Some thoughts on stupid

[HaoZi]

So... as some of you know, I work in fast food. And seriously, I'm not a stupid person. Usually. At least not according to professionally administered IQ tests.
However, after spending years listening to things like:

"I'd like blah blah blah to go" (at the drive thru... no, I couldn't figure out you wanted that to go)

"What's in a combo?" (are you serious? the same as any chain place, use your head man)

"What do you have to drink?" "Coke products." "I'll take a diet Pepsi." (I'll put my head through the wall now, okay?)

"How many is in a two pack?" (yes, I was asked this... no, I have no clue how I kept a straight face)

"Medium or large? The sandwich comes in different sizes?" (please kill me now)

"(Insert any attempt to order a competitor's specific name sandwich here). Why don't you have that?" (because we're not whatever chain, we have our own sandwiches, try ordering one of them)


Just some examples that come to mind. Sometimes I wonder if that stupid rubs off on me because I find myself having more stupid moments as time goes on. Then I wonder if the people who work with difficult children become incompetent by the same type of osmosis (at least those that went into the profession with intelligence and good intentions to begin with).

 

[tiredmommy]

Watch out... I work part time in a pharmacy, lol!

 

[HaoZi]

I bet you have even better stories!
ETA: What gets me is these are the people that treat us (fast food workers) like we're the stupid ones. Burns me, it really does.

 

[TeDo]

Those people are 1) brain dead, 2)scatter-brained, 3)"full" brained and can't compartmentalize, or 4)blonde(just kidding). And yes, I sometimes wonder the same thing. I know my memory is getting worse as I get older but it seems to go even faster with difficult children. Wonder how old I'll be when I get diagnosis'd with Alzheimer's or something similar? LOL

 

[TeDo]

Oops! Forgot the drug users and drunks out there. (no offense intended to those warrior parents of SA difficult children)

 

[keista]

Oh the memories!

Would you like a drink? No, I'll just have a soda. That was my biggest irk while waiting tables.

 

[exhausted]

Oh my heck what a laugh!!! (I hope I don't order like that-probably have.) I don't know-I start sounding like my west side students some times-bad grammar and poor spelling-called my principal "dude" the other day. I'm pretty sure it was in response to his "Yo, what up Ms. D?"

My husband says I have 2 MOs-the teacher bossy bat and the sniveling 6th grader drill. You are what you teach! When that is your daily interchange-how can we avoid the stupid moments?

 

[DaisyFace]

LOL!

I used to work in customer service answering telephones. Two questions used to drive me up a wall:

I just received a letter from your company - can you tell me what it says?

I just received a payment book for my loan - why are there so many payment coupons?

 

[Lothlorien]

Haz....that is just too darn funny! You can't fix stupid!

 

[mstang67chic]

I would comment on the town but since I was born there.....better not. LOL

 

[HaoZi]

'Stang, I promise you, it's like that all over, not just here!

 

[InsaneCdn]

Oh the memories!

Would you like a drink? No, I'll just have a soda. That was my biggest irk while waiting tables.

Except... this one cuts both ways. For some people and/or some restaurants, a "drink" automatically = alcohol... so, the answer might have made sense. (as compared to some of HaoZi's originals...)

 

[InsaneCdn]

Oh, and it's not just these front-line customer service jobs, either.

The stories husband tells... (in a career that crosses about 10 industries...)
And the endless examples from years caught between the geeks and the accountants on IT projects.

Stupid is everywhere.

 

[AnnieO]

We had a list of stupid stuff that came through when I worked for a banking software support center. My favorite, though:

"My computer's on fire! What do I do?" (Call the fire department? What did you do to it in the first place?! This isn't common...)

In shipping:

"I need a quote for a shipment."
"Okay. Please email me the dimensions - length, height and width; approximate weight; and destination."
...Email comes in... "48x40x2, 1200 lbs, California"
One, it's two inches tall? Even a pallet is four. Two, Cali's pretty big... WHERE?! I was a LOT more tactful when I replied... And they got upset and complained to my boss because I didn't try to quote based on the first bit... Boss laughed.

