MovieChat Forums > Friday the 13th Part III (1982) Discussion > How does the cashier know that Vera has ...

How does the cashier know that Vera has food stamps?


Vera does not mention or show food stamps. She barely touches her pocket when the cashier says that the government assistance is not accepted. What makes the woman say that? There is nothing to indicate that Vera is carrying food stamps, and the two are strangers.

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Good catch. You have found a plot hole

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Thank you, millsey72. There is no point to the line, but the entire moment is foolish. Shelly should know better than to toss his wallet in public even if he's not the most careful thinker. Also, Vera ought to explain that she'll need money from her fellow shopper before they enter the store.

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Vera realized she left her wallet back at the camp when she got on line at the store.

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That could be true, but it might also be a matter of Vera planning all along to use food stamps. Maybe she doesn't know that in the early eighties few, if any, convenience stores would be accepting of her method.

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We will use your theory. Its a plot hole

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Thank you. PaladinNJ and bobbydallas have a decent point and might be right, but once again, I cannot deem the cashier racist since she pretends that the gang is not even in the store.

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I think she just assumed that because she didn't have cash or a credit card on her she was on food stamps. Also this was back before food stamps were like debit cards. They were pieces of paper similar to cash back then.

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It was meant to show the cashier was racist. Because Vera was Hispanic, she assumed Vera was on food stamps.

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Excellent observation. I missed that. Good job

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Thank you, PaladinNJ. I have briefly wondered the same thing, simply because it's the only explanation, but figured that it's not the case because Vera looks white. I wouldn't even know that she is Latina if her mother were not South American. If you're right, though, then it contradicts the cashier tolerating what the gang members do in front of her.

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BINGO - The same thing I thought.

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pretty sure 'cause Vera looks latin (and/or Mexican)

pure racism buds

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Thank you, bobbydallas. It is the only reason that makes sense, but doesn't fit with what happens next. A racist cashier would have a worse problem with the gang, but the one in the movie does nothing about Vera and Shelly being attacked.

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on the other hand maybe other young punk kids try to pass off food stamps to get munchies and stuff?
and the cashier was just annoyed. idk

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This is a creative thought. I can understand the cashier being aggravated by kids using the convenience store to waste their food stamps on junk. She might think that it cheapens the business. Your suggestion better supports why nothing is done about the gang since it is unrelated to race.

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But she doesnt look it at all. Maybe they should have actually hired a Latino woman.

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NGMI, overall, she doesn't, but it seems that what happens in the store is not about race anyway. Vera needs to be played by a girl who is white or closely resembles white to make Shelly's interest in her typical and comfortable. I think that Vera and her mother screaming in Spanish is just for a comical effect and not intended to have any bearing on the kid's character.

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It is very simple. Vera is supposed to be Hispanic and the stereotype is that Hispanics are on welfare. Definitely used for a cheap laugh. Doesn't matter if she's white or not. A lot of Hispanics identify as white. A lot of them do look very white, too. But, one can still hate Hispanics regardless. I don't know if the actress herself is actually Spanish, though. She does look somewhat Hispanic to me. But whatever, Vera was hot.

As far as the cashier goes, maybe the cashier hated black people, too. Vera didn't look threatening. The gang did. Cashier probably didn't want to provoke them with a racist comment. We do see the bald black guy come out with a beer/soda in his hand so who knows if he paid for it or if he stole it. We don't see the white guy or the black woman (very diverse gang) in that scene when the bald guy is outside with Shelly. Maybe they are torturing the cashier.

These movies are really esoteric, aren't they?

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Thank you, MinorityRules15. I know that some Hispanic people are white. When they are, though, one can't tell that they are also of South American origin. Vera does not quite look Latina, but maybe her skin tone and hair combined make the cashier assume that the girl is Hispanic. You have an interesting approach to explaining the woman's behavior. Perhaps she thinks that she is about to be held at gunpoint and forced to empty the cash register. Yes, films can have mentally exclusive matters, but I don't expect to see one in a slasher movie.

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