people are bad at math
- Thread starter fflintstone
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Walterchang
Well-known member
I got $6 dollars change from a $10 at the flea market today on a $5 purchase.
A side note I played a game of yathzee last night of the 5 other players they all added there scores up wrong! Cheaters!
A side note I played a game of yathzee last night of the 5 other players they all added there scores up wrong! Cheaters!
scott37300
Well-known member
It's amazing how many people are horrible with numbers. My girlfriend has to get a calculator out to figure out how much to leave for a tip! I was always pretty good at math and liked number problems. I make the kids do their homework without a calculator so they don't have to reley on a calculator for every little thing.
Looks like the craigslist poster getting rid of some tools they probably got on black friday.
Looks like the craigslist poster getting rid of some tools they probably got on black friday.
Seanbev24
Well-known member
Tell him if he wants less than $3 per tool, you'll give him $11.96 
american lockpicker
Banned
I'm gifted in math and can do it in my head as a result I made poor grades in school despite having the correct answers.
Justanoldguy
Well-known member
It is not just Math that is bad.
Spelling, grammar and punctuation are also just as bad.
For example: there instead of their.
Rickster55
Well-known member
I bought something for $6 once and gave the guy $11. He looked at me like I was crazy and handed me the dollar bill back. I said no this way you can give me a five back. Took him a couple minutes to figure it out.
ZRX61
Well-known member
I once paid for a $12 meal with a $20 & got $18 change...& then the waitress argued with me that I'd been given the correct amount after I questioned it....
2 Christmas ago I bought some HF tools for my My Cousins, I bought about $50 bucks worth and it included Hammers, Screwdrivers, Wrench set, 1/4 socket sets, Allen sets and a small tool box. Just about everything i purchased had the Sale Sticker on it, so essentially it was cheaper for the weekend only etc... Well i took the stuff Home and Me and the Wife was dividing it up to find the apropriate box and after looking at some of the Items i decided to go another way (Mind you i didnt buy the Higher end stuff) So a Week later i take it all back W/Reciept and the Kid starts scanning the stuff back into the system and im watching the Computer and the prices are Much higher than what i paid. I let him finish his business thinking He is gonna scan the receipt or hit a magical button thats gonna fix the prices.
Nope... He precedes to tell me that he owes me like $86 dollars...Im a Honest person so i try to explain to him that i didnt spend that much and he can verify that on the Receipt. He gives me the Dumby look and double checks the computer and says "Well thats how it rang up on the computer" Im in such disbelief, So i ask him to look at the receipt again... He calls the Manager up Front (Meanwhile i have like 4 people behind me in line and i can hear Groaning etc.) Here comes the Manager, Swipes his Card and Looks at the Receipt and punches some numbers on the computer and "Swoosh" The cash drawer opens up and he starts counting out bills. I Stop him Mid Count and figure ill give it one more try, So i start at the begining and explain to him that the Items where on Sale when i purchased them and ask him to look at the Receipt. He stares at the Receipt, Looks at the computer print out and says "Thats what the Computer is Showing Sir" I Spin around and now there is 6-8 people behind me. Im Like Fine... He counts the money out and I left.. I was so Baffled by the Sitsutaion, I didnt know whether to just throw the extra money on the Floor and Run or just Reap the Rewards of Idiots. I Kept it...
Nope... He precedes to tell me that he owes me like $86 dollars...Im a Honest person so i try to explain to him that i didnt spend that much and he can verify that on the Receipt. He gives me the Dumby look and double checks the computer and says "Well thats how it rang up on the computer" Im in such disbelief, So i ask him to look at the receipt again... He calls the Manager up Front (Meanwhile i have like 4 people behind me in line and i can hear Groaning etc.) Here comes the Manager, Swipes his Card and Looks at the Receipt and punches some numbers on the computer and "Swoosh" The cash drawer opens up and he starts counting out bills. I Stop him Mid Count and figure ill give it one more try, So i start at the begining and explain to him that the Items where on Sale when i purchased them and ask him to look at the Receipt. He stares at the Receipt, Looks at the computer print out and says "Thats what the Computer is Showing Sir" I Spin around and now there is 6-8 people behind me. Im Like Fine... He counts the money out and I left.. I was so Baffled by the Sitsutaion, I didnt know whether to just throw the extra money on the Floor and Run or just Reap the Rewards of Idiots. I Kept it...
KCarGuy
Well-known member
When we were in school learning math, you were not able to use any type of item to help in figuring out the answer other than a pencil and paper, or your fingers and toes.
My kids had to have a specific Texas Instr., caculator. it was required.
Today Kids have Cell phones, palm pilots, Caculators, everything they need to figure out the answer...but cant do math without a tool of some sort.
Kinda like, I cant remember anyones phone number because It all programmed in my Cell Phone...
Yes, its the schools fault, for allowing the use of additional tools.
My kids had to have a specific Texas Instr., caculator. it was required.
Today Kids have Cell phones, palm pilots, Caculators, everything they need to figure out the answer...but cant do math without a tool of some sort.
Kinda like, I cant remember anyones phone number because It all programmed in my Cell Phone...
