They Walk Among Us

[Lammie]

Was at a fast food place the other day and gave the girl my payment. I forget exactly what it was, but let's say $5.14. I handed her six dollars and she quickly punched it in. I found a quarter and handed it to her after the fact. (I don't like to break dollar bills if I have some change.) Anyhoo, she just stood there and stared at the cash drawer. I finally had to tell her what the change was. Bless her heart. I wondered if the tatoos and piercings had somehow affected her thinking skills.

Years ago I worked at a hamburger joint and the manager brought a detective in to teach us a con that was going around so we could be aware of it when making change. I forgot exactly how it went but they would hand you a $20 after ringing the total they would then ask for it back and hand you something else. The timing in combination with the method was so good that if you weren't really thinking they would walk out with about $30 bucks. I believe a con artist could use this same trick today and walk out with $100.

Think man, think. I could sure use that. How did it work? ;-)

We were always taught not to put the bill in the till until (hey, rhyme!!), the transaction was over and the change was counted back. Then and only then did you take that bill from the top of the till, it was just laid on the top of the open drawer until change was counted back. If all else failed, and the customer just had a fit about it, which normally didn't happen after that twenty was out there for everyone to see, then you simply got their number and told them if you had an overage when you counted up your till for the disputed amount, we'd gladly refund the difference.

Never happened. I even had a little kid try it on me once. He gave me a five and swore he'd given me a twenty.

 

[Lammie]

The other day my wife called me and told me she was at wal-mart and her car didn't start. I went over ther and boosted it, then drove it around back to their service center. The guy with dred locks came with the test cart and hooked it to the battery and pushed a few buttons, then told me my battery was'nt good. He started to wheel the cart away and I stopped him and asked him to check the altinater, just incase it was'nt charging. He hooked up the cart, pushed some buttons and told me the altinator was bad too. I just stood there and looked at this "tech"?? and asked him if he always checked altinators without the engine running ? I was thinking of getting them to change the oil, but after that, I GUESS NOT !

I sent my son to walmart once to get the oil changed in his car. It was the only thing open at the time. I had just replaced the air filter, don't ask my why I remembered, I guess cause we had one that fit it. Anyway, first thing the guy says is, "You need a new air filter." I had already told my son to beware of this tactic, so he told the guy that the filter was new and to please show it to him.

I hate scam artists like that. This particular "tech" was the husband of a woman I had fired for stealing money from the agency. I guess it runs in the family.

 

[jfont]

The other day my wife called me and told me she was at wal-mart and her car didn't start. I went over ther and boosted it, then drove it around back to their service center. The guy with dred locks came with the test cart and hooked it to the battery and pushed a few buttons, then told me my battery was'nt good. He started to wheel the cart away and I stopped him and asked him to check the altinater, just incase it was'nt charging. He hooked up the cart, pushed some buttons and told me the altinator was bad too. I just stood there and looked at this "tech"?? and asked him if he always checked altinators without the engine running ? I was thinking of getting them to change the oil, but after that, I GUESS NOT !

I sent my son to walmart once to get the oil changed in his car. It was the only thing open at the time. I had just replaced the air filter, don't ask my why I remembered, I guess cause we had one that fit it. Anyway, first thing the guy says is, "You need a new air filter." I had already told my son to beware of this tactic, so he told the guy that the filter was new and to please show it to him.

I hate scam artists like that. This particular "tech" was the husband of a woman I had fired for stealing money from the agency. I guess it runs in the family.

Yeah, you have to watch out for those, but I don't think this guy was trying to scam me, he was just an idiot. Wal-mart doesn't sell altinators.

 

[pwilli3]

But I am going to ask what are gazintas? Is it a regional name or a special project?

It's the Jethro Bodene name for division.

These days I fear it means my kid gazinta school and comes out less educated.

It seems a shame the only thing these terribly math challenged people know how to do is multiply.