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 Replies: 108 / Views: 9,711 |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1682 Posts |
As other people have posted, I think the issue is that 50 cent and dollar coins don't circulate. If they did, then people would know more about them.
In Namibia, both the South African currency (coins and notes) and Namibia currency (coins and notes) are used.
The cashiers and street vendors are even clued up enough that if you use South African coins or notes that quite often you will receive Namibian coins and notes over South African ones in change.
This is so, you will use up any of the Namibian coins and notes before you leave the country since South Africa does not accept them in stores (so you need to exchange them at a bank).
So people in Namibia know about coins and notes from two countries from a very young age.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
790 Posts |
Hate to beat a dead horse here but not knowing who Benjamin Franklin is is inexcusable. Partly the kids fault, too much media and not enough reading. Partly the parents fault (my kids know, and they certainly didn't learn it in school). Mostly the stupid politically correct school boards that insist on filling our kid's texts with relatively minor historical figures to make sure no one's feellings get hurt. Yep, I'm ranting, but seriously, look in a kid's history book and you will not find many of the things that we learned as a kid. I'm not saying that things like Cesar Chavez and the Trail of Tears are not important, they are important to understand and remember, but at what cost. Other things happened in history too. Where is Ben?
Edited by Jays-Dad
01/25/2010 09:20 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4867 Posts |
Recently I spent a couple of dollar coins and a half dollar at a gas station for a Pepsi and the young lady was really excited and bought them from her till. Once at McDonald's some youngin' had to get a manager because I was paying with a $2 bill, an Ike, and an SBA dollar. I was having a blast. Generally those coins are taken with no problems. It's really the younger people. As I have said before, knowing your countries legal tender should be a requirement for all cashiers. It will save problems in the long run. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1055 Posts |
I like using the "gold dollars" as an example... A couple years ago I gave a speech about the value of gold, gold coins, and the possible buffer against hard times inflation at the university (college). At that time gold was around 900/oz. When I was finished this girl in the back raised her hand excitedly and siad she has gold. So she digs through her purse and pulls out three Sacs thinking shes got $2500 in gold from circulation  Needless to say my response was quite entertaining. Did I mention this was at a college  Oh and isn't benjamin franklin the guy who invented twitter?! |
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Valued Member
United States
97 Posts |
High school drop outs @ the local mini-marts & gas stations are fun to spend odd money with. A cpl summers ago I got $3 in gas for my bike, went in and handed $3 in halfs to the cashier who then said "you handed me $6 sir." handing 3 back to me, I chucked and said they're half dollars. "Oh" I think I may start using them again...  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
I paid for $4 worth of groceries with 8 halves, and the checker tried to give me $36 in change.
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Pillar of the Community
3660 Posts |
Okay, that does it, I am going to the bank right now, and get as many halves as I can carry.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1055 Posts |
Quote:
I paid for $4 worth of groceries with 8 halves, and the checker tried to give me $36 in change. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
677 Posts |
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Obviously the government saw the need for them in our coinage.
But no one uses them! That is my point that you refuse to see. All I am saying is, that when a person has never been exposed to a certain coin, why are they an idiot for not accepting it as legal tender without questioning it? Quote:
With your reasoning, we really don't need the dime then, two nickels would do just fine. And I guess we really don't need the dollar bill or dollar coin since 4 half dollars make a $2.00 bill. Like I said previously, the half dollar has been around for over 200 years. Obviously the government saw the need for them in our coinage.
Again...completely missed my point. You insinuate that anyone who doesn't assume there is a denomination between a quarter and a dollar is an idiot. Why? The vast majority of people get a long just fine without them. When is the last time you received one in change? I am 38, and I haven't gotten one back more than 5 times in my entire life. They just aren't used. I'm not saying we should get rid of them or the dollar coin. ALL I'm SAYING is that why shouldn't someone who has never seen one question it? Yes, it's funny (and sad) that they don't know what it is. But, they don't, so they should be suspicious of it. Quote:
Or, we can use some common sense. Absolutely...and I define common sense as questioning something you have never seen before instead of taking the noisy customer's word for it. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2520 Posts |
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I paid for $4 worth of groceries with 8 halves, and the checker tried to give me $36 in change. I paid for some items at the store down the street from me with a roll of halves. The bill was $9.36. The cashier was NOT a younger gal. She handed me back $40.64.  In case you're wondering...I did give her back the $40.00. I still can't figure out her reasoning. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
677 Posts |
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Mostly the stupid politically correct school boards that insist on filling our kid's texts with relatively minor historical figures to make sure no one's feellings get hurt. Right on, Jays-Dad! The Founding Fathers just aren't PC enough for schools to cover them the way they should be covered. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
677 Posts |
Quote:
I paid for some items at the store down the street from me with a roll of halves. The bill was $9.36. The cashier was NOT a younger gal. She handed me back $40.64. We can agree on that...basic money counting skills are VERY lacking with a lot of cashiers! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
For the record, I did get a half in change on Saturday, but I was at the coin shop, so it probably should not count.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2520 Posts |
Quote:
I'm not saying we should get rid of them or the dollar coin. ALL I'm SAYING is that why shouldn't someone who has never seen one question it? Yes, it's funny (and sad) that they don't know what it is. But, they don't, so they should be suspicious of it. I think you are missing my point! For example, let's say that somebody gave you a Canadian quarter in change. You had NEVER seen one before! You have the brainpower to read the coin "CANADA 25 cents"! You...(using common sense) deduct that this is indeed a legal Canadian currency worth 25 cents in Canada! (NOTE...you don't assume that it is a fake coin). The same reasoning should be applied to US coinage in circulation. After all, like I said before, we are talking small change here (and NOT a $500.00 bill). Correct me if I'm wrong...but I don't believe I called anybody an idiot in my posts. I just suggested that a little common sense be used. If you ever had a management job where customer satisfaction is a major priority, you would understand where I'm coming from. You train your employees who handle cash. You really don't want something as petty as 50 cents resulting in you being on the phone for 15 minutes getting chewed out by corporate (because they were on the phone for half an hour with a disgruntled customer). Proper training is needed...but not at the tax payers expense. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
677 Posts |
Quote:
For the record, I did get a half in change on Saturday, but I was at the coin shop, so it probably should not count.
Yeah, I'm not trying to say it never happens. Just not very often. And, yes, I would think the change you get at a coin shop would be "out of the ordinary". I never got any halves form my dealer, but he would always give out nice, older coins. Is it possible it's regional? I mean, are halves used more in some parts of the country than others? I wouldn't think so, but you never know? |
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Replies: 108 / Views: 9,711 |
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Posted 01/25/2010 09:16 am
