Maybe It Was REALLY Long Distance

A man walks up to me at the box office. We have a more or less normal transaction, and we get to the point where I ask if he has a rewards card.

Me: “Do you have a rewards card with us?”

Customer: “Yeah, but I don’t have it on me. Can I give you a phone number?”

Me: “Sure, whenever you’re ready.”

Customer: “Okay, it’s 6-0-7…”

Me: *Repeating back* “6-0-7…”

The customer suddenly gets a vacant look in his eyes.

Customer: “2… 3…”

Me: “2-3…”

Suddenly, he goes completely robotic and begins to unleash a slew of numbers rapidly.

Customer: “2-3-1-5-7-8-9-8-7-4-2-3-1-5-9-8-0-8-0-7-2-3-3-3-4-7-5-6-9-9…”

Me: *Confused* “Um…”

Customer: *Eyes going wide.* “2-1-5-9-6-7-4-0-0-1-2-3-4-6-3-4-2-1-2-2-2-1-8-7-6-5!”

Me: “I… uh…”

His eyes narrow like he’s furious.

Customer: “2-3-1-1-1-5-9-4-3-2-3-1-3-2-4!”

Me: “Sir… uh… are you all right?”

Customer: “4-2-3-1-3-5-2!”

I don’t know what to do at this point.

Customer: “3-1-4-4-2-4-3!”

Me: *Not knowing what to say* “That’s too many numbers, sir!”

Customer: “Oh.”

Without another word, the customer simply turns and walks away without paying. I void the transaction and stand there for a moment, completely confused, before I motion the next customer up. About fifteen minutes later, the customer returns to the line with a woman by his side. He gets up to the register, and again, we get to the point where I ask if he has a rewards card.

Customer: “Oh, yeah, can I give you a phone number?”

Me: *Concerned* “Uh… sure.”

The customer then proceeds to give me his number without incident and we finish the transaction. As they walk away, the woman he’s with turns and shoots me a nasty glance.

Woman: “Why didn’t you sell him tickets the first time?! He said you wouldn’t take his phone number! We had to come all the way through the line again!”

I just shrugged with a weak smile, thoroughly confused. The woman scoffed and walked away with the man. I still don’t know what happened that day. The best I can figure is that he had the brain fart to end all brain farts.