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3 Dollars, 19 cents
12.02.2002 - 8:37 p.m. The current state of our award winning educational system here in the great Commonwealth of Virginia has become all too painfully apparent to me. I am thrilled beyond belief to know that my children are being taught in such an exemplary system that produces the likes of the following stellar student I encountered this festive holiday week. Making a short but necessary pit stop at the iconic South Hill Ray Kroc establishment to grab the one and only item, amalgamated poultry pieces and parts, that the kids will even consider consuming I chanced upon said student. I may not be fully cognizant of current employment law, but I am fairly certain that child labor guidelines prohibit the employment of 6 year olds and that one must be of at least 15 years of age to work. I wonder if the elected officials were intending to interpret this as chronological age? The torturous and frustrating experience of ordering was enough to make me spit. Screaming into a broken plastic board outlining the myriad ways one can slowly and painfully end the suffering through conspicuous consumption of artery clogging calories and fat is not my idea of fun. After numerous repeats of which I was sure would be a simple request, I was told my total was $3.19. Simple enough. I pulled through and waited for an eternity to deliver my remittance which consisted of the following: 1 - $5 bill 3 � nickels 4 - pennies I fully expected, as would any other rational person, to be handed back two (2) one dollar bills, or even on the off chance they had it, a $2 bill. Not rocket science here. Instead, what I received was a quizzical look from behind the little glass doors. Our exchange: �You get $1.25 back, right? Our register is broken.� �You�ve GOT to be kidding me!?� �No. Our register is broken. It tells us the change to make. It�s $1.25, right?� Silence. �OK. Here�s your change. Have a great day!� Out from the window came a fresh $1 bill and a state quarter from North Carolina. Still baffled I drove off, not knowing what exactly to do � to laugh for surely this was a staged event befitting candid camera, to cry because I have no backbone to reclaim my 75 cents, to sob because I have my children in schools that produce the likes of THIS?! What, in the name of education, would this person have done had my bill been $16.46 and I handed him a $20, a $1, two (2) quarters and a penny? Heaven and health forbid I should order anything in any combination that would come to $16.46, but the point remains? I chose to drive the remainder of the trip, some 5 hours, in sheer amazement. It was NOT a good thing.
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