I thought perhaps we could post here about the minutia of human interactions, mostly the strange minor encounters we have with human beings.
Yesterday I had two odd encounters with toll collectors on the New Jersey Turnpike. The first one was with an older toll collector who had painted on eyebrows and bluish hair. My toll was $10 and change, I gave her a $100 which I needed to break. Usually I don't have any issue doing so and on occasion apologize for the big bill and am told not to worry about it. This lady seemed very agitated by my legal tender and took some time making the change. When I was about to pull away I observed her attaching the bill to a form which she filled out, with a paper clip. What do you think this form was for? I know the bill was not a counterfeit and if she was worried about that she could of just tested it with the sunlight or that special pen. Although, you can apparently pass those bills by adding a layer of hair mousse to them.
The second encounter was the opposite in a way. My toll came out to $9.05 and I gave exact change including five pennies. This time when I was about to leave the man threw the pennies down on the road. What will he replace those pennies with in his register? I could understand if he was annoyed if I paid the whole toll in pennies but a five dollar bill, four singles and five pennies seemed like a tidy way to pay. The use to have signs on the toll booths years ago saying "no pennies" but they were removed at some point I believe due to an injunction by PETA or another organization.
If we cannot use pennies and hundred dollar bills the government should get rid of them. I am sensitive to the fact that some business might not have change for a hundred dollar bills but considering the amount of cash a toll collector takes in a day I do not perceive this as an issue on such occassions.
Yesterday I had two odd encounters with toll collectors on the New Jersey Turnpike. The first one was with an older toll collector who had painted on eyebrows and bluish hair. My toll was $10 and change, I gave her a $100 which I needed to break. Usually I don't have any issue doing so and on occasion apologize for the big bill and am told not to worry about it. This lady seemed very agitated by my legal tender and took some time making the change. When I was about to pull away I observed her attaching the bill to a form which she filled out, with a paper clip. What do you think this form was for? I know the bill was not a counterfeit and if she was worried about that she could of just tested it with the sunlight or that special pen. Although, you can apparently pass those bills by adding a layer of hair mousse to them.
The second encounter was the opposite in a way. My toll came out to $9.05 and I gave exact change including five pennies. This time when I was about to leave the man threw the pennies down on the road. What will he replace those pennies with in his register? I could understand if he was annoyed if I paid the whole toll in pennies but a five dollar bill, four singles and five pennies seemed like a tidy way to pay. The use to have signs on the toll booths years ago saying "no pennies" but they were removed at some point I believe due to an injunction by PETA or another organization.
If we cannot use pennies and hundred dollar bills the government should get rid of them. I am sensitive to the fact that some business might not have change for a hundred dollar bills but considering the amount of cash a toll collector takes in a day I do not perceive this as an issue on such occassions.
