Display of Public Dumbness

I know that certain jobs require employees to spit out little scripts when serving customers. This is acceptable when it's along the lines of, "welcome to ___, may I ____?", or "Thank you for calling ___, this is ___, how can I help you?" I even understand that the bane of modern phone conversations, telemarketers, have little shpiels that they have to go through when you pick up the phone.
What I don't understand, however, is how people can go through their scripts when clearly, CLEARLY, the script does not apply. Example:

I stand in line at the Post Office. I am called to the next available clerk. She asks, "How can I help you?" I say, "I want to send this [presenting a package] regular, media mail. It's a book." She takes the package, places it on the scale. Looks at me and asks, "Anything fragile in here?" I think, perhaps she did not hear me, so I respond casually, "No, nothing fragile. It is a book." She retorts with, "Anything perishable?" At this point I start to be confused, and think I am speaking in Pekinese or something. I repeat, a bit stronger, "No. It is a book," emphasis and all. "Anything liquid?" Good God Almighty!! However, I try to keep in mind that she needs to ask these questions when a person presents a package, but I have stated, clearly, and repeatedly, that I am sending A BOOK!!! So - no need, really, for redundant and idiotic questions.

Moving on to the next challenging step of Postal Interaction -- the kind of service!! "Do you want to send it First Class? It can be there tomorrow," says the clerk. "No, I want to send it regular media mail." "Priority is $6.75," she says. I return, "No, thank you [teeth are clenched by now], that's okay." Her selective hearing took this to mean "okay," so she says, "Total is $6.75." I stare at her. If I was at Hogwarts, she may possibly have turned into a ferret. "No, not Priority, regular media mail." "Oh, $2.58," she says. I pull out my money -- exact change, and hand it to her. "Would you like insurance?" "No, no insurance." "Proof of receipt?" "No, nothing else. Thank you, that will be all." "Any stamps today?" [UGGH!! SHUT UP WOMAN!] "No, nothing else for today, thank you" [my imaginary inner child kicks her in the shins]. You would think that would be all, BUT NO! "Do you need any packing supplies?" Okay, now she's just f*-ing with me, I'm sure, because it's getting ridiculous. I can't help it, but I laugh. "No, nothing else, this will be all, thank you." I take the receipt and leave, confused and annoyed at the experience.

Why? Because the postal clerks don't give customers enough credit. It's as if they think, "these morons walked in here like zombies off a street. Of course they don't know what they need, so we will run through our entire list of options for them." COME ON! When I walk into a Post Office, I know what I need. I know if I need stamps. I know how I want to send my mail. I even know if I want a confirmation. I do appreciate their effort, but sometimes, when the customer clearly knows what she or he needs, there is no need - NONE! - to go through the various prices, the various options, etc. Now, if I were to come in and ask, "What are my options for sending this BOOK [thus, no liquids, perishables, or fragile materials] to NJ?" the clerk could then go to town with the different options.

Okay, that's my rant of the day :) Now on to being productive!!