Thursday, 30 October 2008

Feeding the machine

[Sainsburys, 5 items or less]
[A customer proffers her goods and prepares to pay.
The Sainsbury's operative feeds a national lottery form into the national lottery terminal. The national lottery terminal spits it out.
The operative feeds the form back in. The terminal spits it out.
The operative turns it upside down and feeds it in. The terminal spits it out.
The operative turns it upside down again - so that it is now the right way up again - and feeds it in. The terminal spits it out.
The operative sighs and turns it upside down again and feeds it in. The terminal spits it out.
The operative sighs and glares at the world in general. She looks at the form.
Operative [angry tone]: This form's blank.
Customer [bored, resigned]: Yeh?
Operative [emphatic]: This form's blank.
Customer [bored, resigned]: Yes, you said
Operative: This form's blank. Why did you give it to me?
Customer: I didn't give it to you.
Operative: You must have done
Customer: If you say so. Can you take the money for my shopping?
Customer2: Hear, hear. I'd like you to take my money
Operative: I'm busy with this customer. If you didn't give it to me, why have I got it?
Customer: I don't know. Perhaps you made a mistake
Customer2: I made a mistake standing here. Here's the money
Operative: You can't take anything till I've scanned it
Customer2: Can't wait. It's Christmas in two months [He goes. The operative glares at his back]
Customer: He's right. Time is passing. Please take my money.
Operative: So you don't want a lottery ticket?
Customer: No!
Operative: I'm only trying to do my job, madam