Sometimes the lottery plays you even when you’re not playing it. When I was new to the game. a customer took me for $30 as he walked out the door with unpaid tickets. Though I should’ve been more on guard, a woman in line noted the offender was hustling his way out, seemingly aware of his transgression.
My magical mystery vocational tour continues, from Walmart to Meijer Express, their gas station unit. ‘Significantly’ better paid than the $14 Walmart previously provided, I now make $16.30/hr. Paying out of pocket, my mistake ate 110 minutes out of my paycheck.
I work the 1:30-10pm shift with one other “Team Member.” Work is in Carmel, Indiana, where a Jim Irsay estate sold for $11.75 million in 2025. Several other Colts live nearby. I’m not sealed behind bulletproof glass and nothing is locked, fortified by affluence.
A few weeks in, I got played while operating a system designed to play the geriatrics who are playing the games. (And by that youthful scofflaw who sprang out before I saw his card had been declined.)
Working the lottery is by far the hardest professional part of the job. On the designated lottery machine, the LottoTron, as I’ll call it, the home screen has buttons for PowerBall, MegaMillions, Hoosier Lotto, Millionaire for Life, Cash Five and Quick Draw. On the right-hand side, there are other buttons for Cash Pop, Daily 3, Daily 4 and Free Play. Pushing those sends you to another screen with over a dozen subset games within. Confusion, complications multiply.
Let’s say someone buys a Powerball ticket. Hitting that button leads to another screen where you select how many “boards” a person wants on how many tickets. (For example, you can play four games on one ticket, or get one board each on four separate tickets. (Not sure why, but this confuses me so.) For an extra $1 or $2, the customer may want to add a Power Play or Double Play option. Other games may have different extras. Once sorted, LottoTron prints out the ticket(s).
To transfer the sale to my register, I then scan a barcode taped on my register for “online ticket sale” or “scratch-off sale.” Then, the age verification screen (18+) pops up. Unlike tobacco products and especially alcohol, I can bypass this step with no consequence. (The others are monitored and can put the Express in corporate risk if we’re too lax. We can’t run slipshod with the (warm) beer and wine we sell.)
Then, I manually add the price to the checkout total. Unlike smokes or hooch, shoppers can’t tap to pay, as lottery purchases require a PIN (or cash) in Indiana for some reason. Some purchase lottery separately to avoid this error screen.
We also have a vault of 40 different scratch-off tickets. Thankfully, LottoTron isn’t involved with those, as each ticket has its own barcode. I simply tear the ticket out and scan it. We have three $50 tickets, several for $20, and many $10 and $5, $4, $2 and $1 offerings.
Combined, these steps are stressful for me, because between selling gas, Gatorade and gummy worms, suddenly, I’m responsible for placing customer bets and cashing out winners! I’m a tiny cog in the gaming industry! I’m not trained nor paid enough!
People redeeming their scratch-offs can be curious creatures. Some are elderly folk who play normally, the way I did when Dad would give me a ticket as a kid. I’d reveal my winning symbols, or similar, then I’d scratch off each box on the card with hopes of unveiling my lucky diamond, boat or rainbow!
However, a few lotto-heads just scratch off the QR code in the corner, the one I scan through LottoTron to confirm winners and losers for redemption. Those customers don’t have fun with the ritual of unscratching and discovering their possible loot. They simply leave those untouched. They’re no fun at a cocktail party, methinks.
(Roll number bottom right)
Ron, a regular, asks for “the number” of his scratch-offs before purchase, which I can see on the corner of the ticket before I tear it out of its case. It shows where the ticket is in the full roll. He likes the ones in the middle, he told me. Near the front isn’t so good for him, but he refuses to purchase the very last ticket.
After scanning the tickets, scratch-off and printed ones alike, LottoTron tabulates the winnings before I manually transfer them into my register. LottoTron frequently rewards customers with a free ticket or two, as well.
Express can only cash out up to $50, and many often offset their winnings by purchasing more tickets. Meijer itself can handle up to $600. After that, you have to go see the State Lottery Commission of Indiana.
Back to our lotterial bandit. Employees are told to keep hold of tobacco and lottery purchases until after our register confirms the transaction. Lacking judgement as my machine was processing, I casually gave our outlaw his tickets. The screen took a moment to decline his attempt and he was gone before I noticed.
I highly doubt the young man planned the gambit, as this is a fairly common occurrence. I imagine the customer who mentioned his ‘swift’ exit was merely trying to soothe me.
