Do they not teach basic math anymore.

[AFJuvat]

Stopping by McDonalds this morning for some breakfast, I order my combo with a large coffee. The total, with tax, comes to $4.55.

(I can remember the commercials "feed a family of four for $5" but I digress..)

I pay with a $50.

Cashier (about age 18) mis-types the amount tendered in the cash register. the computer shows that my owed change is $0.45.

Looking at my $50, she knows the computer is wrong, realizes her mistake. She then promptly calls over the manager to do the math for her. She didn't even TRY to do it in her head..

Manager looks over and says "You need to give him $43.45"

I corrected them both, and got my correct change



Doomed... we are all doomed....

[Rick Lee]

I swear we should be teaching folks how to use an abacus.

[turbo6bar]

If you can't read or do math, it is a sign you are ready to proceed to the next grade. Get with the program, man!

[Rikao4]

Your so right,
if you can't make correct change..
you need to be paid in monopoly geld.
Rika

[Rick Lee]

Here's a scary story. In college, some friends and I were at some other friends' place and there was a big bag of reefer on the coffee table.

One girl inquires: "Wow! How much is in there?"

Guy replies, "An ounce."

Girl: "How many eighths is that?"

Entire rooom in unison: "EIGHT."

Girl: "Well geeze, I don't know anything about metrics."

I am not kidding. This conversation really took place between folks who had made it into college.

[masraum]

Originally posted by AFJuvat
Stopping by McDonalds this morning for some breakfast, I order my combo with a large coffee. The total, with tax, comes to $4.55.

(I can remember the commercials "feed a family of four for $5" but I digress..)

I pay with a $50.

Cashier (about age 18) mis-types the amount tendered in the cash register. the computer shows that my owed change is $0.45.

Looking at my $50, she knows the computer is wrong, realizes her mistake. She then promptly calls over the manager to do the math for her. She didn't even TRY to do it in her head..

Manager looks over and says "You need to give him $43.45"

I corrected them both, and got my correct change



Doomed... we are all doomed....

No great surprise, public schooling is crap, even the really good public schools can be gotten through without really getting it. My kids went to a school that's known for being one of the best in the area, they regularly win the academic decathalons, lots of scholarships, etc... Plenty of the kids managed to slip through. Hell, in school they were required to use a calculator in math.

Of course, that's why they were working at McD's. If they were too educated they wouldn't be working there, and we need someone to fill that role.

[masraum]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
I swear we should be teaching folks how to use an abacus.

I've taught myself. If you have kids you should definitely take the time. I think it would be really, REALLY useful as kids are learning math. It would be especially useful for kids who have a problem with math.

[masraum]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Here's a scary story. In college, some friends and I were at some other friends' place and there was a big bag of reefer on the coffee table.

One girl inquires: "Wow! How much is in there?"

Guy replies, "An ounce."

Girl: "How many eighths is that?"

Entire rooom in unison: "EIGHT."

Girl: "Well geeze, I don't know anything about metrics."

I am not kidding. This conversation really took place between folks who had made it into college.

It's amazing how easy it is to slip through our education system unaffected, isn't it?

I went to school straight of out HS about 15 years ago and started back again last year. There are plenty of idiots running around college. It's amazing.

Like I said before, we need those people, otherwise everyone would be doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc... and no one would be around to work the other jobs.

[wcc]

That's why they work at McDonald's! What I don't like, is they just raised the minimum wage to $6.9something. Over paid and under educated/trained.

What's even funnier is look at the cash register some time. Notice that it is pictures instead of numbers. So when you order a cheese burger they press the cheese burger picture. Then there are buttons for combos etc. McD's should make them use the numbers on a daily basis then they would understand it better.

[Rick Lee]

I went to a snooty prep school, where you flat out did not get out of there without knowing how to read and write and do math. Any D student there was probably better equipped than most A/B students from today's public schools. In my AB Calculus class once, a kid asked the teacher, "Mr. G, when am I ever going to use the second derivative in real life?" Teacher replied, "I used it last night while on line at the grocery store." We all laughed, but the sick thing is, he was the kind of guy who could set up such equations in his head that fast. My dad is one of those guys too. Not many of them left out there.

[masraum]

Originally posted by wcc
That's why they work at McDonald's! What I don't like, is they just raised the minimum wage to $6.9something. Over paid and under educated/trained.

I see your point, but the problem is that there are people that are trying to live on that wage. There are "adults" who have graduated HS and gotten married at 18 or 19 and work at retail jobs and are trying to live, rent an apt, eat, drive a car, have car ins. Have you ever tried to do that on $7/hr? I think that's about $16-17k a year.

[Rick Lee]

Life is hard on stupid people. Anyone who gets married and has kids while flipping burgers is an idiot and deserves to stay poor.

[GDSOB]

Originally posted by masraum
I see your point, but the problem is that there are people that are trying to live on that wage. There are "adults" who have graduated HS and gotten married at 18 or 19 and work at retail jobs and are trying to live, rent an apt, eat, drive a car, have car ins. Have you ever tried to do that on $7/hr? I think that's about $16-17k a year.

...and buy beer, cigs, lotto tix, crack, tattoos, body piercings, etc...

[wludavid]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Any D student there was probably better equipped than most A/B students from today's public schools.

As an A/B student from a public school, I resent that! Oops, my break's over. I gotta get back to the cash register.

Seriously though, one of my little pleasures in life is to hand a cashier something like $5.07 when the total came to $4.82. They usually look befuddled, then they type it in and see that the change is a quarter, they get this "DUUUUUDE" look on their face.

[wcc]

Originally posted by masraum
I see your point, but the problem is that there are people that are trying to live on that wage. There are "adults" who have graduated HS and gotten married at 18 or 19 and work at retail jobs and are trying to live, rent an apt, eat, drive a car, have car ins. Have you ever tried to do that on $7/hr? I think that's about $16-17k a year.

Yes, I have. When I graduated HS I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do. My parents weren't going to pay for college so I moved out and got a job (front desk clerk at a motel $7.50/hr) and signed up for classes at a Community College. It SUCKED! So I quit school to save money for school and it didn't work like I planned. So I joined the military for 4yrs for the GI bill. Got out and used the GI bill for school. Graduated from MSU with a BS in Civil Engineering in three years while I worked about 25-30hrs a week. Then I got married had kids, etc... That's my story in a nutshell.

Back on Topic: I guess I'm more upset at the hike in min wage because our economy here in MI is still struggling so they raise min wage? We are WAY too dependent on the auto industry and as you've all heard that US car manufactures aren't doing the greatest. Anyways, all that is for another thread. But I guess, in my mind, these jobs are for kids in HS or even college. These types of jobs are NOT careers even though people try to make them that way.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by wcc
Snipped...

Back on Topic: I guess I'm more upset at the hike in min wage because our economy here in MI is still struggling so they raise min wage? ...Snipped

How else are you going to get white people to work?

[id10t]

"... and so after playing football for 5 years, they let me graduate..."

[vash]

what if it goes in your favor? do you say anything? like if you hand him a $50, he gives you back $54.55?

[widebody911]

Originally posted by AFJuvat
I pay with a $50.

I don't know of any retail or fast food joint that would take a $50...

[livi]

Dare I suggest its a regional American phenomenon...?