Wednesday, April 11, 2007
More miscellany
- Lots of stores like small or large department stores are actually a building with lots of stalls in them each operated by competitors. There are lots and lots and lots of sales assistants. In one place, there were just counters and counters each containing one mobile phone per foot and one sales assistant per yard. I was the only "customer". Each counter was, I think, a different business. This of course only applies to up-market(ish) and/or tourist places.
- Supermarkets where ordinary people shop are a lot like supermarkets around the world.
- Sales people like you to give them the right change if possible.
- Entry to parks or other areas with any claim to beauty or fame costs something, perhaps 15p. It doesn't put the locals off. There is a bureaucracy - one person sells you the ticket, another a few feet away checks it. Same with the subway.
- This system is operated in some shops (at random, obviously). In one shop I bought some items and went to the main exit/checkout to pay. Most of the items I was allowed to pay for. I then had to leave my paid for shopping and return to where I'd picked up a couple of the items. I showed the items to the sales assistant. She filled in a handwritten form/receipt for them and I offered her the 20p. She pointed me at a separate cashier 20 yds away, and kept the goods. I took my receipt to the cashier and was allowed to pay, then took my stamped receipt back to the sales assistant who exchanged it for the goods and another receipt. I took the goods and my new receipt back to the checkout to prove I'd paid and collect the rest of my shopping. Sorted!
- Lots of regular commuters had a special swipe card for the buses. They keep it in their handbag and wave it near a scanner on entry and on exit. Good idea.
# posted by David @ 11:53 am 
