Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Canadian Money Pisses Me Off

Okay, I hate Canadians. I really don't, but I can't stand their money. Let me explain.

Last week, I purchased something at my corner convenience store. Well, the convenience store near work, at least. I go there lots – not every day but for lots of days. When I spend cash, I mostly spend it at this store (I love my credit and debit cards). Anyway, I go to purchase my soda and heroine. Well, my soda, at least. Damn word processor, always adding words for me.

So I purchase my soda and the person at the counter says, "Ma'am, one of these quarters is a Canadian quarter. I can't accept this."

I would like to say two things – or more.

1. American and Canadian quarters are the same size, and because American quarters now have states which have all sorts of crap on them (trees, astronauts, airplanes, and I half-expect Marilyn Monroe on the next one) so I rarely notice the absence of Washington's bust or an eagle as strange.

2. I am in Georgia, a heck of a long way from Canada. And these quarters are in the money supply. This sucks.

3. I know that I can't spend foreign money in America.

And I don't look at my quarters.

Okay, so you are saying that it ends with losing twenty-five cents? Not quite.

I, for whatever reason, did not toss the quarter. I should have.

Several days later, I placed four quarters in a vending machine. The third quarter was that Canadian quarter. Again, I did not know that I was using a Canadian quarter, but because they are different weights, the Canadian quarter fell to the change return immediately.

Since I only had five quarters, four of which were legal tender in the US, I was stuck. So I hit the coin return and got absolutely nothing. Not a single quarter. So that one convenience store clerk who originally gave me the Canadian quarter cost me seventy-five cents. The original quarter and two that the vending machine happily ate.

Heck, at least I got a blog entry for my money. Have a wonderful Tuesday. Darned Elizabeth II and Moose-head money. Why can't Canadian mints be creative and make octagonal money or coins with holes through the center? I am so American-centric.

18 comments:

mal said...

gee, you should talk to the folks who make coin validators for vending machines. They are always fighting to make sure they do not take those coins either. Not surprisingly, I have recieved Canadian coins in change from vending machines. Apparently they do no mind handing them out anyway

Pyth0s said...

Grrrrrrrrrr.

Well since I am a fan of yours I will restrain myself from the plethora of comments swimming in my head which are coaxing my fingers to type out in defense.

I would love to keep visiting this blog and adding my comments.

Cheers!

Pyth0s the Canadian

J R Estelle said...

Sometimes if you "shove" the coin into the slot of the vending machine, like you're throwing it in there, the machine will take it. I know, I've tried, it works.

Deb said...

Some deli clerk wanted to give me a silver dollar back as change. How the hell am I going to use this and be taken seriously? I know it's ligit money, but it's still embarrassing to whip out this HUGE ass coin and expect people to not be baffled by it.

So Leesa's got change in her pocket that goes jinga-linga-ling!!! How in the world do you expect to take me out for martinis with pocket change missy??????????????????

MOAB said...

Yeah...I get unreasonably upset if I get "stuck" with Canadian money...And I'm practically IN Canada...waaaay up north here in Iowa. Actually "Up North" is where my Grandma is from...border towns in Northern Minnesota...do you think that the Canadians refer to them as "down south"? I wonder if in Canada the machines and clerks reject American money.....Pyth0s?
Hmmm...maybe I need more Canadian friends ('course then I'd just end up with more bum quarters)
N'er mind.

mfophotos said...

Since I live 50 miles from Canada, Canadian change is always popping up, and I do my best to slip it in whenever I can. Except for vending machines and parking meters. At least the have a dollar coin called the "Loonie" because it features a loon on it. We instead, have a fucking loony as president.

Leesa said...

mal: interesting. they dish out but don't take in.

pyth0s: I am not frustrated with Canadians. Just Canadian coins in American tills.

jr: and if you can find a football player, you can ask him to "tilt" the machine and get a soda for free.

~deb: you could have said you are keeping your ones when you hit the strip club later that night, and would appreciate bills. PS: I think the deli clerk likes you!

monica: If I were as close to Canada as you, I would have a pickle jar for Canadian quarters and pennies. That way, if I traveled there, I could pay the Canadian clerks with their money.

heather: I know, sweetie, I know. But I don't think having a nervous breakdown over 75 cents is going to get me the score I so despirately deserve.

mark: I think the Canadian dimes are nice, probably because I have only seen one of them.

Anonymous said...

Working in Detroit, I get LOTS of Canadian change. I have no problem spending it here either as long as it's not in a machine.

Anonymous said...

Yes. I agree. VERY annoying. I hate losing money.

I can't use blogger...it's still me though. I hate using this account, but oh well.

Jef said...

I'd take the Canadian over the peso any day. If this doesn't piss you off I don't know what does.

DALLAS (Reuters) - Mexican pesos won't buy you much north of the border. But from Monday they'll buy you a pizza.
ADVERTISEMENT

A Dallas-based pizza chain which caters to the Hispanic community is accepting the Mexican currency at all of its 59 U.S. stores starting on Monday, giving the greenback some unusual competition at the cash register.

"Unlike many other businesses for us it makes sense. Our stores are located in predominately Hispanic communities and so the majority of our customers are Hispanic," said Andrew Gamm, director of brand development for Pizza Patron.

"We know that a large number of them travel back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico and consequently have some pesos left over in their pocket. The pizza business is extremely competitive and we thought this was a way to position ourselves in relation to our competitors," he told Reuters."

Read more ...

~Jef

Prata said...

Those whom I associate with from Canada say we (Americans) have a southern accent. Just in case you were curious.

Leesa said...

charmed: that would annoy me to no end.

VX: I was under the understanding you could log on with your old blogger account. And I have annon comments just for your sweet ass!

edge: holy crap.

prata: I have a southern accent; and I can really turn it on when I want to (exagerate it).

Anonymous said...

you might better get used to the canadian money and the mexican money too. The Idiocrats are sure to back the current movement to accept the peso started by some kind of pizza chain or some such foolishness
be careful how you vote you could vote your country away!
js

Blog hog said...

Leesa,

Oh man, Im glad you did this post on canadian coins today.
I was feeling alone and like there was a conspiracy among store teller clerks to give me all the canadian change because I look like a dork or something.
Losing money in soda machines pisses me off too.

Leesa said...

VS: glad to see you were able to log in.

js: we live in a very small world.

gw mush: uh, you know, I think you may need to devote some time to this with your calender.

lightning: Tornwordo? I have no idea who that is.

Tony said...

I heard a news article on NPR the other day where a pizza vendor in Texas is now accepting Pesos. I guess things could be worse.

~grey said...

LOL
If you send me your Canadian Quarters... I'll send you my American Quarters (That don't work in the vending machines either) BUT.... the stores will take them.

btw.. the loonie comment was funny!

another Canuckian!

Anonymous said...

Yeah well i want a pepsi right now and its a 1.25 but i have a dollar and a silly canadian quarter.