Sundown

Lately we have been stopping in Sundown on occasion. The place has a decent atmosphere, cold beer at P30, and a generally pleasant clientele. The food is non impressive, but nor is it a rip off.

Last night we stopped for about an hour on our way home from Leyte, Cebu, CDO, and Ozamis. I had 5 beers, Rony had a Sprite, and we shared a bowl of peanuts. When we asked for the bill, we were charged P320. Rony called the waitress back and explained that 5 beers, a Sprite, and a bowl of peanuts came to P200 according to the menu prices. The waitress left.

She returned and gave Rony an additional P100. Doing the math every possible way I could not bring the bill to P220, so up to the counter I went. I handed the cashier the change we were given, and asked the girl how many beers I had, she counted the tickets and came up with 5. Great, how much is a bowl of peanuts? She came up with P30. So far so good. So how much is a Sprite? P30.

So 5 beers at P30 is P150? She worked the calculator for a moment and decided that yes, I was right. I then asked her if adding a P30 bowl of peanuts to the price of P150 would bring the bill to P180. After consulting the calculator she decided that yes, that would be correct. Then the big question. How much does it bring the bill to if one Sprite is added in at P20? P200.

Then how is it we are charged P230?

Flustered, she counted out our change again, and back to the table I went, handing the change to Rony.

Rony starts to laugh, and shows me the change, P400.

BACK to the counter I went. I asked her how much money we had originally given her. P500. How much was our bill? P200. How much change should we get? P300.

Then WHY did you give me P400?

No answer was forthcoming.

I handed her P100 and told her "now we're even!"

What would she ever have done without the calculator?

Larry

 

ran into a simular situation in the states...checking out during a thunder storm..the power went out during the transaction...the girl couldnt do a simple bit of math to give me change....the till usually tells them what to give back..without that feature she was lost...a manager finally had to come and count the change for her...using a calculator...where i live is a college town...this was a college student...i am a bit scared of the system

 

Haha Larry,

yes what would we do without a calculator !!??, or even with one HUH !. We have had similar things happen to us before, it's to much technology i think.

Alan

 

Larry you robbed her of P10..............:D:D:D

 

Well I guess that's better than taking a whole days wages from her!

Larry

 

Shhhhhhhhhush

Don't worry Larry I won't tell anybody
regards.........JB

 

I can't comment on the Sundown waitress's ability other than to day that it's a generational/technological thing. Basic maths are no longer important.

In my job, I worked with Gen Y'ers and they were incapable of simple additions, e.g., 4480 + 5540 + 6640 without using a calculator. That should take less than 5 seconds, and these were young guys/girls with 'good' educations, minimum 12 years schooling, an many with degrees!!

 

... what you mean with simple additions. If somebody here can head-calculate your example in 30 seconds, they get a free master degree in math from Silliman.

In dumaguete you can go to the exact same location drink the same 2 beverages each day and each day the staff will use calculator or cellphone to find out that 2 x 40 still equals the same 80 Peso like the last few month.

 

Well, in this area, one is hard put to find someone who can calculate 4 + 55 without a calculator, and these are the girls/guys with 4 year degrees!

Larry

 

... and nobody should be really surprised to get different results, even they use calculator...