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 Replies: 77 / Views: 7,825 |
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Rest in Peace
United States
1729 Posts |
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. (Mark Twain)
Use that line the next time someone tries to tell you that grammar and punctuation don't matter.
And let's toss this situation into the ring. You've been hired as a new cashier because your ex is way behind in child support, and you need the money. It's the end of the day, your feet are tired, you have a headache, your replacement is late, and you haven't had a bathroom break for three hours.
A guy wearing a "I heart the U. S. Mint" sweatshirt comes in, picks out some items, and tosses them onto the counter. You tell him, "That will be seven dollars and sixty-seven cents, please." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an Ike, a Susie, a Sac, a one-dollar bill, and four gold-colored coins that have men's faces on them but look like play money. The only item that looks familiar is the dollar bill. How do you react?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
Pls,  Good points were made. Also important to consider how collectors always know more about coins than the public, who simply view them as objects of utility. Or, in the case of halves and dollar coins, possibly less utility.  |
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Valued Member
 United States
277 Posts |
I have several late teens/ early twenties kids that work for me. I said "the first person to tell me what number president was Ben Franklin can have tomorrow off". Not only did they guess, one tried to tell me he was president before Washington. When I laughed she said "that's why he's on the $1 bill"
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Moderator
 United States
188513 Posts |
Quote:
the first person to tell me what number president was Ben Franklin can have tomorrow off He was the Sixth President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania (18 October 1785 to 1 December 1 1788). You did not specify the specific office of president. Do I get the day off now?   |
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Valued Member
United States
228 Posts |
numismo: It is disconcerting enough to discover that most teens cannot tell you what the three branches of government are. It's nightmarish to discover that a sitting U.S. Senator, (Chuck Schumer N.Y.), thinks the three branches of government are: The Executive, and the Congress and Senate!  No joke. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
838 Posts |
As a Canadian who frequents the US, I am curious about something at your cash registers: Is it considered wrong to hand back that $2 note, Sacagawea or Kennedy half in change to the next customer? (I know the San Diego Zoo gives out $2 notes in change, but that's a unique case as far as I know.) Young Canadian cashiers are equally leery of 50 cent coins or old paper money. But the other day a kid took my $2 bill at Tim Horton's and said "cool"! Who knows, maybe he's a new member here on CCF already!? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
757 Posts |
yeah it is definitely an easy way to get people into it. for a more uplifting story, I payed for an entire meal at olive garden in halves and the kid started chatting with me about them and genuinely seemed interested.
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New Member
Canada
27 Posts |
Quote:
A guy wearing a "I heart the U. S. Mint" sweatshirt comes in, picks out some items, and tosses them onto the counter. You tell him, "That will be seven dollars and sixty-seven cents, please." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an Ike, a Susie, a Sac, a one-dollar bill, and four gold-colored coins that have men's faces on them but look like play money. The only item that looks familiar is the dollar bill. How do you react? I note to the nice fellow that we only take Canadian money in New Brunswick.  Also, I have a pretty good like for adults who don't think that capitalization is important, but it would definitely violate forum guildlines. It's not hard to find if you Google, though. |
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Moderator
United States
16679 Posts |
It's ridiculous, sad actually. I gave this one girl at McDonald's a $5 bill for a $4.93 purchase, and she could not figure out that she owed me 7C without looking at the cash register. I see this all the time and it's only getting worse.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Lets not just blame kids. At a restaurant I left a few of those baby sized dollars on the table for a tip. As I started to leave the waitress, not young at all, said rather loudly, Sir, you left some of your kids play money on the table.
On our Commuter trains conductors constantly tell passengers not to try using those baby sized dollars since they do not have coin changers that accept them.
A friend of mine has a small vending machine company and constantly complains that people want to use those baby sized dollars and his machines just don't accept them.
My Son is no kid, has his own buisness, a wife and daughter and never uses cash of any kind. Although I've been a coin collector all my life, not to long ago I showed him a $2 bill and he started to laugh. Saying who made that thing for you?
Not to long ago I used to get Halves from the banks all the time and had fun spending them. Every time was told what the xxxxxxx is this supposed to be and not just by kids, many people in stores, restaurants, etc.
By me I'd have better luck spending Peso's.
Edited by just carl
02/08/2011 9:31 pm
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Valued Member
United States
463 Posts |
I agree with what carl said above because I like to spend halves, $1 coins and $2 bills as its funny how people look at you like your trying to give them fake money or something. Most people dont see ikes, halves or $2 dollar bills so its not there fault but just a little uniformed
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2734 Posts |
The one thing that really stumps young cashiers is when you hand them amounts to minimize your change back: IE: If you hand them $22.17 for a $12.17 purchase, they might ask you why you didn't just hand them a "twenty".  Then you reply, "So I get a ten back". They type "$22.17" in, and guess what? The change readout on their screen shows $10.00 even, like magic. Then they act really surprised that someone could do the math in their head, quickly, without using any form of electronic device. I'm almost like Houdini to them (not that they'd know who he was!). Quote:
On our Commuter trains conductors constantly tell passengers not to try using those baby-sized dollars since they do not have coin changers that accept them. They have to make that clear because many other mass transit systems in the U.S. accept them. All forms of mass transit in Denver accept $1 coins, in fact the Light Rail ticket dispensers give dollar-increment change only in Dollar coins! Denver is rather of a haven for Dollar coins. (most appropriate, because silver Dollars circulated heavily here back in their day) Their use in mass transit and in the $1 coin slot machines in the mountain gambling towns means these coins are not total strangers to cashier's drawers (even teenage cashiers recognize them here). It's still not "proper cashier etiquette" to hand them out to customers as change, but they're always glad to sell me Dollar coins. I love using the Dollars in the car wash (sure beats fumbling with a handful of Quarters!), but even better is parking Downtown. All of Denver's fancy new parking meters take credit/debit cards, but with card and bank fees the "cash-free" folks can end up paying up to $5 for $1 worth of parking. When I plunk in my Dollar coin, I know that I paid not one Cent more than $1 ( and I didn't have to waste time fumbling with 4 Quarters). Edited by DNA
02/08/2011 10:35 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
1729 Posts |
DNA, I went through that with a college kid at a restaurant Saturday. All was cool. Even left some play money ... oops, "golden" dollars ... in the tip jar. Got a ten back in change, and headed off to my table (our writing group had a meeting in a back area).
Half an hour later he came out with the bill.
"I already paid," quoth I.
"You did? Did you pay in cash?"
"I did."
He mumbled something and left in confusion. I'm not sure what was going on upstairs, but obviously he needed a day off to deal with it ...
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
838 Posts |
More than once these days a young cashier has returned the wrong amount in change to me. For example, if the amount is $8.42 and I pay with a $20, I'll get back $1.58. I'll give the benefit of the doubt that they just make (a lot of) honest errors.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2205 Posts |
I've enjoyed getting "weird" money from the bank, such as halves, dollar coins, and $2 bills, because it's fun to spend. If the cashier is cool, they'll do a bit of a double take and laugh and then we get into a conversation.
But I am honestly surprised that no one has told me that I need to use American money. I've never been turned down.
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Replies: 77 / Views: 7,825 |
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Posted 02/08/2011 3:12 pm
