Getting change back in a wad.

I was surprised when a checker at a Target store in my
neighborhood gave me change back consisting of about
8 or 9 coins sandwiched between a disorderly pile
of bills and the receipt. As I was watching him
place the menage in my outstretched hand he said,
"Here's your change."

As I tried to get control of the mess, the coins
slipped off the rat nest of 6 or 7 bills and landed
tinkling and rolling on the floor. I looked at the coins
all over the place, and looked back at the checker to
see a mild sort of "whoops" expression, nothing more.
The customer behind me helped to pick up the change.
After having collected my money, finally, the
parting statement by the cashier was, "Have a nice day."
I look at him without commenting. Slow burn.

Was he insulting me, or lacking training or what?
I had to work for that money, and in the process
endure pressure from some unpleasant bosses, too.
I'll think twice before I shop there again, but this
is not an extraordinary event anymore. Cashiers
don't, as a rule, count out the change. You get
it in your mitt and are forced to count it, or not,
in the hast created by the fact that you're now
holding up progress for the next hurried customer
in line. You're in the way.

Money isn't worth much anymore, and it's not worth
the time. And perhaps for some even insulting, if the
cashier counted the money, I suppose. But, I've watched
this, "Here's your money", one too many times. What to do?

I'll update this blog entry with what I do. My plan now
is to pay careful attention and withdraw my hand if the
cashier makes their move to place the wad of change and
receipt in my outstretched hand. Maybe I'll request
politely that they count out the change, maybe I'll tell
'em that I think they're a dollar short. I'm sure it'll
be an impromtu sort of give 'n' take. It's almost a
sporting-like event, where one wants to get come out
victorious.

Update (3/30/07):
I'm a failure at confronting the cashiers.
I gotta admit that I feel intimidated. I fear that these
people don't know how to count change. I have to do
this thing without insulting their intelligence...not in
my skill set. I'm thinking about it.