stupid or annoying expressions

[JediMaster12]

Speaking of cashiers, I have another that I find annoying, pathetic and just plain sad. What I think is embarassing and rather sad is that the youngsters who are cashiers as an after school job, they can't count back change. There was one time I was shopping with my mother and grandma at Wal-Mart and the girl entered the wrong total into the register. She then stood there for five minutes trying to figure out what to do. I had to come to the rescue and tell her. I forget the change amount but I thought it sad that she couldn't count change. When I first started at my second job, my dad taught me how to the first day. After that it became habit to just hit the change button and count it out. It made me one of the fastest in getting change back in drive thru. When I get newbies to train and I have them for two days, I try to get them familiar first with the register and then I try to teach them how to count change. I find it useful and practical. I thank my dad to myself each and every time I go and count my drawer, which is always exact. Sometimes its a few cents over.

[Totenkopf]

The one expression that really ticks me off is when a mother says, "Oh he's a good boy. He would never do that." In my opinion, if the kid did something like rob a store a few times, that constitutes as not being a 'good boy.' I have seen that theme played out on TV crime shows so much that the result is always the same: I get pissed and start cussing much to my dad's surprise.

 

 

The loathsome variation on that is the "Not my child" syndrome. Those parents never know what their kids are out doing, only that somehow they can do no wrong (mostly b/c it's inconvenient for the parents to have to deal with an unpleasant situation). There was a lot of that in the parish where I went to grade school.

[Emperor Devon]

I don't like teens/pre-teens of mouthing off to their parents (usually their mothers) in my office. And I really hate it when the mothers sit there and do nothing.

 

It's usually rude, though you should consider there might be a reason the kids are mouthing their mothers off. There are backstories to a lot of things.

 

I had one young kid retort "I don't like you,"

 

If I'd been in that situation, I'd probably have doubled over laughing that someone could consider themselves so important. Or have given him a look.

[Jae Onasi]

It's usually rude, though you should consider there might be a reason the kids are mouthing their mothers off. There are backstories to a lot of things.

Oh, I know, but being disrespectful to anyone in public is bad, and the kids need to learn to control themselves. And I'm not talking about the normal teen sassiness which we all do. This is the flat-out-repeatedly-obnoxious makes-you-want-to-kill-the-child-almost-as-badly-as-Smurfs kind of horrible behavior. I usually don't say anything if it looks like mom's going to handle it, but if she just sits there and pretends it's not happening, then I decide to invoke my duty as a fellow villager raising the child. If I don't do anything, the kid usually starts trying to treat me the same way they treat the mother (on the theory that I'm also a pushover), and I have to have the authority in that room or nothing would get done. Fortunately that happens maybe only a couple times a year if that.

 

 

If I'd been in that situation, I'd probably have doubled over laughing that someone could consider themselves so important. Or have given him a look.

He was _way_ past The Look, and I did give him an evil little smile when I told him I wasn't there for him to like. In fact, I took mom aside and talked to her about counseling, because I was pretty sure some kind of nastiness was going on at home if a boy that young felt it was OK to talk to his mom that way.

 

Another pet peeve: When I let the cashier know that I think there's a mistake in the total and could we please check it, and s/he says, "Well, that's what the cash register says."

Use the brains! If I have 5 items all under 10 bucks, the total can't possibly be anywhere near $105.50! When she actually said that to me, I looked her in the eye and said "Well, I'm sorry, but someone must have programmed the cash register incorrectly then." She got an irritated look on her face as she looked through the tape, and then relented, "Oh, this item rang in at $55.00 instead of $5.50". Yupp, the cash register's always right....

[Emperor Devon]

If I don't do anything, the kid usually starts trying to treat me the same way they treat the mother (on the theory that I'm also a pushover),

 

Hmm, somehow I get the idea that would not go well. For the kid.

 

He was _way_ past The Look, and I did give him an evil little smile when I told him I wasn't there for him to like.

 

What kind of an evil smile are we talking about here?

 

In fact, I took mom aside and talked to her about counseling, because I was pretty sure some kind of nastiness was going on at home if a boy that young felt it was OK to talk to his mom that way.

 

If you didn't know this mom, counseling might have been a bit much to suggest to her. There could've been who knows what happening in their family.

 

Hmm, this probably sounds like a ridiculous pet peeve (as no one in their right mind should do it), but it's just plain disgusting to watch people molest themselves in front of a class. Common sense should say that several dozen students don't need spectacles like that to start their days.

[Darth InSidious]

Kids that are loud in public generally. They hurt my ears.

 

Stupid/rude/patronising shop workers, who are unhelpful and rude as soon as you challenge them/ask for something beyond their immediate remit.

 

I want to strangle most of the shop staff in the UK...

[JediMaster12]

She got an irritated look on her face as she looked through the tape, and then relented, "Oh, this item rang in at $55.00 instead of $5.50". Yupp, the cash register's always right....

That's why I learned to count change. I tell ya, it's a handy dandy skill to have. I actually rescued that poor girl at Wal-Mart. She looked at me to determine if I was right and I explained counting up. Afterwards my grandma was said I should be working there. It's a skill that I blab about when I apply to new jobs. The register's not always right. It's a computer but it is worked by humans. Duh.

[HerbieZ]

Stupid/rude/patronising shop workers, who are unhelpful and rude as soon as you challenge them/ask for something beyond their immediate remit.

 

I want to strangle most of the shop staff in the UK...

 

Yeah, im not such a big fan of customers either...

[tk102]

I hate seeing the expression "back on topic" having to be posted in a thread.

[JediMaster12]

It is worse during the holidays. People being rude because they are trying to get at the sales and the like. They take out their frustration on you, a nightmare. It's a good thing that my family aren't like that.

[Darth333]

I hate seeing the expression "back on topic" having to be posted in a thread.

