Yes, I make a living stealing pennies off you

[customersruinmylife]

An elderly customer orders a drink at the bar. I give him his total.

Me: OK, that is £1.89 please sir.

He hands me a five pound note.

Me: And that's £3.11 change. Enjoy your drink.

The old man stood there, studying his change, staring at it. He suddenly went a bright shade of red.

SC: YOU ONLY GAVE ME £3.10! YOU OWE ME A PENNY!!

Now, I don't know what happened. The only thing I can think of is that I somehow dropped the penny on the floor as I handed him his change.

Me: Oh, OK.

I open the register and get him a penny.

SC: NICE TRY!!

He walked off.

Yes, I am THAT poor that I make extra money stealing copper from the elderly.

[GiftShopGirl]

Was that supposed to be his attempt at humor, or does he seriously think you can make a living from stealing a penny off each transaction? What a strange old man.

[friendofjimmyk]

Well...if your software is wrong and you misplace a decimal point...by Monday you could end up with a couple hundred thousand in the bank.

[edit] Oh, wait. Wrong situation.

[artifical sweetner]

most people throw away pennies at the register...stingy old man

[blas]

Must have been Mr. Krabs' dad.

[Melmo]

I've had that happen, sad thing is they were serious. I didn't manage to hold back my reply of "I don't need your penny sir, I see that it has important work to do". Luckily I didn't get in trouble for that one.

[Mnemjian]

But...but...IN THIS ECONOMY!!! rabblerabblerabble

[ShootMePlease]

WOW -

If you stole a penny from a hundred people you'd have a whole DOLLAR.

You are too diabolical for words....

I bow to the penny stealing master !

[driftwolf]

He might have been from a generation when a penny could actually buy something, and he hasn't caught up to those newfangled prices. Imagine a car costing more than 4 and 6!

[hobbitt97]

pharmacy delivery

Ages ago when I was 18 I worked for a pharmacy as a delivery driver. At one customers door the person's total bill was $9.99. He handed me a $10 bill and told me to keep the change. I said "no sir, it is obvious that you need this more than I" and I gave him back his change.

[Gaki]

At my station we have automatic change machines, all I have to do is hand the bills out, the machine spits out the coins. My machine was shorting people pennies but I couldn't figure out what was jamming it. It would spit out two pennies but not the third (there are three penny slots, only one was jammed) and I actually had a guy complain so I had to pick up the entire machine, take out the really heavy piece that holds all the coins, take off the face, and carefully get ONE penny out for him.

Usually people stare at the hassle that it is for me to get their change out, because, seriously, it really is, but this guy just waited patiently as though all this work I was doing to get this penny was worth it.

[mariamousie1]

Oh no! You almost had that penny! Well, don't worry. The next customer won't be so observant and you'll be riding that yacht to your summer home in no time.

[StarsAreFixed]

In Amsterdam, however, they're pulling off quite the scam. They've dropped the 1 and 2 cent coins from circulation but so much stuff is priced at €5.99 and €39.99 '€6/€40 please'. Bastards. We still use them, it's really annoying when customers leave their 1 cent change on the counter. Just take it! What harm is it going to do? I'm not going to have my till not balancing just because coppers are beneath you. It just results in coins randomly being around my till..

[Andara Bledin]

Just take it! What harm is it going to do? I'm not going to have my till not balancing just because coppers are beneath you. It just results in coins randomly being around my till..

And that is why many convenience stores have the "take a penny/leave a penny" plates/jars near their registers.

^-.-^