"Are you sure you work here?"

There is a mysterious stupidity going around. I experience it a lot. It seems that many people have no idea of who they work for or what they sell. I will often ask a clerk where a certain item is only to be told that they store does not sell that product. After walking around, I will find it. The clerk is never apologetic. The other morning I sent a color invitation by computer to Staples because I don't have a color copier. When I arrived at the store at 8:45 am there was nobody in the print department. I mentioned this to the only clerk at a register. "They don't open till 9:30." he informed me. I had to decide whether to come back 45 minutes later or hang around. I went back to the same clerk and said, "I don't mind waiting around, but are you sure there'll be someone there at 9:30?" He assured me there would, so I wandered around the store. About five minutes later a female clerk smiled at me. "Can I help you with anything?" she asked. "No. Just waiting for the print department to open." I said with my best martyred tone."But it is open. It opens at 8. I'll get someone to help you." Someone did help me and I was out there within twenty minutes, but nobody could tell me, or seemed to care, why the clerk said it didn't open till 9:30 and he was nowhere around. I find that life has more and more mysteries like this one.