"Julia Altshuler" wrote

wff_ng_7 wrote:

I hope she just put the wrong code in. It would be pretty sad if it has
gotten to the point where a cashier couldn't tell the difference.

Perhaps garlic and ginger were next to each other on her alphabetized
list. She could have looked for ginger, read across the line, and seen
the code for garlic instead.

That's what I wondered. This could be a good game ... what would
come on the list between garlic and ginger, alphabetically?

nancy

wff_ng_7 wrote:
"Chatty Cathy" wrote:
Here they usually have it "barcoded". Well, you have to choose as much
as you want, have it weighed by "somebody" and then they put it in a
baggie and stick the sticker on it - before you get to the cashier...
Now I know why.

Boy, that brings back memories. I don't think I've been in a supermarket
that weighed things in the produce department in 25 years. I'd swear
they started weighing things at checkout at the same time they installed
the barcode readers. The first time I ran into those was around 1980-82.

What can I say? Guess we are behind the times? Heh. Until 5 or 6
years ago - they still put the little individual price stickers (that
actually showed the price in monetary terms) on each item on the
shelves. I actually miss that... Nowadays, in 99.5% of stupid-markets,
one has to peer at the barcode tag thingy that they (sometimes) have on
the shelf that that contains the goods, or wait until you get the "slip"
and see what they charged you. I know its supposed to be more cost
effective... but I wonder for whom?
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

"Nancy Young" wrote in
:


"Julia Altshuler" wrote

wff_ng_7 wrote:

I hope she just put the wrong code in. It would be pretty sad if it
has gotten to the point where a cashier couldn't tell the
difference.

Perhaps garlic and ginger were next to each other on her alphabetized
list. She could have looked for ginger, read across the line, and
seen the code for garlic instead.

That's what I wondered. This could be a good game ... what would
come on the list between garlic and ginger, alphabetically?

nancy




Dried Ginko lizards?
Gava melons?

but not grapes or green apples.

Where's a Unabridged Produce Dictionary when you need one?


--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

hahabogus wrote:
"Nancy Young" wrote in
:

what would
come on the list between garlic and ginger, alphabetically?

Dried Ginko lizards?

Er, no. Ginko comes after ginger, as does its proper spelling, ginkgo.

Serene

"Chatty Cathy" wrote:
What can I say? Guess we are behind the times? Heh. Until 5 or 6 years
ago - they still put the little individual price stickers (that actually
showed the price in monetary terms) on each item on the shelves. I actually
miss that... Nowadays, in 99.5% of stupid-markets, one has to peer at the
barcode tag thingy that they (sometimes) have on the shelf that that contains
the goods, or wait until you get the "slip" and see what they charged you. I
know its supposed to be more cost effective... but I wonder for whom?

The problems I keep running into is either the shelf tag is inaccurate or the
shelf tag is nowhere to be found. I wish the supermarkets would put in self
service price scanners like some other retailers use(such as KMART). If I can't
find the price of something, I just won't buy it. I'll be damned if I am going
to buy something if I only find out when I go to pay for it. I might make an
alternate choice, or buy nothing at all if I know the price.

My supermarket has a running display of prices as each is scanned. It has about
the last five item prices displayed. If there are discounts to be applied, they
show up there too. I try to catch things that ring up incorrectly right when
they are scanned, rather than waiting until checkout is completed. It's a lot
easier to get something corrected right there on the spot and not have to go to
the service counter afterwards.

Sometimes the mistake turns out to be huge, like if the casher inputs 30 for the
quantity rather than 3. Not quite food related, but once I had a flooring store
order marble for me, and they accidently specified the number of pieces as the
number of boxes. The delivery truck showed up at their store with about 10 times
what was needed! ;-)

--
wff_ng_7 (at) verizon (dot) net

"Steve Wertz" wrote:
On Mon, 21 May 2007 17:00:04 GMT, wff_ng_7 wrote:

One thing I always wonder about in the supermarket is how accurate are the
scales on items that weigh next to nothing? Once in a while I get a couple of
small hot peppers, and it would seem extremely unlikely things like that are
going to be accurately weighed.

I don't know about other states, but in California, each county
has a Department of Weights and Measures as part of the County
Agriculture Commissioner.

....

I suspect grocery stores check theirs regularly to avoid any
shutdowns. If they were to get all their publicly-accessible
produce scales tagged, they could not sell any produce by the
pound (even at the register scales).

They definitely check them around here too, but the question is at what weight
(or weights) is the test conducted? A lot of measurement devices (scales and
thermometers included) are accurate in some ranges but not others. On a scale at
very low weights, the friction in the device can have a significant impact on
the accuracy. If they are designed to weigh a 10 pound item, can they also weigh
a 1 ounce item accurately?

--
wff_ng_7 (at) verizon (dot) net

You might enjoy this short article on the subject :-)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/art...ighty_matters/

wff_ng_7 wrote:


The problems I keep running into is either the shelf tag is inaccurate
or the shelf tag is nowhere to be found. I wish the supermarkets would
put in self service price scanners like some other retailers use(such as
KMART). If I can't find the price of something, I just won't buy it.
I'll be damned if I am going to buy something if I only find out when I
go to pay for it. I might make an alternate choice, or buy nothing at
all if I know the price.

