figure this out."

Okay, seriously??? Even I ... who is so bad at math ... can figure out 5 times $1.49 in my head. Which I do as the manager chick is scribbling furiously. (Hmmm. Round up 5 times 1.50 = 7.50, but wait, it was not 1.50 each, but one cent less. I think I'll subtract 5 cents from that total...might be $7.45???)

The manager finally says..."$7.50 sound right??"

"Yeah, sure." Oh my.

Maybe I really am a math whiz.