Yes, its the schools fault, for allowing the use of additional tools.
charle10
Well-known member
I agree with Kcarguy completely, all through high school my math teachers made tests to be taken without calculators. I was surprised in college how few people could do math in their head or on paper, because they'd always used calculators. Technology certainly is making people lazier, and more stupider. 
I laugh when I see schools requiring laptops, or $100 graphing calculators. I never used one in getting my mechanical engineering degree, why does a 8th grader need one?
I laugh when I see schools requiring laptops, or $100 graphing calculators. I never used one in getting my mechanical engineering degree, why does a 8th grader need one?
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I agree with Kcarguy completely, all through high school my math teachers made tests to be taken without calculators. I was surprised in college how few people could do math in their head or on paper, because they'd always used calculators. Technology certainly is making people lazier, and more stupider.
I laugh when I see schools requiring laptops, or $100 graphing calculators. I never used one in getting my mechanical engineering degree, why does a 8th grader need one?
I was required to buy those graphing calculators for my kids.....but I don't envy anyone trying to do trig or calculus problems without one. When I was a kid, the Ti basic scientific calculators just came out, so not everyone had one, (they were about $150 then); and even those were huge time savers. We were required to learn to do trig with tables...what a PITA. We learned slide rules. Kids today would not have a clue how to use these things...but I really don't see the need. And while you could plot calculus equations manually, these calculators enable the kids to focus on the math theory rather than the number crunching.
Every kid is different; some are just dopes. My kids go to public school, and are both get good grades at math. But my son can do complicated math problems in his head, my daughter can not; (she's still a smart kid...just math does not come easy for her.) But the average kid working a cash register could not even make change without the register telling the correct amount to dispense....but then again, that's why they are working a minimum wage job.
truckdriver
Well-known member
Last year my MIL bought a 50' LCD tv from Walmart on BF. I hooked it up and nothing. I take it back and had to exchange it for a more expensive model as all the BF tv's were sold. She paid 498 for the first on and the one I exchanged for was $599. The cashier gave me back $72. I tried to correct her and she told me that she knew what she was doing. I shut my mouth and gave the extra to my MIL.
Ford12508
Well-known member
Hey don't dis those graphing calculators! I just got out of high school last year, and while I could do all the work in my head for even some of the most advanced classes I took, I still failed a ton of stuff for "Cheating," even when I handed my test in first. Long story short, I took my graphing calc which went unused except for games, and programmed it to allow me to put in the variables and voila! It displayed the problem, how to set it up, and all the work, but it wasn't considered cheating...Go figure.
Chris Mallett
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2010
- Messages
- 52
This thread sums up my thinking. Most of you share my thoughts of the way the world is heading. Reminds me of this.
jwh
Well-known member
Bought a 3/8" electric drill from KMart many years ago. It was $20 - something dollars less 20%. Clerk did some figuring for what seemed forever and said "that's about a dollar off right?" I say no, 10% of $20 is $2 so 20% of $20 is $4 and he wonders how I figured it out so fast.
Coach James
Well-known member
Yes, blame the schools since they make the rules right? Wrong again. Blame the school boards YOU elect and the state legislators YOU elect as they are the ones requiring the schools to push calculator use as a way to "use technology in the classroom".
That is the same reason school boards and state legislatures push for "a computer in every classroom" even though many collect dust and are of no value. It sounds good come election time.
Kids that cannot do masic math get promoted in elementary and middle school because the legislators elected by the public mandate that kids not be held back. That's not a decision made by the "schools".
If a parent will not take the time to teach simple addition and subtraction to ONE of their children, who are they to criticize a teacher trying to teach it to 25 when half of those 25 don't give a damn?
When I was in 3rd grade, I was not learning my times tables. Instead of blaming my school, my dad sat me down on a Saturday morning and said "Today you're going to learn your tables." I spent most of the day reciting my times tables to him or my mother until I had them down correctly.
My daughter could do basic arithmetic before she started 1st grade. My wife and I taught her since her education is our responsibility before it is the school teacher's.
Coach
That is the same reason school boards and state legislatures push for "a computer in every classroom" even though many collect dust and are of no value. It sounds good come election time.
Kids that cannot do masic math get promoted in elementary and middle school because the legislators elected by the public mandate that kids not be held back. That's not a decision made by the "schools".
If a parent will not take the time to teach simple addition and subtraction to ONE of their children, who are they to criticize a teacher trying to teach it to 25 when half of those 25 don't give a damn?
When I was in 3rd grade, I was not learning my times tables. Instead of blaming my school, my dad sat me down on a Saturday morning and said "Today you're going to learn your tables." I spent most of the day reciting my times tables to him or my mother until I had them down correctly.
My daughter could do basic arithmetic before she started 1st grade. My wife and I taught her since her education is our responsibility before it is the school teacher's.
Coach
DropZoneNET
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2010
- Messages
- 36
Well said. I agree for the most part.
However, I don't think the blame should be one or the other. It should fall on both. Parents should show interest and promote their child in life, education or otherwise. Then teachers should do the same. Unfortunately, neither is common these days. Parents don't care if their kids are learning, but if an issue arises, it is the teachers fault (whether true or not). Add this to the fact that MANY teachers these days go in to their job thinking that none of the kids care, and as a result, they don't give it their all. The students who don't care win, and the ones who do care lose.
If both sides took their roles more seriously, we would have far better education in this country.