The Citrus Code

Everything is scannable or on a button, I am told whilst training. Everything. I am told. EV-REE-THING. I am competent enough to be flying solo, when I get to an item. It doesn’t have a barcode to scan. It’s not got a button to press on the computer. I am holding the offending item and flag down a coworker — one who didn’t train me.

Me: “Erm, [Coworker]. I can’t find—”

Coworker: “Ah, yes. Life has given you lemons and you cannot make lemonade as the system doesn’t believe in lemons. But there’s a code to force the system to accept the lemons.”

They put in the lemon code, and I am finishing up the transaction.

Me: *More to myself* “I was told everything was either scannable or on a button.”

Customer: “Ah, but the system doesn’t believe in lemons, so…” *Shrugs*

Coworker: “Do they even exist if the system doesn’t believe in them?”

Customer: “Did they ever exist in the first place? Or are they just oranges having an identity crisis?”

Coworker: “Now the real questions are being asked.”

Me: “Do you two know each other?”

They didn’t.