My biggest gripe with many fast food and retail workers (and this is by no means ALL of them, just a lot more than there used to be) is the inability to make simple change in their head. If something's $1.75 and I hand them $2... Pretty easy. Same for $1.99 and $2. When we get into bigger differences, I get it (though I am still able to do it) - but I've been handed $0.14 in pennies. (I could see the drawer, yes, there were dimes and nickels in there too.) Even worse is when they have the change on the screen in front of them and still can't do it. This, to be honest, is mostly younger people (because they have to have CALCULATORS IN 3RD GRADE NOW), but there are some older ones... Ran into one in the hospital cafeteria last week.

 

[HaoZi]

I used to be able to do math in my head. I'm telling you, stupid is contagious.

 

[muttmeister]

Saw a thing on Facebook a few days ago. It was a picture of John Wayne. Supposedly he said, "Life is hard; it's harder when you're stupid." LOL

 

[Star*]

HaoZi -If you are what you eat? my guess would be that after YEARS of eating the processed food with the inert ingredients at the COMPETITION? The effects are FINALLY starting to surface.


My favorite DUH-HUH moment from my last job? (this is priceless) -------and only because the woman was dead serious.

In our store your total price was determined by a rate x the amount of weight of items you had. For example - you bring a buggy full up to the counter, I pull it over the scale, it weighs 10 lbs. the fee is 2.00 a lb - you owe me $20.00 If you didn't like the price - you could take the items out, sort out what you really could live without and come back across the scale with a lighter buggy for a lower price. Simple right?

So one day this woman comes up with her cart loaded to the top and beyond. I drug it across the scale and she topped out at 44 lbs. Okay so 44 lbs x 2.00 a lb is? (CLASS? $88.00) The woman looks at me and says "OH MY GOSH I can't believe it's that much, I can't spend that much!" She stands there completely shocked that she's thrown 44 lbs of junk into her buggy - and then totally serious - looks at me and says "Do you think if I re-arrange it differently it will weigh less?" I was at such a loss for words at her logic I said "Well sure you can always try it." So she spent (I kid you not) twenty minutes rearranging - (NOT REDUCING) but rearranging that buggy, and came back across the scales - and mind you had removed NOTHING.....and I kept a poker straight face as I said "Hmmm 44 lbs, is $88.00" and she said "HA GOOD I'll take it."


The number of things that ran thought MY mind at that point were absurd. And while I try my best never to call anyone stupid, because we all have varying degrees of intelligence.....I just thought to myself - HOW in the world do you get SO stressed out in your life that you rationalize rearranging items to make them weigh less and they weigh the same and you're HAPPY about it? WOW.

I can say I felt pretty smart the rest of the day.

 

[Lothlorien]

Star----OMG that should have been a spit/monitor alert! Hahahahah

 

[AnnieO]

I work with the 44-lb-rearrangers, Starbie...

 

[DDD]

In defense of the fast food stupids I go thru lines maybe three times a year and never ever with advance planning. I'm driving along the highway and decide "I don't want to cook so I'll pick something up". Impulse. So the next thing I'm in a line and I swear I often don't know what the name of the chain is to say nothing of the menu.
Uusally the line moves quickly and I pass the menu getting a glimpse of a burger or a shake and next thing I am at the order mike. "uh, duh, er..what kind of salads do you have? what dressing choice is available? Do you have plain ice tea?" ALL those answers would have been answered IF I had stopped and looked at the menu, lol. I also would likely have figured out whether it was ARby's, McD, BK or whatever. Mea Culpa. LOL, sometimes I embarrass myself!

on the other hand, as many of you know I sell heavy duty truck parts. We have a grungy store with the "showroom" usually stacked with 110# brake drums, big old brake shoes, bolts, nuts wrenches...and...we're not on the main highway.
At least once a month some potential customers walks in the door and say "Is this Dr. X's office?" or "Is this the Cuban restaurant?" WTH! Sometimes I want to break out laughing. Open your eyes people! But, then again, I've tried ordering a Whopper at Arby's. DDD