Re: INNUMERACY, was Re: Use of Calculators

[John Mallinckrodt <ajmallinckro@CSUPomona.Edu>]

On Mon, 24 Feb 1997, Richard Langer wrote:

> INNUMERACY - I went to the store with a handful of coupons - most of them
> "normal" - 50 cents off, etc, but one gaot me 10% off the TOTAL purchase.
>
> The cashier had no idea why I wanted the 10% off rung up PRIOR to all the
> cents off coupons credited.

About ten years ago, at the end of a phenomenal decade and a half of
growth in real estate values, my wife and I were interviewing a real
estate agent about the possibility of selling a house.  At one point I
asked her why, with house prices up by a factor of three or so over such a
short time ago, were real estate commissions STILL 6%.  The earnest agent
nodded knowingly and said in a resigned tone, "I often wonder the same
thing myself.  After all, everybody ELSE has gotten a raise." 

John
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