"Thank you," says the cashier in a tone that lets me know that I am now dismissed. Eye contact is broken. My cashier face time is over. The person behind me has moved into the spotlight.
But I'm not finished. The register is closed. The items I bought are in a bag. But I am standing there with an unwieldy pile of bills, coins and a receipt that's shivering in the air conditioned breeze. I can't just walk away. I have to get the coins into the change section of my wallet, the bills in their correct place and stuff the receipt somewhere in case I need to return something.
There is no time to admire the principles of geometry demonstrated in my hand. The dollars are creased into a magical state of stiffness so they actually hold the much heavier coins. No time because the customer behind me is about to be dismissed and will need my space to go through their own process.
Before computerized cash registers the cashier actually counted the change which meant the coins came first, then the bills. The coins were nestled in your palm and you could easily put away the bills and receipt. Now, since they simply read the change amount from left to right, the dollars come first. Dollars are incapable of nestling.
First I thought the problem was me. After all, we lefties face daily challenges. Then I realized it's not a one-handed process -- left or right-handed. It's a test of manual dexterity, a test I regularly fail.
My solution? Stuff the whole blasted pile into my pocket and sort it out later. Plus if you forget, there's always the joy of "finding" money next time you wear the jacket.
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