When alcohol’s sold, everyone, no matter how old, gets their driver’s license scanned or their birthday entered. Before I arrived, my colleagues told me they played with the Age Verification screen to test its limits. One told me he had put in a birth year of 1215 for the Magna Carta and his register rejected it. He also did a year in the 1600s which was successful, but didn’t have time to fully test the base, acceptable age.
No kid has come in to get a six-pack ‘for grandpa,’ sadly. We ask for birthdays mostly to be able to say we did. I was shocked at how quickly my colleagues could type in the digits and by how well they remembered! I’m just as quick, now I’ve memorized a few number patterns with my fingers. I use Mom’s the most; 12-02-xxxx enters so harmoniously on the keypad. So does my brother’s 06-08-xxxx. (Mine doesn’t flow as well, but the 987 closes with distinction.)
My duties at Express aren’t difficult, but they are numerous. Along with either one of my colleagues each evening, I’m responsible for the register and sales to customers; running the gas pump machine when you want $20 on 12; managing the roller machine for your hot dogs, sausages, Roller Bites and Tornados (including temperature checks and a once per-shift rotation of stock ); refilling coolers with drinks; cleaning that damn, grimy grill and the (often pristine) bathrooms; taking out trash, indoors and out; locking outdoor ice coolers (did I forget that last shift?); spot cleaning, and restocking our fine and numerous tobacco products.
(Often casually. There’s a predictably large amount of downtime.)
My favorite customers are the quasi-coy ones. They come in quietly and move towards the restroom. Afterwards, they slink out the door, nary a purchase! Some of them look so, so guilty. I feed off their remorse, thankful I may have avoided another request for ID or birthday to punch in.
I’ve signed a short-term contract and soon I’ll be scoring English essays on standardized tests. Last time, they were written by fourth grade students in Missouri. My ride on the Express ends soon, but I’ll likely pinch-hit once a week to stay in the loop.
(Seems unwise to weaken my already tenuous command over LottoTron.)
(Scratch-off vault in center.)
An Evan post? Very cool. I’m going to read this in the waiting room of my Dentist (nothing serious) while anticipating having holes drilled in my head.
I’m thinking about asking for STEVE SMITH sized canines.
I hope I continue to live rent-free in your gums for a bit…
You seem adjacent to my post down below. Something you may be insightful upon. (Gotta bounce off to my nook!)
All hail Lottotron!
These people have a problem.
I buy the dream of what I could change. Then I try to reverse-engineer the algorithms for creating the losing tickets such that people see results close to winning but not.
You’re paying for fun and then just skipping to the end of the book.
This $600 threshold must be common practice, since I see it at a lot of processors.
It’s the magic number for 1099 income for independent contractors.
Huh, so that’s the reason.
I wonder how often /if they change it for inflation. (I need a gasping chair to faint in, don’t I?)
“Express can only cash out up to $50, and many often offset their winnings by purchasing more tickets. Meijer itself can handle up to $600. After that, you have to go see the State Lottery Commission of Indiana.”
That way the appropriate tax amount can be withheld from your check!
Also, a cashier shouldn’t be monetarily responsible for shortage of cash because of a mistake. However, you can be fired. It puts people in a bad place. I doubt that’s official corporate policy.
I worked summers as a bank teller. I can tell you cashing out the end of the day was interesting… However, at the bank you’d be fired for trying to make them whole if you snuck your own money in. It was better to take the breakage. They simply tracked it.
I didn’t ask anyone about getting out of the $30, though I likely could have gotten out of a bit of it. Fucking up is an important way to learn.
(Note: I haven’t learned. I’ll likely be stationed at Express in two weeks after the remodel. Doing Sat shifts in the Online Pickup Dept for now.)
Few things piss me off more than lottery addicts hogging all the attention at the convenience store when I just want to buy something and get out of there.
That’s much too complicated. Just short Tesla.
Agreed. I couldn’t follow all the permutations, cards, boards, games, etc. Seems like in PA, the “second most famous groundhog” is always rolling out some stupid new game to get another few bucks out of players. If I played, I’d just want the old mobbed up numbers game: pick three numbers and win $500 if you picked right.
Back in the 90s I would eat lunch at the Meijer in Carmel. They had a very adequate fish sandwich.
When I worked at a liquor store around the same time, I had a couple of coworkers who were quite accurate at figuring out which scratch tickets in a roll paid $40, based on customers coming in, scratching their tickets, and walking out in disgust because they won nothing.
