Part 4 Of The Heat-Fueled Kentucky-Derby-Contending Trotter Mrs. HM

After leaving the Gas Station Chicken store without purchasing anything, in a fit of claustrophobia, after being line-jumped, I headed for Orb K. They sell scratchers too, you know! I got my favorite parking space next to the handicap walkway (it's not a handicap space, which is on the other side of the walkway).

I had just hobbled up the concrete ramp, and taken about three steps down the sidewalk toward the door, when all Not-Heaven broke loose. Two screaming little demons kids ran up behind me, squealing and elbowing each other to get ahead. They were around 5-6 years old. The older little girl was arm-checking the little boy. I had turned to see what was going on, lest I be crashed into and felled like a giant redwood. Sure, those kids would bounce off my ample rumpus, but their momentum would upset my equilibrium.

The sidewalk is narrow just in front of the door. There's usually stuff piled there for sale, like chunks of firewood, or a display of windshield washer fluid jugs. And there's a support pole for the little roof. Heh, heh! Those kids funneled themselves right into the impassible pole/display area. I was on the edge of the sidewalk, hoping not to be knocked off the curb. The kids' dad yelled at them to settle down and listen. Good luck with that...

Inside, I discovered that I was 9th in line! What kind of people get out on a Sunday afternoon to stand in line in a convenience store??? At least they have a corral area to funnel the customers. You have to wind through candy shelves to await your turn at the next open register. They have three registers, but only the middle and right side were manned, with woman clerks.

My turn was with the middle clerk, a young gal I'd seen there once or twice. She was polite, and scanned my two winners that totaled $23. I asked for my tickets by the numbers assigned to them on the scratcher display board. I got two $5 tickets, two $3 tickets, one $2 ticket, and two Cash4Life with Easy Match, which are $3 each. That's $24 total. I had the extra one-dollar bill in my hand to pay.

Young Gal scanned my tickets.

"I owe you $6."

"No. I owe YOU $1."

Young Gal looked confused. She spread out the tickets. I repeated what I'd asked for, explaining the dollar amounts.

"Oh. It's the Cash4Life. I didn't do the Easy Match."

"Well, I want the Easy Match." (I'm done accepting what clerks want to give me after they make a mistake!)

Young Gal set those tickets aside, and printed me two with the Easy Match option.

"Okay. Now I owe you $4."

"NO. I owe YOU $1. Look. I got two $5s, two $3s, one $2, and $6 on the Easy Match. That adds up to $24. I cashed in $23 in winners. So I owe you $1."

Young Gal looked at the tickets I had sorted out on the counter. Confusedly. She checked the register receipt. 

"OH! One of the $5s didn't scan."

"See? I saved you money!"

"I'm not used to working up here."

Seriously. Just say 'Thanks' and accept it. Don't make excuses! Young Gal was perfectly polite, but I suppose I wanted some VALidation for being honest and not ripping her off for $5 that she'd come up short on HEAVILY REGULATED LOTTERY.

 

I related the incident to The Pony and Farmer H.

 

"Dad, you wouldn't have told her she charged you too little."

 

"Maybe not. After I tell them once, I figure it's THEIR problem."

 

"That's how you get your bargains at Lowe's!"

 

"They should know how to do their job."

 

Farmer H has a point. But I'll still try to explain it, as long as they're trying, and not rude about it.