Stupid questions!

[wolfie]

That's how the exits are marked on the interstates, too. Amazing how many people can't figure that out....including my grandfather. The southern terminus of I25 is in Las Cruces. The first exit is at Univeristy Ave and marked "Exit 1". The next one is Lohman Ave, marked "Exit 3" since it's at mile marker 3. Well, he thought that they had messed up and it was supposed to be 2.

Is your grandfather from New York? They have their interstate exits numbered sequentially rather than by mile marker, and to confuse matters there are 2 separate sets of exit numbers on I90 - one set for west of I87 and the other for east of I87 (exit numbers east of I87 continue where the numbers on I87 leave off - it's a toll road with the exit numbers increasing as you go further from New York City, which appears to be the centre of the universe). Pennsylvania changed its system from sequential to mile marker, which is why some exits have a sign saying "old exit whatever". In New Jersey, some interstates have exits numbered sequentially and others have them numbered by mile marker.

[Andara Bledin]

Wow, that'd be confusing. I'm glad that around here, exits have actual names.

It's much harder to be confused over the difference in E87 and E78 than it is to be confused over Lakewood Blvd vs Long Beach.

^-.-^

[Lace Neil Singer]

Also, "Are you open?" or "Are you serving?" -.- No, I just come to work in my uniform and sit there for fun.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

He also visited the states of confusion and denial.

And the 53rd state would be Jester's Waterfront Bar . . .

[Pagan]

Is your grandfather from New York?

No, he was from Illinois. And this conversation with my mom apparently occurred when I was little, which means they had been here for over 10 years already. Why he brought it up then, who knows.

[fireheart]

OK, bringing this thread back on-topic...

Do you work here? I get this a lot. Although one customer was polite about it and admitted that she didn't want to have grabbed me off-duty. (I was putting stock away when she asked)

Where's the cheese? There are about three different places for cheese. There's the deli, with all its random chees-y glory, there's the fridges, with your standard cheddar, brie and camembert (along with La Vache Qui Rit ) and then there's the parmesan down with the remaining pasta dishes. Take your pick.

Is it true that... OK, I know some of these, so it isn't as stupid as it seems, BUT, I only know about some of the upcoming major promotions. I do not know when we are getting self-serve registers, I do not know when we are getting <insert obscure item of choice>. I also definitely do not know if the company is doing this or that in the papers.

Do you sell eskies/umbrellas/handbags/t-shirts? All except for the last one I can answer with a firm no. We are a supermarket. The T-shirts we sell are wrapped in packages so you can't try them on. (they're Bonds tees).

Are you open? Slightly less sucky, as sometimes the lights don't work, but still....just because someone is counting money, or waiting to relieve a coworker, does not mean that she or he is opening!

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Are you open? Slightly less sucky, as sometimes the lights don't work, but still....just because someone is counting money, or waiting to relieve a coworker, does not mean that she or he is opening!

I WISH my customers would ask so I could shoo them off, most of them just plunk down games in front of me and get pissy when I tell them I am unable to do transactions at this time.

[mattm04]

Brain go BOOM.

I've done this before, but some of the stupid tourist questions my friends and I have fielded down here in Touristville, aka Key West.

"How many times a day do they have the Sunset Celebration?"

"Does the sun always set on the same side of the island?"

"Does the water go all the way around the island?"

"Where's the bridge to Cuba?"

We are 90 miles from Cuba. There ain't no bridge.

"How long is the Seven Mile Bridge?"

MR SNIPPY WAS HERE

[fireheart]

Some more stupidity from today...

Where is the toilet paper and spaghetti? The toilet paper was behind him. I shit you not, there is almost an entire WALL devoted to Toilet paper...

[Lace Neil Singer]

"Why aren't you open?" Said by a customer the other day when we were having technical difficulties with the pumps and couldn't open. The reason why this is a stupid question is cuz the customer walked past an A-Frame and two signs that clearly stated why we were closed. Plus, I greeted him with, "Hi, sorry about the station being closed, we're having technical difficulties at the moment." My reaction can be summed up in the following picture:

[Jester]

My first thought was that the question about the length of the bridge was fair.

