Re: is this a typical desi mentality?
Why don't you do all your shopping at Neimen Marcus and Nordstorm ? No problems like these there. Just kidding.
Desi stores do not carry lots of change and cannot afford to. They do not even have the volume of business which is typical for even a low volume 7-11.
If you happen to visit some big desi stores and there are so many in desi heavens like Chicago, Jackson Heights, Anaheim etc you will not see this issue there either.