Sometimes Spit Happens

We seem to have misplaced one of our cashiers. She has left and no one knows why. It is rather sad as there is gossip going around and I don't think its fair to her. I think it would be better if we all knew and could then deal with it. If it is the reason I am sort of hearing, it reminds me of my first job back in 1968. I was a cashier at the Dominion store at Eglinton Square in Toronto.

We had a girl that was working there one minute and the next minute disappeared. We were told that she was putting 'friends' through her register and ringing in only half the items. She had been doing this for a while and then I guess they caught on, because one evening she did it when a mystery shopper was the next in line.

One Witness = one FIRED cashier.

I, along with the other young girls there, were scared witless. Back when I worked there if you told a prospective employer you had been trained by Dominion you could get a job anywhere dealing with money. To do anything to jeopardize your work record was just not heard of. To be trained by Dominion was quite the feather in your cap. It took about a week of training to get you up to speed. One whole afternoon was on bagging, alone ! ! ! !

You were expected to be on time, courteous to customers, and to know your prices. Everything then had a price tag on it and you punched the register numbers in. It was a mechanical register. You were also expected to study the flyer so you knew what items were on special that week.

I remember that when the register roll ran out there would be a collective groan from the customers because you had to feed the paper through and around a bunch of pulleys and wheels and guide posts. Customer used to know that there would be some kind of wait while the girls got that done. There were a few of us that picked up on it right away, and we'd end up with a lot of the customers.

Anyway, I would like to know what happened to my friend. I miss her and wish her well. I find it hard to believe that I may have misjudged her. She was one of the easier cashiers to work with. Always pleasant to customers, ON TIME, and very helpful.


And a last tidbit. I was leaving to go home the other evening and it was five minutes past the half hour. The person replacing me came along and I commented that there was quite the discrepancy between the time clock and the real world. The clock creeps forward over time and they have to drag it back to normal, real world time. Well, anyway, she asked if she was late and I said I think so, as the shift starts on the half hour. She looked at the time clock as she punched in and told me that it was okay; it was only 25 to the hour. So, if everyone leaving, left five minutes early and the replacements all came in five minutes late, there is a potential 10 minute span over every half hour where the cashiers that are staying are stretched to maximum.

Not really fair to anyone you know. Sometime you're going to want to go home before the end of your shift and there will be no one to cover for you.

Oh yeah, I forgot, some people just don't care.