1215 could be a month day combo accidentally entered into the year field, thus something that might be checked for. Values in the 1600s could be impossible month/day combos.
Few things piss me off more than lottery addicts hogging all the attention at the convenience store when I just want to buy something and get out of there.
I was driving cross country one time, and I stopped for gas somewhere in Iowa. Apparently there was some sort of astronomical lottery pot, and there were about fifty people in line buying lottery tickets. I was not pleased.
Yes you do need to clarify, because everyone knows you’re an anti-American hack.
The rocky winding path to enlightenment
“You know, we’ll be tormented by it for a long time – I will be,” Tucker Carlson said. “And I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people. It was not intentional, that’s all I’ll say.”
Though Carlson in 1999 had referred to Trump as “the single most repulsive person on the planet”, he beat most pundits in calling for Trump to be taken seriously before he won his first presidency in 2016.
Then, as Trump successfully ran for a second presidency in 2024, Carlson supported him throughout the race, speaking at a campaign event for him just five days before election night.
But the podcaster has now been at odds with the president over US support for Israel and the war the two countries started in Iran in late February. Carlson called Trump’s language on Iran “vile on every level” – and said he took personal responsibility for the president’s return to power.
The never ending search for a political savior is hard.
He’s all yours, The Guardian.
Hope y’all enjoy! My ‘current’ Big Idea is to put my stories together, cuz… I’m at the point where I legitimately believe that ‘Evan’ is a pretty damn interesting story. Put together, my significant (looking) brain damage, coupled with my international life and travels through vocational America, I have a lurking aspiration thought that *I* might be a Unique Selling Point.
I have a tendency to write and I’m not bad at it. I’ve ‘published’ several things here and I’m actively looking to add to the Evan Project. I’m thinking this idea is not one I can or should ignore. I’m also aware most authors don’t make anything, so I’m not banking on it, but there’s also the fear of me dying early and my nephews won’t know the ‘full’ picture. They’re each ~25% of me! Seems important.
I’ve got to get back to my ‘office’ in the nook in my Hobbit hole, but this is something I’d love to hear thoughts on. I’m fairly certain Derp has encouraged me, maybe UCS or someone else. Seems a Thing I should really do. Any and all thoughts, much appreciated.
I may be able to bounce in and out of here before workday ends. Take care while I’m gone. (Cuz I protect you? yeeesh, ev.)
Writing is therapeutic and fun. So yeah, endeavor to persevere.
My spelling in the moment is wretched. At least I can see it before I hit submit.
I used to go to the Meijer on Rockville Rd, way back when. I liked to go there because there the International Brotherhood of Grocery Baggers was picketing the place. I’d wave to them as I drove by.
I was unionized grocery bagger!
UFCW 1358. I just learned now it’s merged into 152. Union (not so) strong!
https://ufcwlocal152.org/news/president-brian-string-to-retire-after-39-years-in-ufcw/
My bit of trivia when I was taking my MBA classes the lobbyist for UFCW was guest speaker in my mandatory HR class. This was the good old days when labor and management pretended to be civil to each. I give both the union and my teacher credit for brining him as a guest speaker.
I did just about blow his mind when I mentioned I was a former member of his union and asked him about specific rules I worked under and how they actually benefited workers and the store.
The world really is smaller than you think.
Do you remember any of these rules?
Most of them related to scheduling. Because I was cheap I was working every weekend because of mandated 1.5x weekend pay.
None of the higher wage old timers ever worked weekends even if they wanted to. However, they also needed to be offered at least one weekend a month or something similar.
The butcher was an entirely different union which meant that there was always tension when I needed something from the butcher area. Fortunately I had a good relationship. This also put the deli counter in an odd position because the person working that was a member of the butcher union, but needed grocery goods like, rolls and condiments from grocery.
That really doesn’t sound like union membership fostered a cohesive work environment.
F1 has been fixed!!!
In “key acceleration zones (from corner exit to braking point, including overtaking zones)” the MGU-K will be able to deploy its full 350 kW (469 hp) to complement the V6’s 400 kW (536 hp). Outside of those zones, the MGU-K is limited to just 250 kW (335 hp) around the lap, which means smaller speed differentials. And the boost—which drivers can engage if they’re within a second of a car in front—is capped at an extra 150 kW (201 hp) now.
