I’d give you a penny for your thoughts

…but they were all stolen today!

I’m sure many people have seen those little containers by cash registers that contain pennies. This is very common around my local area. I’ve long thought that it was very cool that if you find yourself short a couple of cents, it is there for the taking. And while I do take my share of pennies, I do keep that in mind and when I have extra pennies I always toss them in, maybe not at the same exact location, but I feel its only right in order to give back to the same society that gave to me at one time.

Now my logic tells me that this penny pocket is there in case I need one, two or maybe three pennies. Anything under a nickel I would consider that to be a fair taking. Today while working and waiting for payment from a lady, I watched as she counted out thirteen pennies. Yes THIRTEEN! Something about that just isn’t right! Just because she didn’t want to break an extra dollar! What would it have killed her to take the change from the dollar and toss in the extra two pennies she would have received?

My mother has always told me that I am an expressionist to the extreme. If I think a person is an imbecile, I don’t have to say a word; they will know it from the look on my face. It’s nothing I can help or control; it’s just how I am. I know this woman and her friends HAD to have seen a look of udder shock and disgust on my face as the woman HELD up the line to count out THIRTEEN pennies that were obviously there just for her!

Am I wrong? Should a person feel a social obligation to take NO MORE than 4 pennies from the penny pocket or is it expectable to take thirteen?

And to top it all off…she was wearing a red hat!

This post from May 27th, 2005

    January 15, 2008 | Filed Under Classic Archives 

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