THROUGH MY EYES -- RON DAVIS

How tough is it to count to 10 when you’re in the 10-items-or-less

line at the grocery store? Is an advanced degree required to know that

two cans of creamed corn are counted as two items -- not one?

What about those “no checks” and “no coupon” signs? How is it that

people can’t read the words “no checks,” but can write one? How is it

that people don’t understand what “no coupons” means, yet are able to

match a coupon to a product?

And what about the notion of being prepared to pay for your groceries

when your order’s rung up? How many times have you seen someone with that

blank look on their face when the clerk says, “That’ll be $15.93.” When

the light finally goes on, they painstakingly go through their purse or

wallet looking for that special $15 bill. And Lord save us when they

start looking for those three pennies. Is the concept of being prepared

totally foreign to some people?

And while I’m at it, what’s up with those who can stand in a fast-food

line for 10 minutes, and it never dawns on them to figure out what they

want to order until they arrive at the counter. I just love it when a

family waits in line for 20 minutes and only at the counter turns to

Junior and Sis and asks, “What would you kids like to have?”

Isn’t this a golden opportunity for Huntington Beach to generate some

extra revenue and solve some of society’s pressing problems. You think

the city makes a few bucks on street sweeping day or on parking meters,

just imagine how much the city might earn if Huntington Beach passed an

ordinance imposing a fine on someone for filling out their deposit slip

at the teller window.

The grocery store cash register can count the number of items as they

pass through the check stand. For those who exceed the limit -- bang --

charge them double for each item after 10. Heck, if they can’t count

their number of items correctly, they’ll probably never figure out that

they’ve been fined.

Instead of grocery stores giving double coupons, when a customer

presents coupons in the quick-check line, fine them an amount equal to

the coupons.

How is it that people begin to slow down when they see a stop sign,

but it never dawns on them to reach for their wallet as they approach the

parking attendant in a parking lot?

Hey, if you aren’t ready with your parking ticket, your validation and

your money, you pay double the rate.

The city of Huntington Beach is struggling to make ends meet and this

is one way to do it.

You probably wonder how I thought of such a brilliant moneymaking

idea. Well, I had been impatiently waiting in line at my bank for about

20 minutes.

When I finally arrived at the teller window, just after I’d told the

teller the story of my life and showed her pictures of my grandchildren,

it occurred to me that some of the customers in line didn’t have their

deposit slips ready and would probably hold up the line. I ran the idea

past the teller, and she thought it was a great idea. And apparently so

did those standing in line. You should have heard the cheer they gave me

as I left the bank. * RON DAVIS is a private attorney who lives in

Huntington Beach. He can be reached by e-mail at o7 [email protected]