It is and it isn't. Anyone who has driven across it shouldn't have to ask me. Technically speaking, though, the Seven Mile Bridge is not seven miles long....I believe it is 6.9 miles long. As I say, "Same frickin' difference."

But the Seven-Mile HIGH Bridge? Freaking hilarious! Kind of dwarfs Denver's claim, doesn't it?

For a frame of reference, back when the Concorde was still flying, IT flew at seven miles high....and from there you can actually see the curvature of the Earth! To add to the ridiculousness of what this girl believed about the Seven Mile Bridge, you have to understand that the Keys are a string of island that are not only at sea level, they are pretty much flat as pancakes! Shit, if you had a seven mile HIGH bridge down here, if you broke down on it, you could just put your car in neutral and ROLL to help!

Yeah, she was a case study in window dressing.

I know some people are just plain dumb, but please don't tell me that there are really that many people who think that islands float on the water! Please!

Okay, I won't tell you that.

I will tell you that several people have told me they have heard this precise question, and most of the people that told me this told me about several incidents.

But I will NOT tell you that there are people who think that islands float on the water......

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait! The ALTAR OF RUM???? *drools*

Yes. It's what I call it, anyway. My bar stocks over 150 different rums, more than anyone else in the Florida Keys and more than most bars in the world. While we keep about 50+ rums behind the bar, we also have a paneled glass case with more rums, including some of the finer rums in the world, that we will gladly serve you for the mere asking. For rum lovers such as myself, it is simply....astounding.

And this is my JOB.

Do you carry a gun? Can you see a gun? Anything vaugly resembling a gun? Anything that could be mistaken for a gun by a blind man? No? Well there's your answer.

To be fair, you could have a concealed weapon. Just saying.

Also not a stupid question per se, but one guy claimed to have visited all 52 states in his lifetime.

(...there are only 50 states)

You would be surprised how many Americans believe we have more than 50 States. See, I could see non-Americans not knowing how many States the U.S. has, but for Americans not to know this is kind of disturbing. But I have actually gotten into arguments with people about how many States there are. 52 is a very common number for these people's misconceptions.

That's how the exits are marked on the interstates, too. Amazing how many people can't figure that out.

As has been pointed out, not every interestate, and obviously not even every highway.

But when you ask how far apart the Mile Markers are, that is just plain dumb!

We have a Margaritaville here, too...

They make damn fine red beans & rice.

Yes, I know y'all have a M'ville. The one here was the first one though. Sadly, their red beans & rice is not all that impressive. Which is sad, considering how good some of their food can be.

And the 53rd state would be Jester's Waterfront Bar . . .

Not at all. The 51st State is DC. The 52nd is Puerto Rico. And the 53rd State? Why, that would be the UK!

(ducks quickly)

Where's the cheese? There are about three different places for cheese.

With that many places for cheese, you can't really blame someone for asking where the cheese is. I don't really think that is a stupid question, not on level with the other ones that have been posted here.

[fireheart]

With that many places for cheese, you can't really blame someone for asking where the cheese is. I don't really think that is a stupid question, not on level with the other ones that have been posted here.

Point taken although then again, I guess it's from my point of view. We do actually have more parmesan cheese in the cheese fridge than the shelves. It's very rare that we get cheese that's NOT in the fridge.

[EricKei]

Yes, I know y'all have a M'ville. The one here was the first one though. Sadly, their red beans & rice is not all that impressive. Which is sad, considering how good some of their food can be.

Maybe they make them different here, I rather liked them. No kick to them at all, of course (being a chain restaurant), but still good stuff

[persephone]

"How long is the Seven Mile Bridge?"

I used to think that was hilarious, till I met the girl that thought the Seven Mile Bridge wasn't seven miles long, but seven miles high. Yeah, she had a clear future as a trophy wife.

Actually, technically, a fair question, as the seven mile bridge is not, in fact, seven miles long. It's 6.765 miles long.

[Rubystars]

The American president said on the campaign that he already visited 57 states and there were more to go.