Directions not included with some games....

Not everyone who walks into a store is a customer - there are some cleverly disguised patrons that wander in to certain businesses with other goals in mind than to buy something. These range from vendors who want to sell candy for "charity", people looking to use the bathroom (even though it's clearly stated NO RESTROOMS), vagrants panhandling for bus change, and the lest offensive of the lot, people asking for directions (not game manuals, but a verbal road map of how to get somewhere).

We're somewhat close to Atlantic City, so you get people asking how to pick up the Atlantic City Expressway from the store. Very simple, so I spell it out for them and they go gamble their savings away rather then invest in something like an X-Box 360. One time a regular was in when someone was looking to go to AC, so after I did my best navigation system imitation, the regular told me stories of when he used to work in the city........

He used to be a hot dog vendor, and always had people asking him how to get around the city. At first he'd help them out and point them in the right direction. But it starts to wear on you after the first 10 or so people ask each day, so he'd start messing with folks a bit. His one trick was to send them a way that would wind up exactly where they were standing now.......basically a large square without telling them the obvious "three lefts". Sometimes this would take creativity......

Then my favorite would be the "blind cutoff" - The aimless wanderer would approach the cart, and say "excuse me, can you tell me how to get to........", and right before they would give a destination, the regular would say "sure, just head down two blocks, make a right, follow that straight down and you can't miss it." 10 out of 10 times the person would say thanks and continue on, not realizing they never gave a destination! At least Mapquest doesn't have sufficient AI to start breaking your stones just yet...........