Me too

[Prime]

Basically anything said in a corporate environment.

[Fuu]

^

 

@RobertJones: Thanks.

 

Me too

 

What about the occasional self reminder a la BOT?

 

Since the topic has shifted a tad: One my pet peeves is flakyness. I really hate when I make a plan to meet someone and they all out flake. GRRRRR! If something comes up you should at least call!

 

Its fun to vent!

[Ray Jones]

The register's not always right. It's a computer but it is worked by humans. Duh.

Usually the register IS right. At least if you take the values given to calculate. In Jae's story it was the cashier's fault, for typing $55.00 instead of $5.50, the register's just calculated the correct total for that.

[Totenkopf]

True enough. Like all machines, a modern register is only as accurate as it's programmer. Speaking of dummies like that, though, I heard a story the other day about a guy who tried to pay for his gas w/a C note. The cost was $29. The attendant gave him $35 change. He tried to explain the mistake (almost too honest for his own good I s'ppose). The person at the register redid the charge and got it correct, but with one caveat here. The man was given an additional $79, on top of the original incorrect change of $65. He tried to explain the second mistake (failing to take back the original change before redoing the transaction), but not only did he get nowhere, the cashier's manager compounded it as well. Long story short, man walks away w/$29 of gas and $36 richer than when he went in to pay. Now THAT'S service.

 

PS: while this always sounds like one of those urban legend kind of stories, I've seen cashiers stupid enough to do this or spiteful enough toward their employers to do it as well.

[Jae Onasi]

Hmm, somehow I get the idea that would not go well. For the kid.

He got his exam done, whether he liked it or not.

What kind of an evil smile are we talking about here?

If you didn't know this mom, counseling might have been a bit much to suggest to her. There could've been who knows what happening in their family.

There were things she told me in the office that indicated big problems at home in addition to the kid being a total PIA (he has the record, far and away).

Hmm, this probably sounds like a ridiculous pet peeve (as no one in their right mind should do it), but it's just plain disgusting to watch people molest themselves in front of a class. Common sense should say that several dozen students don't need spectacles like that to start their days.

 

And if you say anything to them, they'll give you that very annoying expression and say "We're just trying to have a little fun." Or "If you don't like it, don't look at it."

 

There are several responses to this, none of which I'd've been brave enough to do as a college student. However, if I saw something like that now, I'd do one of the following:

 

1. If you're there with a group of friends, you can all clap when (I'm assuming it's a couple) the 2 break apart. Works even better if you can hold up sheets of paper with numbers on them. "Hey, that was great technique. I give it an 8.5, Bob". Or you could do something really Simon-esque and say "When you two actually learn some passable technique, call me. Of course, by that time I'll probably have been in my grave for 500 years."

 

2. Tap the girl (since she's less likely to try to deck you than the guy) and say "Some of us prefer not to have our eyeballs seared by your steam. Go get a room."

 

3. Tap the girl on the shoulder. Hand her a biohazard kit. "Please clean up after yourselves. A dry school is a happy school."

 

4. Look the man up and down. "You know, I was expecting more from you."

 

5. Look the man up and down. "You should really see someone about that little problem."

 

6. Look the man up and down in evaluation. "My gerbil is bigger."

 

7. Look at either of them and say, "Hey, didn't I see you coming out of the doctor's office the other day? You know, the one that sees people for STDs?"

[Emperor Devon]

There were things she told me in the office that indicated big problems at home in addition to the kid being a total PIA (he has the record, far and away).

 

For a minute I thought you meant some kind of disease by 'PIA'.

 

And if you say anything to them, they'll give you that very annoying expression and say "We're just trying to have a little fun." Or "If you don't like it, don't look at it."

 

It was just one guy, actually.

 

There are several responses to this, none of which I'd've been brave enough to do as a college student.

 

I can't imagine you being 20 and shy.

 

1. If you're there with a group of friends, you can all clap when (I'm assuming it's a couple) the 2 break apart. Works even better if you can hold up sheets of paper with numbers on them. {snip}

 

Very amusing to think, but he wouldn't have cared. He actually performed that spectacle in front of several dozen people, right up at the whiteboard. They all started jeering, laughing, screaming, or moaning in disgust, but he kept doing it.

 

Your other ideas - :rofl:

 

You should keep some sort of Hotel Asylum archive for funny things said by the patients.

 

7. Look at either of them and say, "Hey, didn't I see you coming out of the doctor's office the other day? You know, the one that sees people for STDs?"

 

I don't think he'll ever have to worry about STDs.

[St. Jimmy]

I don't think he'll ever have to worry about STDs.

AHAHAHA! Ooh... burned.

[Darth InSidious]

The use of 'like' instead of 'said'.

 

Ditto the use of 'goes'.

 

Not least because it's very catching.

[JediMaster12]

True enough. Like all machines, a modern register is only as accurate as it's programmer. Speaking of dummies like that, though, I heard a story the other day about a guy who tried to pay for his gas w/a C note. The cost was $29. The attendant gave him $35 change. He tried to explain the mistake (almost too honest for his own good I s'ppose). The person at the register redid the charge and got it correct, but with one caveat here. The man was given an additional $79, on top of the original incorrect change of $65. He tried to explain the second mistake (failing to take back the original change before redoing the transaction), but not only did he get nowhere, the cashier's manager compounded it as well. Long story short, man walks away w/$29 of gas and $36 richer than when he went in to pay. Now THAT'S service.

 

PS: while this always sounds like one of those urban legend kind of stories, I've seen cashiers stupid enough to do this or spiteful enough toward their employers to do it as well.

Hey. Sometimes it's an honest mistake though why employers hire people who are perpetually stupid is beyond me. I shouldn't be asking this since my employer seems intent on rehiring people who flake out on us.