Friday, October 8, 2010

Peripeteialessness Mk. II

Fernando is approached by a semi-regular customer who wishes to rent three movies. Fernando begins writing up the slip and checks the late list as a matter of habit and sees that the individual in question has a number of slips with late fees attached to them…not a sizeable late fee, per se, but numerous small ones that are taking up space on the late list and the clearing of which may result in saving a single sheet of paper. Ever the environmentalist, Fernando informs the customer of the fees’ existences.

As anticipated, it did not go over well.

"What? Why do I need to pay off all $10.50 right now?"

"Well, you have numerous slips in the book, each with a small late fee attached to them. They add up."

"But I paid those off!"

"No, you paid them off partially, and rented again. Then you returned those movies late, paid off a portion of your new late fee the next time you came in, and returned THOSE movies late. It trapped you in a cycle of perpetuity and the goal of my life at this moment is trying to break it for both our sakes."

It was eventually agreed that the $10.50 was to be paid in full.

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