Author Topic: Rant - math literacy  (Read 661 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline ?Impact

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2941
Rant - math literacy
« on: April 25, 2019, 06:54:32 pm »
Our education system is failing bad. In the past few years I have ignored most of the cashiers dumb mistakes, but I do have to rant on this one. I was in Canadian Tire today, and the total came to $212.68. I checked through my change, and coincidentally I had a twonie, two quarters, a dime, and two nickles. I handed this along with five fifties to the cashier. I always pay in cash at CT because of that great CT money you get back. I remember the day when it was 6%, I also remember complaining in the 1980's when they cut it to 3%, today I got back 75¢ (but that is a different rant).

Anyway, she looks at the change and says I don't need it because I already had enough. I point out that it make $250.70, and I would get back two twenties. Confused, she pushes the buttons and puts the money in the drawer. She gives me a $30 gift card (some promotion they are currently running, expires in a week or so). She closes the drawer without giving me the change. I point out she owes me $40, and she still looks confused. She looks around for help. Finally she looks at the bill and sees that yes indeed the computer got it right, and gives me the $40 along with CT money she also forgot.

To be fair, I have even had some older cashiers get confused, but this young lady takes the cake.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Like Like x 1 Agree Agree x 1 Sad Sad x 1 Bad Spelling Bad Spelling x 1 View List

Offline wilber

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9120
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2019, 07:08:47 pm »
Our education system is failing bad. In the past few years I have ignored most of the cashiers dumb mistakes, but I do have to rant on this one. I was in Canadian Tire today, and the total came to $212.68. I checked through my change, and coincidentally I had a twonie, two quarters, a dime, and two nickles. I handed this along with five fifties to the cashier. I always pay in cash at CT because of that great CT money you get back. I remember the day when it was 6%, I also remember complaining in the 1980's when they cut it to 3%, today I got back 75¢ (but that is a different rant).

Anyway, she looks at the change and says I don't need it because I already had enough. I point out that it make $250.70, and I would get back two twenties. Confused, she pushes the buttons and puts the money in the drawer. She gives me a $30 gift card (some promotion they are currently running, expires in a week or so). She closes the drawer without giving me the change. I point out she owes me $40, and she still looks confused. She looks around for help. Finally she looks at the bill and sees that yes indeed the computer got it right, and gives me the $40 along with CT money she also forgot.

To be fair, I have even had some older cashiers get confused, but this young lady takes the cake.

Know what you mean but it's been a generation or two since people had to make change without a machine to tell them how much. The ability will die with us geezers. I find I am relying on machines a bit to much and doing simple mental math is more of a chore than it used to be. Like any other exercise I guess.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline TimG

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2616
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2019, 07:20:09 pm »
Every generation loses know-how that the prior generation has but gains know-how in other areas. It is neither good nor bad. Just a fact of life.

My mother struggles to send an email but can still do math in her head.
The workings of slide rule are mysterious to me but my dad used one to complete university.
My kids can enter text at amazing speed into a cellphone but would be lost in a world without google.






Offline wilber

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9120
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2019, 09:56:25 pm »
Every generation loses know-how that the prior generation has but gains know-how in other areas. It is neither good nor bad. Just a fact of life.

My mother struggles to send an email but can still do math in her head.
The workings of slide rule are mysterious to me but my dad used one to complete university.
My kids can enter text at amazing speed into a cellphone but would be lost in a world without google.

True but it's a **** if your phone goes dead.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Omni

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 8563
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2019, 10:32:42 pm »
So far I have personally seen two young people staring into their stupid phones while they walked into a telephone pole. It's not only math skills they are losing it is human communication skills since they seem to prefer to tap a keyboard then actually interact on a face to base basis with their peers. Tech. has cerainly helped in many ways, but it has taken us backwards in others.
Agree Agree x 1 View List

Online Michael Hardner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12472
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2019, 08:29:05 am »
What is needed to survive, and to help the collective always changes, and has changed radically.   

We don't need to fix our own clothing anymore.  We don't need to do math or use cursive either.  We need to be able to think on our feet, co-operate and accept change.

Offline cybercoma

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2956
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2019, 09:01:44 am »
These people vote and we wonder how we end up with people like Jason Kenney and Doug Ford as political leaders.

Offline TimG

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2616
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2019, 09:17:16 am »
These people vote and we wonder how we end up with people like Jason Kenney and Doug Ford as political leaders.
People who can't do math are much more likely to vote for Greens or NDP.
Funny Funny x 1 Dumb Dumb x 2 View List

Offline Omni

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 8563
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2019, 11:14:44 am »
People who can't do math are much more likely to vote for Greens or NDP.

I think people who understand environmental science can in all likelihood do math as well.
Agree Agree x 1 View List

Online Michael Hardner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12472
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2019, 01:12:38 pm »
People who can't do math are much more likely to vote for Greens or NDP.

I am better at math than you.

Offline TimG

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2616
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2019, 01:17:23 pm »
I am better at math than you.
I doubt that.

Online Michael Hardner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12472
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #11 on: April 29, 2019, 01:18:58 pm »
I doubt that.

Why would you doubt it?

Offline waldo

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 8715
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2019, 01:20:04 pm »
People who can't do math are much more likely to vote for Greens or NDP.

can you do the math to support your statement? Canadian demographics, if you please...

Online Michael Hardner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12472
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #13 on: April 29, 2019, 01:23:45 pm »
I have my supporting math ready in advance.

Offline Omni

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 8563
Re: Rant - math literacy
« Reply #14 on: April 29, 2019, 01:23:49 pm »
People who can't do math are much more likely to vote for Greens or NDP.

It has certainly been shown in the US that the people who may not be so good at math since they barely got through high school if they did, tend to vote for right wing, climate change denier idiots such as , oh, what's his name...oh yeah, Donald Trump.