Two Become One

I am checking out a few purchases at a cheap retailer. I have grabbed a set of oven mitts that have become separated. They are clearly marked with matching info and proudly claim “set of two” on both tags.

Me: “Hello, I found these detached, but they say they’re a set of two, and another set is behind a bunch of merchandise.”

Cashier: “Yes, this is two.”

She says this indicating to the thumb side and then the fingers side of a single mitt. I stare at the woman for a moment and calmly respond.

Me: “Ma’am, I’m sorry but that is one glove; a set of two is both of them.”

She calls a line manager to confirm. I’ve already told her it’s fine; I don’t want to hold up the line to get a $5 oven mitt. The customer next to me has started talking to her cashier about how you would burn your hand trying to take out something with one oven mitt, but my cashier continues to ignore everything and waits on the line manager to confirm. I am still asking to check out and leave.

Finally, the line manager comes to confirm how many two are. The manager says the same thing, pointing to the thumb side and the finger side and saying that means two. I’m losing my mind at this point. 

Me: “Please, I’ve already said I no longer want this item. Can I please just pay for my things and leave?”

The line manager tells my cashier to just give it to me, but at this point, I just want to go home. I decline her offer politely and ask again to please just leave.

My cashier finally scans the rest of my things. She had done nothing the whole time we waited.

I left with less faith in humanity; two women could not figure out between the both of them how many two are. They honestly thought one glove meant two because it had a side to put your thumb in instead of being one big mitt.