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From: joe@smu.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.college
Subject: Re: Does someone REALLY belive this?
Message-ID: <21800001@smu.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Nov-84 10:47:00 EST
Article-I.D.: smu.21800001
Posted: Fri Nov  9 10:47:00 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 14-Nov-84 05:27:19 EST
References: <1668@ucf-cs.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:ucf-cs:-166800:smu:21800001:000:1609
Nf-From: smu!joe    Nov  9 09:47:00 1984


About adults now having trouble doing arithmetic:  A week ago, I was
at the grocery store.  A women ahead of me was buying a three-pak
of some item, on sale for $1.39.  The checkout girl decided to
scan one item three times, but a single item was $0.60.  When the
customer complained, the girl said ``It comes out the same,
doesn't it?'' to which the customer replied ``No, 60 * 3 is 240,
that's a big difference!''

katie asks why should people know how to tie shoes if they don't have
laces.  I think there are many things which require knot tying than
shoes.  Sure, some of them are specific to things which many people
may not care about, such as boating.  However, there are simple
household things which need knots.  For example, I just bought a new
cover for my ironing board.  It required me to tie a simple knot.
This is a silly example, but I think it is valid.

A friend had this experience at an ice cream parlor.  He bought two
scoops of ice cream.  One scoop may cost $1, say, while two scoops
costs $1.80.  The clerk (jerk?) rang up a purchase for 2 one scoops,
or $2.  He just pushed the one scoop button on the register twice.  My
friend pointed at the menu, and insisted that we was overcharged.  The
clerk couldn't figure out what to do.  (I am sure he must of had a two
scoop button.  I wonder why he couldn't find it).  Finally, he just
gave my friend the 20 cent difference.  It seems that if he was using
a different method of figuring the charge, he would have fared better.
(Or maybe not.  Granted, the guy was *real* stupid!)

Joe Ramey
Southern Methodist University
convex!smu!joe