"When Supermarket Price Scanners Attack!" Is Just Me Or What?
@peaceful (3294)
United States
August 10, 2007 2:21pm CST
Another rescued story. Please enjoy it- sorry for the length! :)
I had a yen for a big bowl of cold sesame noodles, vegetables and shrimp that just wouldn't quit!
I have what might be called a "chef's mind" and when I get a craving for a particular dish- it will appear in my head as a series of images--
from procurement of the ingredients to final preparation and presentation, in full color and it won't go away until this actually, physically happens!
So off to the supermarket to get the "Vittles" I went...
On these hot, humid evenings a trip to the supermarket is a smart thing to do, because they keep the place air conditioned at almost North Pole temperatures and you can become cooled off very quickly when you start walking around to do your shopping.
The cold temps also enhance the "girl watching experience" but enough of that for now...
First, I get the shrimp- I'm in luck 'cuz they have these large sea-caught ones and they are fresh not frozen... Good on me! :)
Next grab the noodles- they have high-quality ramen on sale... 6 packages for a buck, yes!!!
I spot an empty checkout and I head for it, place my selections on the belt and the clerk pushes the button...
First he scans the shrimp (beep!), $7.98 ( not bad) then he scans the noodles...
I'm looking at the register screen and I see " Corn Flakes (6) total $24.56" then final total $32.54...
The clerk looks at this, and then holds out his hand, palm up, to take my cash...
"Dude", I say calmly, "That's not the right price or merchandise".
He looks at me with the blank stare of bafflement,befuddlement or just plain stupidness and continues to hold his hand up expecting cash!
I then wave my hand in front of his face and point to the register screen, saying "Dude, look!" "It's not right!"
Slowly, ever so slowly, it begins to dawn on him, like some slowly unfolding, mystical, Cosmic revelation that something was, indeed amiss here...
He then yells out " Void!", "Void!", "I needa void here!"
At that moment, I felt the strong urge to "void", too!
First, the manager walked over and stares at the cash register like it was the Monolith in the movie "2001", then another clerk sidled over to look at it,too!
The manager reaches into his pocket, apparently for the magical "void" card but it isn't there... this neccessitates a trip to his office where said "void" card was on his desk.
Meanwhile, although still baffled at how this could happen, the clerk apologised to me for the delay...
The manager returned and using the "void" card cleared the purchase and rang up the right total.
By now I want to leave, so I can go outside a laugh like hell...
Please, Dear Hearts, please tell me that we Humans haven't been completely enslaved by machines! Please, oh please, just say it isn't so! :)
1 response
@GardenGerty (169449)
• United States
11 Aug 07
Nope, the machines are just there for their entertainment value. They mess up, and we get mad, or entertained, as the case may be, and they keep card carrying managers in work, and worth something. I do not know HOW you spotted the error, seeing as how the cashier could not see that slight discrepancy! LOL

@peaceful (3294)
• United States
21 Aug 07
It amazes me that most of the clerks are students and that goofs like this should occur, especially with supposedly sharp, young minds at work! LOL! :)


