[Mishmash] Fwd: The $2 Bill

Tue Feb 27 21:48:41 CST 2007

I'm not surprised.  During frontier days when the silver cartwheel 
was THE dollar,
everybody knew what a dollar coin looked like.  Today, nobody sees 
them.  I read
the other day that the mint is about to issue a series of one dollar coins with
the portraits of the presidents on them.  They're apparently hoping 
that if they
become fashionable, they will finally be able to stop producing -- or 
at least cut
back on -- the paper dollar that lasts for a very short time and that 
congress has
forbidden them to discontinue.  Why, I don't know.  So many countries 
have dropped
the use of the smallest denomination bill in favor of coinage.  In 
Switzerland, to
name one place I know well, you have one, two and five Franc coins, 
and no bills
smaller than a ten.  And one Franc is not small change; the current 
exchange rate
makes it worth about 80 cents.  Canada has done the same thing, and 
many others.
But we insist on keeping the single in print, God knows why.

Dick

At 02:59 PM 2/27/2007, you wrote:
>Dick,
>
>     I had the same problem at the Gaithersburg post office.  Every time I'd
>buy a book of stamps from their machine, it would give me change in Susan B.
>Anthony dollars.
>
>     I later went through the drive-through at a fast food place and ordered
>a burger and a drink.  I paid him with that change I got from the post
>office.  He asked me what they were.  I told him they were dollar coins.  He
>walked over to the manager and asked if they took them.  The manager said
>that yes, they did (big surprise).  So he came back and gave me my change
>and handed me my burger and my drink.  I was thinking 'boy, what an idiot'
>when I drove out.
>
>     Regards,
>
>
>                                                                     Fred
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Richard Barth" <w3hwn at comcast.net>
>To: <w3hwn at arrl.net>
>Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 1:32 PM
>Subject: [Mishmash] Fwd: The $2 Bill
>
>
> >
> > >>
> > >>The $2 Bill
> > >>Everyone should start carrying them!
> > >>
> > >>I am still laughing!! I think we need to quit saving our $2 bills
> > >>and bring them out in public.  The younger generation doesn't know they
>exist.
> > >>
> > >>Story:
> > >>
> > >>On my way home from work, I stopped at Taco Bell for a quick bite to
>eat.
> > >>In my bill fold are a $50 bill and a $2 bill. I figure that with a
> > >>$2 bill, I can get something to eat and not have to worry about
> > >>anyone getting irritated at me for trying to break a $50 bill.
> > >>
> > >>Me: "Hi, I'd like one seven-layer burrito please, to go."
> > >>
> > >>Server: "That'll be $1.04. Eat in?"
> > >>
> > >>Me: "No, it's to go." At this point, I open my bill fold and hand
> > >>him the $2 bill. He looks at it kind of funny
> > >>
> > >>Server: "Uh, hang on a sec, I'll be right back."
> > >>
> > >>He goes to talk to his manager, who is still within my earshot. The
> > >>following conversation occurs between the two of them.
> > >>
> > >>Server: "Hey, you ever see a $2 bill?"
> > >>Manager: "No. A What?"
> > >>Server: "A $2 bill. This guy just gave it to me."
> > >>Manager: "Ask for something else. There's no such thing as a $2 bill."
> > >>Server: "Yeah, thought so."
> > >>
> > >>He comes back to me and says, "We don't take these. Do you have
> > >>anything else?"
> > >>
> > >>Me: "Just this fifty. You don't take $2 bills" Why?"
> > >>
> > >>Server: "I don't know."
> > >>Me: "See here where it says legal tender?"
> > >>Server: "Yeah."
> > >>Me: "So, why won't you take it?"
> > >>Server: "Well, hang on a sec."
> > >>
> > >>He goes back to his manager, who has been watching me like I'm a
> > >>shoplifter, and says to him, "He says I have to take it."
> > >>
> > >>Manager: "Does he have anything else?"
> > >>Server: "Yeah, a fifty. I'll get it and you can open the safe and
