The everyday blog of Richard Bartle.
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2:39pm on Friday, 15th September, 2006:
Anecdote
I renewed my parking card for another year today. While in the office, I took the opportunity to ask how come I still have to pay to park my vehicle when formally parking is free. I was told that parking was free, but registering me vehicle for permission to park still cost 0.15% of my salary.
So that's alright then.
The revalidation of my parking card seemed to come in four stages:
The observant among you will have noticed that although the old-format card recorded value in units, the new-format one records it in money. I think that's how it worked, anyway. Whatever, the people at the help desk of the Estates Department needed to convert the units into money.
Each unit is worth 5p, and I had 18 units. How much does that come to?
I watched with mounting dismay as the help desk operator asked for a calculator and her boss looked around to find one rather than raging "How simple does a calculation have to be before you don't need a calculator?!"
I queried as to whether they really did just want to know what 5 times 18 was, and they said yes, so I told them 90. They were impressed.
Not impressed enough to believe me, though: the help desk woman brought up Windows calculator. "You're right, it is 90". she enthused. Then, smiling, she added, "I should expect that from a member of staff at a university...".
Yes, you should expect it; I certainly did, which is why I was astonished you needed a calculator.
I told them I knew because 18 shillings in old money was 90p.
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Copyright © 2006 Richard Bartle (richard@mud.co.uk).