black Friday mathematically challenged young lady

J

Joe1

Joined
Mar 14, 2003
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892
Location
USA
I had the misfortune of being forced to endure a bit of Black Friday madness at an outlet store of a well known purse brand.

The ostensible "MSRP" prices seemed egregiously inflated and l could not imagine that anyone ever paid anywhere near those prices.

The "promotion" of the day was 70% off the inflated MSRP tag plus "an additional 20% off" on select items. I overheard a young woman who was proudly sporting a sweatshirt of a prestigious University crow to her mother "mom, this 300 dollar purse will only cost 30 dollars after the 70% and 20% discounts". I quickly calculated a $72 cost in my head and informed her that her math was wrong and both her and mom looked condescendingly at me. A few minutes later l heard both the young lady and mom arguing with the cashier and supervisor about the price. They fully expected to pay $30 and didn't understand the math behind the deceptive pricing.

I realize that most Americans are not strong in math, but l expected more from a college student at a respected University.
 
You can buy a Harvard sweatshirt at the "COOP" in Cambridge.

Don't have to be a student.

Only takes money.

You would be surprised how many people on my airplanes wear Harvard logo clothing, and don't respond to my "Go Crimson!" salutation* as they deplane. I put it at over 95%.

I doubt your arithmetically challenged acquaintance actually went to whatever prestigious school was embalazoned on her sweatshirt...


Harvard's football team (and, in fact, all of their athletic teams) is known as the Crimson. As is the school paper. A student would know that instantly.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Astro14
I doubt your arithmetically challenged acquaintance actually went to whatever prestigious school was embalazoned on her sweatshirt...

lol.gif
Or indeed, any university at all.

Was it a case of millennial entitlement?
smirk2.gif
"I interpret this as 90% off, I WANT MY 90% OFF"
 
Originally Posted by JLTD
Originally Posted by Astro14
I doubt your arithmetically challenged acquaintance actually went to whatever prestigious school was embalazoned on her sweatshirt...

lol.gif
Or indeed, any university at all.

Was it a case of millennial entitlement?
smirk2.gif
"I interpret this as 90% off, I WANT MY 90% OFF"

I'd say it's a case of: 'Everyone gets a participation trophy'. No demonstration of competence required.
 
Originally Posted by Joe1

I realize that most Americans are not strong in math, but l expected more from a college student at a respected University.


Wow................... I really don't give today's students that much credit
 
Schools don't teach much everyday math and critical thinking skills. If they did few people would run up a mountain of student loan debt to get a job making $45K.
 
Originally Posted by hatt
Schools don't teach much everyday math and critical thinking skills. If they did few people would run up a mountain of student loan debt to get a job making $45K.

Poor math skills is one cause of this, but a bigger one, I think, is a poor-to-nonexistent understanding of money. I cannot tell you how many of my community-college Math students had mastered basic algebra but could not figure out sales tax, %discount, and other simple computations.

I fear that this will get worse the farther we get from carrying and spending cash. Who needs to understand all this if you can get what you want with a card swipe or a wave of a phone?
 
You mind as well add in the cashiers who can't figure out the right change if the register doesn't do it for them. Half the time I tell them I have change after they punch in the amount and they have trouble figuring out what I'm trying to do. Sometimes I have to give them back the extra money they give me.
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
You mind as well add in the cashiers who can't figure out the right change if the register doesn't do it for them. Half the time I tell them I have change after they punch in the amount and they have trouble figuring out what I'm trying to do. Sometimes I have to give them back the extra money they give me.

This happens to me quite a bit.o.girl had to ask if it was OK to do that. That's after I told her how much money to gjve me back.
 
Saw that over the weekend as well...

Seems Americans in general are getting dumber....my friends in other parts of the worlds laughter at us now....
 
Originally Posted by tomcat27
so why is Calculus required in High School when clearly we need more emphasis on basic math?

We're just trying to get them into the higher education industry. They can figure out that life stuff while they pay on their student loans.
 
Probably not the most polite thing to do by informing them their math is wrong. I mean who cares, people will always be idiots, why bother? They won't react kindly to that kind of criticism anyway.
 
Originally Posted by jeepman3071
Probably not the most polite thing to do by informing them their math is wrong. I mean who cares, people will always be idiots, why bother? They won't react kindly to that kind of criticism anyway.


He was just trying to be helpful, to save them some effort trying to buy the item if they expected to pay $30. Maybe he feels there is a lesson learned, and will take your advice next time. But I honestly wish he doesn't, as rude or ignorant people isn't a good reason not to try to help others. Water off a duck's back, and all that.

Grammar and spelling are also skills in decline.
 
The schools do not teach what is right and what is wrong. As long as you put in the effort your self esteem is safe and that is the more important factor nowadays.

It's funny to watch college graduates go for the calculator when their asked what is 18% of 100. Believe me, I've seen it.
 
I can't math to save my skin. Barely passed pre-algebra after a lot of work. Some of us just can't do it. Glad cell phones proved my teachers very wrong. "You wont have a calculator with you all the time" I actually carry two now.
 
Originally Posted by Joe1
I had the misfortune of being forced to endure a bit of Black Friday madness at an outlet store of a well known purse brand.

The ostensible "MSRP" prices seemed egregiously inflated and l could not imagine that anyone ever paid anywhere near those prices.

The "promotion" of the day was 70% off the inflated MSRP tag plus "an additional 20% off" on select items. I overheard a young woman who was proudly sporting a sweatshirt of a prestigious University crow to her mother "mom, this 300 dollar purse will only cost 30 dollars after the 70% and 20% discounts". I quickly calculated a $72 cost in my head and informed her that her math was wrong and both her and mom looked condescendingly at me. A few minutes later l heard both the young lady and mom arguing with the cashier and supervisor about the price. They fully expected to pay $30 and didn't understand the math behind the deceptive pricing.

I realize that most Americans are not strong in math, but l expected more from a college student at a respected University.



HAHA

I was actually at a Coach store here on Black Friday as well. My wife didnt find any in 20% off clearance section, so I only got 70% off, instead of the 20 and the 70.

First time Id ever been in one of those stores. I knew they were terribly overpriced products, but I wasnt aware it was that bad on the MSRP's.
 
The industry I work in discounts like this, so 50 and 20 for example. It's ridiculous.
 
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