The day after I bemoaned the weakening of my Weirdo Magnet, and a lack of tales to share... I found myself in an interesting situation!
I walked up to the counter of the Gas Station Chicken Store, and saw a banana in the little slot of the plexiglass, even though obviously a single banana won't get scanned. They know the prices of stuff at the Gas Station Chicken Store. It's a Mom and Pop Shop, even though the owners don't have kids.
"Oh. Should I wait on the banana?"
"Haha! Wait on the banana! I actually started ringing it up. He should be right back."
"That's okay. I'm not in any hurry."
A man was roaming around the back aisle by the cooler. He came up the middle aisle, and deposited a bottle of Mountain Dew, a candy bar, and an individual bag of chips beside the banana.
"That'll be five dollars."
"You're kidding! Only five dollars? Cool."
Banana Man also paid for gas that he had yet to pump. I don't recall how much. I wasn't really paying attention. I was looking at some cheap sunglasses that were RayBan knockoffs, for $3.99 a pair. I noticed Cashier fiddling with a bill.
"Oh. Uh. Do you have another bill?"
"Is there something wrong with that fifty?"
"Well, the machine doesn't want to scan it, and I can't see that thread in it."
"Oh. Sure. Here."
Banana Man took back his fifty, and handed Cashier a hundred dollar bill. The scanner liked it. Cashier saw the thread when she held it up to the light. So she gave Banana Man his change. Bagged up his five-dollars-worth of snacks. Off he went to pump his gas.
"Well. I guess you never know about bills like those fifties. I've gotten some bills at the bank that look kind of funny, but I just spend them at the next place I go."
"I'm not supposed to take them if I can't see the thread."
"Yeah. It should be there."
Here's my thought. Banana Man might or might not have know if his fifty was bad. He was not from around here, because he would know that the Gas Station Chicken Store lets you pump before paying. They are the first gas station off the highway. They look like a little hole-in-the-wall place that might not use the latest technology. Like their card-scanner thingy that's on a cable.
I might or might not have witnessed an attempted counterfeit-bill passing. If I had a questionable bill to get rid off, that's the kind of place I'd choose. Then again, I don't carry around fifties and hundreds. Only twenties for me.
The fifties scare me, I have in the past used one thinking it was my usual twenty and walked away with the wrong change.
ReplyDeleteIf it costs 19.01, some Jersey cashiers will give you the coins first, then delay a bit on the bills just to rip off old people with short attention spans. A short delay and a curious look like "Yeah what are you waiting for" and I leave without my correct change. It is an art that Jersey cashiers have perfected.
That's a scam I didn't know about!
DeleteI almost never use cash these days. It's been so long with debit and credit cards that I rarely have any cash in my pockets. But don't get me started on bitcoins!
ReplyDeleteThat makes you an anti-cash-ite! Bitcoin is just an imaginary moneylike substance to me. Like pasteurized processed cheese food is supposed to be accepted as cheese.
DeleteAfter reading joeh's comment I'm probably never going to Jersey. I like my correct change!
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand the "what are you waiting for" look would have me giving them the death stare and demanding my change.
We used to get notification of fake notes going around a couple of times a year and were told what to look out for.
You and Kampground Kathy need to take a road trip to Jersey! Those cashiers wouldn't know what hit them!
DeleteI am ready to go!!
DeleteYou would eat cashiers like that for breakfast (not in a cannibalistic way), and still have an appetite for lunch and dinner for those who dared tempt their fate with other scams!
DeleteOver on cakewrecks.com under the top 13 telephone wrecks heading, there is a cake that almost has your name on it :)
ReplyDeleteOoh! I'm sure you mean the "Valid Victorian," and not the "Call Girl!"
DeleteHere's a link for anyone who reads this later:
http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2022/1/12/top-13-telephone-wrecks
I am always careful to lay that bill on top of the money in the register drawer as I count out the change. I would never want want to rip off some unsuspecting soul .... Even Steven would be watching!!
ReplyDeleteYou can't go wrong by having a healthy respect for Even Steven's surveillance!
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