Bad influence

OLD people always say that youth's are the bad influence on young generations. They're not.

Yesterday at work I served an elderly couple their shopping while asking them the usual questions. "Would you like a bag for life? Would you like any normal carrier bags? And would you like any help with your packing?"

After pressing subtotal and telling the couple the price, the lady inserted her card into the machine and typed in her pin. A message appeared on my screen saying 'card error,' while the lady was asking repeatedly "Is it done? I haven't got my glasses" I replied saying: "It's saying card error I'm afraid, would you like to re-insert the card and see if it works this time. It's probably just the machine. Sorry about that."

As the gentlemen huffed and puffed "Oh for God sake," the lady re-inserted her card, re-entered her pin and removed her card when the machine had said to do so. The receipt printed- declined.

I said "It's said your card has declined I'm affraid, do you have any other way of paying?" The woman who at this stage started to panic and become defensive said: "What? What? But it said remove card!" I replied "The machine always appears to say remove card but unfortunately the receipt as printed saying declined. I'm really sorry about this." The lady then said: "Is the card still in date? I haven't got my glasses?"

I wondered how she could see the the machine's message which said 'remove card' yet couldn't see the expiry date on her card.

The man who had been twittering and walking back and forth around his wife, then huffed and puffed just a little bit more and said I will just pay the money.

I apoligsed again, while he then threw a twenty-pound-note, a ten-pound-note, three one-pound-coins and two one-pence-coins all individually up the slope of my checkout, at the same time I had my hand out waiting to be handed the money.

He then said "Sorry," which at this point I had lost all good manners and I didn't respond. I was then sitting at my checkout chasing all the money up and down the slope as he pushed it back up and it rolled back down - repeatedly.

The gentlemen then said: "Well, I didn't design the checkout did I?" To which I said nothing, counted the money, handed them the receipt and thanked them as I should.

I was left to question how some people think it's perfectly acceptable to treat a young lad this way, yet it's not alright to treat them the exact same way.

Absolutely shocking.