Only the "bigger" places have those price scanners here too... but I
don't worry too much about food prices - I know roughly what they should
cost and it's one of the few things that I don't really mind paying a
bit extra for.... I will do without something else, if need be.

My supermarket has a running display of prices as each is scanned. It
has about the last five item prices displayed. If there are discounts to
be applied, they show up there too. I try to catch things that ring up
incorrectly right when they are scanned, rather than waiting until
checkout is completed. It's a lot easier to get something corrected
right there on the spot and not have to go to the service counter
afterwards.

They have that here too - except my eyesight is not as good as it should
be - I can't always read whats on the 'display' either I can
usually read the "total" tho' - thats usually big and bold enough, even
for me

Sometimes the mistake turns out to be huge, like if the casher inputs 30
for the quantity rather than 3. Not quite food related, but once I had a
flooring store order marble for me, and they accidently specified the
number of pieces as the number of boxes. The delivery truck showed up at
their store with about 10 times what was needed! ;-)


I hear ya!
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

"wff_ng_7" wrote

They definitely check them around here too, but the question is at what
weight (or weights) is the test conducted? A lot of measurement devices
(scales and thermometers included) are accurate in some ranges but not
others. On a scale at very low weights, the friction in the device can
have a significant impact on the accuracy. If they are designed to weigh a
10 pound item, can they also weigh a 1 ounce item accurately?

I have no idea, but once the cashier wasn't able to get a
reading on a head of garlic so he decided to charge me 10 cents.
That was a few years ago, I imagine they might have better
scales now since it's never happened to me since.

nancy

Nancy Young wrote:

That's what I wondered. This could be a good game ... what would
come on the list between garlic and ginger, alphabetically?


I am unable to resist a good word puzzle. Thus, with dictionary in
hand, I offer:

*garlic chives*
geckos
gefilte fish
gelatin
*geranium flowers*
ghee
gila monster
gigot


(The starred items are the only ones which could, at a stretch,
seriously be found in the produce section. The others are words I liked
or items I'd love to see in the produce section some day.)


--Lia

On May 21, 12:49�pm, "Nancy Young" wrote:
"Sheldon" wrote

"Nancy Young" wrote
I have no idea. I bought a piece of ginger a few minutes
ago, when I looked over the receipt, I saw that the cashier
rang it up as garlic. Next time I'm in the store I'll check to
see if one costs more per lb than the other.
Surely you know that ginger is a lot more expensive than garlic.
I don't think so... the stores I shop they both cost about $2 per
pound.

I just checked the receipt since now I am curious. *Garlic, it
seems, costs $2.49 a pound, and I paid for .17 pounds.


I think you will find that ginger will cost about the same. And in
the amounts you are talking I doubt you could have been cheated more
than a few cents.

Sheldon

On May 21, 1:00�pm, "wff_ng_7" wrote:
"Nancy Young" wrote:
I have no idea. *I bought a piece of ginger a few minutes
ago, when I looked over the receipt, I saw that the cashier
rang it up as garlic. *Next time I'm in the store I'll check to
see if one costs more per lb than the other.

Wonder if she didn't know what it was, or if she just keyed
in the wrong number.

I hope she just put the wrong code in. It would be pretty sad if it has gotten
to the point where a cashier couldn't tell the difference. These are not obscure
or easily confused items, like celery vs. fennel or tomatillo vs. tomato.

Fried green tomatillos, anyone? ;-)

One thing I always wonder about in the supermarket is how accurate are the
scales on items that weigh next to nothing? Once in a while I get a couple of
small hot peppers, and it would seem extremely unlikely things like that are
going to be accurately weighed.

Those electronic scales are highly accurate throughout their range,
and they are checked often by the bureau of weights and measures.

"Nancy Young" wrote:
I have no idea, but once the cashier wasn't able to get a
reading on a head of garlic so he decided to charge me 10 cents.
That was a few years ago, I imagine they might have better
scales now since it's never happened to me since.

Ever wonder if you should be putting the featherweight items in a plastic bag?
Does the bag weigh as much as the items in it? ;-)

--
wff_ng_7 (at) verizon (dot) net

"Sheldon" wrote

On May 21, 12:49?pm, "Nancy Young" wrote:

I just checked the receipt since now I am curious. Garlic, it
seems, costs $2.49 a pound, and I paid for .17 pounds.

I think you will find that ginger will cost about the same. And in
the amounts you are talking I doubt you could have been cheated more
than a few cents.

No worries there, I don't think I was cheated, was just musing
Did I make out on the mixup or lose out. It's definitely not much
either way.

nancy

On Mon, 21 May 2007 12:04:08 -0400, "Nancy Young"
wrote:

I have no idea. I bought a piece of ginger a few minutes
ago, when I looked over the receipt, I saw that the cashier
rang it up as garlic. Next time I'm in the store I'll check to
see if one costs more per lb than the other.

Wonder if she didn't know what it was, or if she just keyed
in the wrong number.

nancy (no, I'm not saying anything to the store one way or another)


oddly enough, the same thing almost happened to me. she first rang it
up as garlic (after looking in the book, as i recall), but then
corrected her mistake.

@$2.99 a pound, a piece a little bigger than the end of my thumb
(0.01 pound), it costed three cents.

(what rankled me was that the only produce bags they had were for
greens, about the length of my arm. i bare-handed it instead.)

your pal,
blake