> > >>get change."
> > >>Manager: "I'm not opening the safe with him in here."
> > >>Server: "What should I do?"
> > >>Manager: "Tell him to come back later when he has real money."
> > >>Server: "I can't tell him that! You tell him."
> > >>Manager: "Just tell him."
> > >>Server: "No way! This is weird. I'm going in back."
> > >>
> > >>The manager approaches me and says, "I'm sorry, but we don't take big
> > >>bills this time of night."
> > >>
> > >>Me: "It's only seven o'clock! Well then, here's a two dollar bill."
> > >>
> > >>Manager: "We don't take those, either."
> > >>Me: "Why not?"
> > >>Manager: "I think you know why."
> > >>Me: "No really, tell me why."
> > >>Manager: "Please leave before I call mall security."
> > >>Me: "Excuse me?"
> > >>Manager: "Please leave before I call mall security."
> > >>Me: "What on earth for?
> > >>Manager: "Please, sir."
> > >>Me: "Uh, go ahead, call them."
> > >>
> > >>Manager: "Would you please just leave?"
> > >>Me: "No."
> > >>Manager: "Fine -- have it your way then."
> > >>Me: "Hey, that's Burger King, isn't it?"
> > >>
> > >>At this point, he backs away from me and calls mall security on the
> > >>phone around the corner. I have two people staring at me from the
> > >>dining area, and I begin laughing out loud, just for effect. A few
> > >>minutes later this 45-year-oldish guy comes in.
> > >>
> > >>Guard: "Yeah, Mike, what's up?"
> > >>Manager (whispering): "This guy is trying to give me some (pause)
> > >>funny money."
> > >>Guard: "No kidding! What?"
> > >>Manager: "Get this...A two dollar bill."
> > >>Guard  (incredulous): "Why would a guy fake a two dollar bill?"
> > >>
> > >>Manager: "I don't know. He's kind a weird. He says the only other
> > >>thing he has is a fifty."
> > >>Guard: "Oh, so the fifty's fake!"
> > >>Manager: "No, the two dollar bill is."
> > >>Guard: "Why would he fake a two dollar bill?"
> > >>Manager: "I don't know! Can you talk to him, and get him out of here?"
> > >>Guard: "Yeah."  Security Guard walks over to me and......
> > >>Guard: " Mike here tells me you have some fake bills you're trying to
>use."
> > >>
> > >>Me: "Uh, no."
> > >>Guard: " Lemme see'em."
> > >>Me: "Why?"
> > >>Guard" "Do you want me to get the cops in here?"
> > >>
> > >>At this point I am ready to say. "Sure, Please!" but I want to eat,
> > >>so I say "I'm just trying to buy a burrito and pay for it with this
> > >>two dollar bill."
> > >>
> > >>I put the bill up near his face, and he flinches like I'm taking a
> > >>swing at him. He takes the bill, turns it over a few times in his
> > >>hands and says. "Hey, Mike, what's wrong with this bill?"
> > >>
> > >>Manager: "It's fake."
> > >>Guard: "It doesn't look fake to me."
> > >>Manager: "But it's a two dollar bill."
> > >>Guard: "Yeah?"
> > >>Manager: "Well, there's no such thing, is there?"
> > >>
> > >>The security guard and I both look at him like he's an idiot and it
> > >>dawns on the guy that he has no clue. So, it turns out that my
> > >>burrito was free, and he threw in a small drink and some of those
> > >>cinnamon thingies, too.
> > >>
> > >>Made me want to get a whole stack of two dollar bills just to see
> > >>what happens when I try to buy stuff. If I get the right group of
> > >>people, I could probably end up in jail. You get free food there, too.
> > >>
> > >>Just think...those two probably voted!!!!
> >
> > The stamp machine at the local post office used to give out Sacagawea
> > dollar coins for change.  I wonder if there's an easy place to get
> > two-spots.  Give you something to do on a dull day besides
> > squat thrusts on an elephant's back.
> >
> >
> >
> > Richard Barth *** W3HWN(at)ARRL.NET *** Silver Spring, MD
> >
> >
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>
>
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Richard Barth *** W3HWN(at)ARRL.NET *** Silver Spring, MD 