Has everybody got that? It’s the simple clear tweak that fans should easily understand.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/04/f1-new-hybrid-rules-will-come-into-effect-at-the-miami-grand-prix-in-may/
How about this –
1: we fire all of the people writing these rules.
2: we burn the rulebook.
3: we set a maximum weight for the vehicle and let the engineers loose on their creativity.
4: We tie people complaining about the unsafe conditions to the front of the cars during the special “persuasion round” before the main race.
Has everybody got that? It’s the simple clear tweak that fans should easily understand.
Yes, of course. That will fix the show.
I stumbled across the ’82 Caesar’s Palace race last night (Prime, F1 channel). There were Alfa V12s, Cosworth V8s, Ferrari and Renault turbo V6s, all on the same race track. It was chaos. Nihilism.
OT, not immediately urgent. I’m considering a cane/walking stick/shillelagh and would appreciate any thoughts or input. I’m currently pretty impressed with these folks.
I believe kinnath here mentioned them, but I may be misremembering. If you don’t see him here, but see him another time you may want to ask again.
Giving it some thought – I am a bad choice to get advice from, as I’ve never liked the aesthetics of the classic Irish bashin-stick. So our differences in taste means this is just text befause I’m in a dull meeting.
I’ll probably get the “Hurry Cane” when the time (rapidly) approaches. The commercials are silly but they look stable.
https://canemasters.com/index.php?main_page=index
Seen these mentioned on gun forums before.
I love that guy.
I have right-handed and left-handed canes. Yes there is a difference. The knob on the stick is basically the root ball of the bush/tree. They are random in shape and some feel natural in the right hand and others feel natural in the left. He notes each stick as being neutral, righty, or lefty.
I also have a 48-inch walking stick and a cudgel.
All are loaded with lead in the knob.
He sends by post — Irish post to US Mail. It can be slow getting them delivered. My first one got caught up in customs due to some work stoppage.
Give the man your money. 😉
Thanks!
You are welcome.
His selection has been very thin of late.
Check back regularly or sign up for the email notifications.
Yeah, I’ve noticed that. I’m signed up for the emails, so, well, we’ll see.
Remember the Alamo!
Several national journalists’ organizations, including the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists, have signed a letter urging the association to show opposition to Trump’s attacks on the free press, some of which are outlined in the letter.
More than 250 former broadcast journalists also signed the letter, including Ann Curry, Dan Rather and Sam Donaldson.
“We, the undersigned, call upon the White House Correspondents’ Association to use the occasion of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to forcefully demonstrate opposition to President Trump’s efforts to trample freedom of the press,” the letter reads.
“We also urge the WHCA to reaffirm, without equivocation, that freedom of the press is not a partisan issue and that the Association will not normalize this behavior but instead fight back against any officeholder who has waged systematic war against the journalists whose work the dinner celebrates.”
A ragtag band of brave patriots, fighting doggedly for freedom.
Are they fighting for the guy who uncovered the Somali Learing Centers?
Such as? Other than calling many of them biased hacks which is obviously true?
There being too many to cite them all, it would be unfair to single out one, but let them assure you, the attacks are real.
He says mean things while holding impromptu press briefings duh!
“There is a long tradition of presidents attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner,” the letter from the coalition of journalists said. “But these are not normal times and this cannot be business as usual with the press standing up to applaud the man who attacks them on a daily basis.”
They should boycott. That would teach President Cartoon Villain a lesson.
Stay the course, brave truthtellers.
Not bad for half a decade of work.
Fanning the flames of outrage is that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Zaslav will walk away after four years at the helm with a payout of at least $550 million from the Paramount deal, in addition to $116 million in vested stock.
https://variety.com/2026/film/features/david-zaslav-warner-bros-exit-paramount-sale-1236726226/
Here’s you money. Get the fuck out of the way now.
Yeah, and he didn’t even have to hit 27 home runs and bat .225 to earn that kind of money.
Ah I see a new retred of Trump grabbed the wheel of The Beast to Trump demanded the nuclear codes.
We know its not some punch card right? I mean..it could be I guess.
Welp, back to work I guess, no nuclear winter today.
For forty years the nuclear codes were 00000000.
I think it’s now 1234512345.
The “Story of Evan” evolves. This reminded me of George Potter’s (an old friend from an anarchist site a long time ago) short story micropiece
https://billstclair.com/gloryroad/micropiece.html
!!!
George Potter, that’s a name from the past. I read his stuff on the old AntiState site a zillion years ago.