So in your view then, what should a Muslim person whose been waiting in line for say 15- 20 minutes do when he/she reaches the end of the line and gets told "sorry, I can't scan beef because it's against my religion" by the Hindu cashier?

Bend over backwards and go to the next line?

If you really think people would do this for each other, YOU are the one not looking at things realistically.

Supposed to in all cultures anywhere in the world, but I doubt an employer's going to run after you if you don't.

We know. Employers are stupid. That's why they're running and operating stores that have been around raking in profits for a long time.

But you can start your own store in that area and show 'em how it's done!

__________________
Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

Wow. If you're ever a CEO, give me a heads up so I can make a fortune short-selling your stock This question is like asking "Well, there are a bunch of shitty auto-makers out there, so what incentive is there for anyone to make a good car?"

I'm fully aware that finding new employees costs more than retaining existing ones (unless they're sufficiently bad or stealing or something). My point is that with menial laborers, the difference is negligible, which means there's very little inertia preventing an employer from canning one of them.

Hold on, I don't have my seat-belt on, and I'm getting whiplash from this wild-ride of logic. So, one employer firing one employee for refusing to do his/her job (which doesn't violate the tenets of the religion, mind you) is going to lead to "community uproar"? Furthermore, I can see that you have some sort of fascination with Muslims, but I'm not sure how you draw the conclusion that all Muslims are harder working than all non-Muslims. And, then you bring it home by saying that the store is "worse off" (ostensibly because the former cashiers, all of which we're assuming will quit because of one firing, have other jobs). That's... incredible. I'd imagine that the next logical step is the suicide of the store owner, which will cause an epidemic of CEO suicides and repopulate the US with Muslim store-owners who will forever ban pork. Thus, we see that firing one clerk will lead to the inevitable extinction of pigs.


That (silly) logic could apply to a job at any wage...

Yes, I'm aware of your fascination with Muslims. To be honest, the Muslims that I've known through my life have been good, hard-working people, but I'm not yet ready to join you in elevating them to Master Race status.

The fact that they have kept and do keep their jobs does not imply that your tortured explanations as to why are correct. Personally, I'd imagine it has more to do with the store owner/manager being able to resolve the situation with minimal inconvenience to both customers and employees than it does to the fear of the imminent Muslim revolt that you suggest.

So when you go shopping or out to eat, you just take whatever the hell they give you, regardless of the price or whether or not it's what you wanted? Well, that's awfully... uh.. generous. However, I'd be willing to be that if you started a poll on this board as to whether or not people would ask for the food they ordered upon receiving the wrong food, the overwhelming majority of them would not share your willingness to let people screw you over.

So, conventional logic says that wages are given according to skills and performance. Your wacky economic theory is that wages are arbitrary and then performance is adjusted according to wages? Wouldn't it make sense for everyone to quit working, because then nothing is expected of them?

I noticed that, in another thread, you said you'd earned some sort of technical degree and you work in that capacity. Why did you do that? If the smart thing to do is be as lazy as possible in order to have more solidarity and job security, why did you waste your time educating yourself. After all, don't you have it a lot worse than they do, what with their ironclad job security and ability to do no work whatsoever?

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

Can you show me a single store that allows this sort of behavior to go unchecked regularly and IS making profits?

You've been dodging my points,and not providing evidence to back up what you say for most of this debate ... Please provide evidence to back up what you are saying here.

As for starting my own store, that is neither here nor there.

Reread the post. Matt said he's going to protest the Muslim checkout girl not ringing up his pork.

__________________
Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

To be honest, I'd protest too. If I was going to buy condoms, and a Christian refused to sell those to me, I'd "protest" against that too. As I would if I entered a farmer's store/market (whatever the correct term is, I forget) and someone refused to sell me a cut of beef due to their religious preferences.

It's all well and good if you'd rather be told by others what to buy with your own money and how to buy it, but not all of us share the same opinion as you on this one.

All the stores this thread is about. Because, if they weren't profitable, they wouldn't be operating. Free Enterprise 101.

__________________
Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

Personally, I'm still chuckling at solletica's claim that the average person would walk into a restaurant, receive the wrong food/product, and simply say "oh well - that's the way it goes."

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

Given what you've posted in this thread, I wouldn't be giving any econ lessons were I you. And, FWIW, many, many business operate without being profitable for varying periods of time.

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

Agree ... quite an absurd statement.

Hey, I wonder what woul dhappen if a Hindu went into a restaurant and was served beef instead of chicken - what would Solletica advise then?

By her logic, the customer should complain (against his/her religious preferences), but shouldn't (since apparently min wage workers according to her have an inherent right to muck up orders while listening to music).

Absolute tripe.

Many stores/businesses operate at a loss for years before going under.

Case in point - Albertsons's (food store) which was in the town I lived in the US - it went under eventually due to outrageously high prices, but it did "operate" for four years ...

Back to you now ...

Well, solletica, I'm out for the night - look forward to your feverish explanations tomorrow.

Night everyone.

AH, the difference, the auto industry is not made up of geographic oligopolies/monopolies.

It's no big deal to have a friend drive you 20 miles to a dealership to get the car you want, and there are so many other ways to buy cars.



Inertia is inertia.



Many of these people take their religion very seriously. I don't know why. Don't ask me. They just do.

I'm not saying that. But why else would a store put up with employees that refuse to do one part of the job, when they could find others that would work
equally as hard, but also scan pork products?

I said they may all quit. I don't know that for a fact.

But I do know that many of these people take their religions seriously and they would make noise about what seems to us to be a very insignificant issue.

Quitting/striking/boycotting is one way to protest a store.


CITE when I said that.


That makes sense, so now you're admitting that the stores' intention to retain these employees is logical.

Before, you said they should be fired.

I don't know that the Muslim communities will protest, but I do know that they're extremely sensitive about these issues, and if several Muslim employees were dismissed for these reasons, there would be outrage.



I know. Most Americans are like that . It's dumb--complaining about the quality of service at a fast food joint usu. isn't worth it.

Moi, if I want better service, I'll go to a better restaurant and pay more.

If I eat at McD's, and if my order is screwed up, I'll just smile at the staff and eat what I have

because it's better to tolerate a bad order than to further screw up some kid's day at work.



They are.

No. You're welcome to work harder than you need to for the amount you're paid. How many people do that?

To get more $.

__________________
Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

Of course. Then, at some point, they become profitable and do what it takes to maximize profits, and that means minimizing costs.

For a store to outduel its only competitor (or only 2 other competitors) in terms of service quality would just be a waste of its money, and cut into its profits.

The better strategy is for the store to advertise that it's better, then just offer the same quality service as everyone else in the area.

__________________
Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S