It's a Sign of the Times

[Colin1230]

Not a complaint, just an observation.

Pam got a virus on her android phone that Verizon referred us to The Geek Squad. So off to Best Buy we go and while Pam was waiting in line decided to look around. I have been wanting a nice dress watch, my Samsung Frontier is getting pretty shabby. A nice young gal asked if she could help and I asked if they had wrist watches?
She started searching on her phone..............She did not know what a wrist watch was.

 

[Fueling Around]

Good luck on the virus.
We went to Wally world today and my wife wanted a new road atlas. She asked a 20 something associate and she asked "what is an atlas?". She searched on her phone and couldn't find it in the locator.
My wife found it near the checkouts. Talked to our contemporary aged person at the exit and she knew where they are located.

 

[JLinza]

Thats crazy

 

[Brokenhandle]

I'd love to make them dial long distance on a rotary dial phone... and make a mistake! Takes a long time for those higher numbers to go around!

 

[Steve H]

Not long ago. I bought a couple of things at Walmart. That totaled 15.50. I gave her a 20.00 bill. And 50 cents. She had no idea what to do. She said I gave her too much money. I explained to her that I wanted 5.00 back. She had to get her manager for help. HE didn't understand either. Gave up. And paid with my debit card.

 

[Colin1230]

And on the flip side guys, in all fairness, I'm sure there are so many things in their normal world that I don't have a clue about.

 

[normanaj]

Not long ago. I bought a couple of things at Walmart. That totaled 15.50. I gave her a 20.00 bill. And 50 cents. She had no idea what to do. She said I gave her too much money. I explained to her that I wanted 5.00 back. She had to get her manager for help. HE didn't understand either. Gave up. And paid with my debit card.

This is everywhere these days. And what makes it even more crazy is the register will tell them exactly how much change to give back. Knowing how to use and having access to a basic calculator should be mandatory because these youngsters sure as hell aren't learning basic math anymore.

I pay with cash on occasion (try to pay is better terminology!) and the response is "just use you card" when a math problem arises.

 

[Winterrider]

Not long ago. I bought a couple of things at Walmart. That totaled 15.50. I gave her a 20.00 bill. And 50 cents. She had no idea what to do. She said I gave her too much money. I explained to her that I wanted 5.00 back. She had to get her manager for help. HE didn't understand either. Gave up. And paid with my debit card.

That is absolutely ridiculous. Common sense doesn't show itself much anymore these days. Not sure what math they are teaching these days.
Back in school they had either Algebra or Consumers Math. The consumer's had real life situations where there was worksheets to figure out your living costs. Wages made ,then minus your monthly bills (rent, food, utilites, etc) and then what to put in savings and out of pocket spending. It's math that just made sense, and easily understandable.

 

[clifish]

I was never good at Algebra, geometry etc, but I had a 103 average in business math....just always made sense to my brain.

 

[Jim_C]

Credit and debit cards are making us all a lot dumber. And they tack the 3% service charge onto the bill. I'm paying an extra 3% to spend my own money.

I've been moving back to cash. I put down a $100 bill on a $60 lunch last week. It took them 10 minutes to bring back the change. They must have been hunting all over the restaurant for cash.

 

[sandyut]

I believe it, add to that young people have zero real world knowledge. I was looking for a baseboard heater at Lowes...the gal says "what is that" looks at her phone and sends me to the space heater section..

When I was a kid, my dad taught how to fix and make things, use tools, how to survive, camp fish etc. Now they have to dumb down testing because their scores are so low.

Old school car manuals showed you how to fix and adjust the motors, New ones say dont drink the battery acid. That sums it up.

 

[chopsaw]

And on the flip side guys, in all fairness, I'm sure there are so many things in their normal world that I don't have a clue about.

Exactly . Don't count them out becuase the world has moved on fron " Us " . If you have no expertience because stuff is no longer used , how would they know ? A wrist watch ,,, should probably know what that is .

 

[Brokenhandle]

Could use one or two of them when my smart phone starts acting dumb!

 

[Flatrate]

In 2007 I ran a CNC machine, economy was going south the company I worked for shut down. Only lived in my small town for about a year at that point, fresh transplant from Detroit. Everything was shutting down or laying off. I took a job at Meijer running the gas station on 3rd shift, figured I'd do it 3-6 months to fill in the gap till something came up. I did that for almost 20 years, let me tell you nothing surprises me or shocks after that. I got stories I would not believe if I hadn't saw it.

I had a coworker some years ago, she was late 20's at the time, she could not tell time by a normal clock, she also didn't know how to tie shoe laces.

Had two young guys come up to the service window on night.
Them- You got hot chocolate here?
Me- Sure.
Them- We want 2.
Me- Ok, what size 16,20, or 24?
They kinda speak privately for a sec and look at me real serious
One of them says, Whats the biggest?

Would have people take the out of order sign off a pump, try to use it then come in and complain the pump isn't working.

Thats just a couple quick ones.

Dave

 

[chopsaw]

I did that for almost 20 years, let me tell you nothing surprises me or shocks after that. I got stories I would not believe if I hadn't saw it.

Did a 10 years at Texaco pumping gas and working on cars .
One day a guy walks up to the pump with a gas can .
" Give me 2 dollars " All full service back then .
Filled up his can and off he went .
10 minutes later a car drive up to the island .
Guy gets out ,, it's the guy with the can .
" Give me $4.00 ,, 2 in the car , and 2 in the can incase I run out again "
True story .

 

[Flatrate]

About 2011 or so had a guy come want 2 Monsters, $4.20 for the two. Hands me a folded up bill and says put the rest on pump 6, it was a $5. And it was a Ford Excursion. Yep.

 

[Flatrate]

Did a 10 years at Texaco pumping gas and working on cars .

Ever see the squeegee car wash on a brand new car. I've been auto detailing for over 30 years, always loved those.