Idle Ramblings of a Slightly Mad Man

I went to Target to buy some cat food, kitten food actually, for my new pet.  I like Target. They tend to have everything I need.  So, I pull the food off the shelf and take it to the cashier and happily pay my $6.44 for my food with my debit card and leave.  The whole trip was under 5 minutes.

Upon arriving home with my purchase my wife pointed out that I had picked up the wrong bag of food.  The bag I selected was for Adult 7+ cat food, not the kitten food like I thought I had grabbed.  So, off to the Target I go to make my return.

I walked up to the return counter with my receipt and explained my blunder and asked to exchange my product with the correct one.  The “helpful” Target clerk responded by telling me that she could just refund my money and then I can go buy the correct food.  That was perfectly acceptable for me and she started the transaction.  This is where everything went downhill.

After the clerk started my return transaction she asked me to scan my debit card and enter my PIN.  So I scanned my debit card, but when it came time to enter my PIN, I froze.  I could not remember my PIN.  My mind just went completely blank.  My “helpful” clerk behind the counter must have thought I aged 50 years and lost my hearing while I was standing there because when she yelled at me to enter my PIN, “SIR, PLEASE ENTER YOUR PIN.” 

Her loud “helpfulness” was still not enough to jog my memory.  I continued to stand there, my mind void of thought, until I sheepishly responded that I could not remember my PIN.  There remained a few moments of silence until the clerk, again trying to be “helpful”, asked, “Do you know what it starts with?” 

Shocked to senses by the absurdity of her “helpful” question, I now turned to her and felt like answering, “Why?  If I tell you it starts with 2 will you give me my other 3 numbers?”    What I actually said was “no.”

I stood there staring at the signature capture device trying my hardest to remember my PIN.  I could not.  All I could think of was that this clerk thought that I was trying to scam Target for a $6.44 bag of cat food and that I stole this card from someone. 

After standing there for a few more agonizing moments the “helpful” clerk finally said to me that she could just give me the cash back since it was less then ten dollars.  So this whole, embarrassing, time I could have just received cash.  With one “helpful” keystroke my clerk opened her drawer and counted out my cash and coin and placed them in my hands. 

After leaving the return counter, I called home to my wife and explained that I have forgotten my PIN and asked her to remind me.  Instead of just telling me the number she kept asking “Why do you need it?”  “What do you mean you forgot the number?”  “Are you in line now?”  “Don’t you have any cash?”  

AUGH!!!!!!!!!!   Give me my damn PIN woman!!!!!!!!!!