Unfiltered Story #122766

(I am working on a boat that gives narrated tours of on our local river. We have a captain who drives the boat, and I am the “first mate.” It is my responsibility to take tickets from customers before rides, get the boat off the dock, and narrate the tour. The tickets for the rides are sold at a building just across the parking lot from the boat. Normally, the customers hand me the tickets they pay for up at the other building for me to take, but our ticketing system frequently malfunctions, so sometimes the cashiers at the building have them use their receipts as a proof purchase. I see a woman in her mid to late forties walking towards the boat with her mother who appears to be in her seventies. The two approach me so I prepare to greet them and take their tickets.)

Me: “Hi there, ladies! How are you doing today?”

Daughter: “I’m doing good.”

(She then hands me money that is enough for the price of two adult tickets.)

Daughter: “This is for the two of us.” *points to her mom*

(The first thing that I think is that the computers aren’t working.)

Me: “Oh, are the tickets not working again?” *usually the cashiers call down to the boat if something like that happens*

(The daughter’s eyes go wide, realizing the mistake she made.)

Daughter: “I didn’t even think to go buy tickets! I’ll be right back!”

(She hurried over to the building to purchase tickets, since I am not allowed to just accept money. I let her mom take a seat on the boat while she ran up to buy them. She was back soon and we both had a good laugh about it!)