30 coins in the fountain
Last week, on our way to lunch with the work crew, we took the Veterans to Waters and got off to go to a restaurant. As we pulled into the toll plaza, the basket had a sign that read something like "Do not put pennies in here, they will be rejected." Now, I have no idea how the basket was going to reject our pennies. I kept calling to mind the suits of armor spitting bullets back at the Nazi soldiers in Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
Anyway, for some reason this annoyed us, especially since we knew that it was not true - we'd used pennies on the toll plaza there before. We figured that the staff there just did not want to have to count the pennies. Whatever the reason, on our way back to the office, we collected 15 pennies, a dime, and a quarter, and watched the little electronic read out count down our change and raise the bar, allowing us to get onto the Veterans. We laughed like idiots all the way back to the office.
Once back in the office, we started scheming as to our next trip through the plaza. We have a collection of pennies we reuse for the gumball machines on various desks, so we figured we had enough to go through the toll a few times at least.
Sure enough, this week we went to a restaurant off of Waters (a different one this week). The sign was still there. So, on our way back, we counted out 30 pennies, 2 nickels, and a dime. I heaved them into the basket and we watched the counter tick down, one by one. Then it stopped on 0.01.
Now, we are not math majors, but we can make 50 cents with various coins. I counted it, my boss counted it. The machine was apparently being petulant.
In addition, counting 2 quarters takes no time. Counting a bunch of coins takes longer. I am sure the person behind us was trying to figure out just exactly what the fuck was going on in the car in front of him.
So we sat there, stunned, uncomprehending, that the machine was, well, wrong. I fumbled for a stray penny, tossed it in, and up went the gate. And we laughed again, like idiots.
Next week, they are getting 50 fucking pennies...possibly in both baskets.
Anyway, for some reason this annoyed us, especially since we knew that it was not true - we'd used pennies on the toll plaza there before. We figured that the staff there just did not want to have to count the pennies. Whatever the reason, on our way back to the office, we collected 15 pennies, a dime, and a quarter, and watched the little electronic read out count down our change and raise the bar, allowing us to get onto the Veterans. We laughed like idiots all the way back to the office.
Once back in the office, we started scheming as to our next trip through the plaza. We have a collection of pennies we reuse for the gumball machines on various desks, so we figured we had enough to go through the toll a few times at least.
Sure enough, this week we went to a restaurant off of Waters (a different one this week). The sign was still there. So, on our way back, we counted out 30 pennies, 2 nickels, and a dime. I heaved them into the basket and we watched the counter tick down, one by one. Then it stopped on 0.01.
Now, we are not math majors, but we can make 50 cents with various coins. I counted it, my boss counted it. The machine was apparently being petulant.
In addition, counting 2 quarters takes no time. Counting a bunch of coins takes longer. I am sure the person behind us was trying to figure out just exactly what the fuck was going on in the car in front of him.
So we sat there, stunned, uncomprehending, that the machine was, well, wrong. I fumbled for a stray penny, tossed it in, and up went the gate. And we laughed again, like idiots.
Next week, they are getting 50 fucking pennies...possibly in both baskets.