The Life of the Nickness

So I’m at work the other day, and this kid comes up to the counter and wants to pay for 2 $5 items. Heres how the conversation went:

Me: Your total is $10.60
Kid:(blank confused stare)
Me: Is everything ok?
Kid: I only have $10.
Me: I’m sorry.
Kid:(another blank stare)
Me: Which one did you want to put back?
Kid: (another blank stare) I only have $10
(At this point I’m trying to figure out if the kid is retarded, or hoping i’ll let him slide on the sixty cents. He;s old enough to know about tax, but just doesn’t seem to care)
Random guy 4 people behind the kid: Here, I’ve got an extra dollar you can use.
(the kid give me the extra dollar and I ring it up and give him the change. The kid prompty grabs his bag and leaves, not even stopping to offer the random guy his change)

This may be very mean of me to say, but I abhor both parties in this situation. One, the kid needs to learn if they’re going to buy something, they need to consider the fact that the government taxes things, and buy appropriately. Two, people who think they’re being ‘nice’ by offering kids the extra money to cover tax are NOT being nice. They’re teaching kids early on that if they don’t have enough money for stuff, people will just give it to them. No working hard, no learning the value of money. Nope. Just stand in line and make people wait long enough, and since you’re just a kid, someone will eventually get tired of waiting and front any amount of money you need.

You may think I’m being melo-dramatic, but this is just the most recent example of this I’ve seen. In the past I’ve seen people give kids as much as $18!! What the crap? People will give $18 to some stupid little kid but cuss out and hang up on the the fire/police/charity organization when they call asking for some help?

Whats become of this world?!?!?!