the stupid, it burns

[anotheranon]

Stopped off after work at Home Despot to pick up some PVC pipe to protect my fencing blades.

Of course a 10' piece won't fit in my car, so I ask a salesperson to cut it into 3 pieces of 1 yard each (to cover 3 blades). Aforementioned salesperson was of a youngish (say, late teens, early 20s) persuasion.

Pulling out the tape measure he asked (I quote): "How long is a yard?"

I had to point out the 36"/3' mark on his tape measure for him.

[headdesk, headesk, or there would have been had there been a desk around]

I hate to ask what's wrong with kids these days but Jaysus Keerist on a pogo stick....

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I tell ya, these kids these days... couldn't tell the difference between Fortran and Threetran if their lives depended on it...

[las.livejournal.com]

That's ... beyond sad.

*boggle*

[shemhazai.livejournal.com]

Must be related to the person at Lowe's who said, "Lye? What's that?"

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Ah ... you've been lucky enough (until now) to miss the phenomenon of people who think that the second the test is writte/diploma is handed, it's okay to forget everything you've learned. :p

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

That's "written", BTW. I promise, I DIDN'T forget how to spell ... my fingers, on the other hand ... (and sometimes I think that's where they are) :p

[margoeve.livejournal.com]

It's not the kids. They just don't emphasize things like Yards anymore.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Emphasize - perhaps not, I'll take your word for it, you're the prof. But how is it possible to reach an age old enough to work retail and NOT know what a yard is?? When you HAVE a tape measure??

[(Anonymous)]

Tape measures are NOT marked in yards.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Perhaps not all of them are, but some are!

But then, most of my measurement tools were designed with home sewing in mind, and that might be a discipline where yards matter more than feet, inches, etc...

[kat1392.livejournal.com]

Kids are so used to getting information handed to them, they don't know how to remember anything any more. They expect everyone else to remember things for them.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I am reminded of the guy at the supermarket fish counter who, when asked for 12 ounces of shrimp, told me they didn't sell it by ounces - only by pounds. I blinked at him in confusion for a moment and then realized that he didn't mean that he couldn't sell less than a pound, he meant he didn't know how much 12 ounces was in pounds. I asked for 3/4 of a pound and he happily measured it out for me.

Shouldn't you know ounces and pounds if you sell food? I guess I should be grateful that he knew 3/4 of a pound was .75 on the digital scale.

[semmie17.livejournal.com]

Maybe you should have asked for a meter?

*runs and hides*

[psquelly.livejournal.com]

Last time I went to Home Despot (I'm using that forever) I asked a man to cut a board for me and after waiting 20 minutes, asked another. Another 20 minutes and much annoyance later I gave up and as I was driving away I saw them both outside smoking.