# $1.99 is not $2 !!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 19, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390 "2011-05-19T01:14:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tetranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tetranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetranz)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/1 "2011-05-19T01:14:42Z")
At the risk of sounding a little silly or not having enough to worry about… Most mornings I stop at a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru and get a cup of coffee which is priced at $1.99. I usually give them two dollar bills. One guy automatically assumes I don’t want the penny change. If I give him $5 he’ll give me exactly $3 change. Of course I could ask for it but I’m just not a big enough PITA to hold things up insisting on my penny. I guess it amounts to about $2 per year so it’s not about the money. I guess it bothers me for a few reasons. [ul] [li]My logical programmer’s mind doesn’t like things not “balancing”.[/li][li]It’s just not his place to make that decision.[/li][li]I’m from a country where we’ve done away with 1, 2 and 5 cent coins. Strange as it sounds, I was fine with that because it’s an official thing. Why doesn’t the US get rid of the damn penny and this sillyness of near worthless coins.[/li][li]Why don’t they just make the price $2 if that’s what they really want?[/li][li]Every few days I used to get rid of coins by paying the exact amount which usually involves a $1 bill, three quarters, a few nickels and dimes and four pennies which probably came from them on the four previous days. This place was my main source of pennies.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/2 "2011-05-19T01:23:10Z")
Do they not have sales tax where you live? Or is 1.99 the price including sales tax? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/3 "2011-05-19T01:37:23Z")
Probably the latter. An added sales tax is VERY unlikely to come to one penny. OP, maybe you should try paying in pennies… ---
**Author:** ![tetranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tetranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetranz)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/4 "2011-05-19T02:12:34Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Probably the latter. An added sales tax is VERY unlikely to come to one penny. > > OP, maybe you should try paying in pennies… Yes I think we have sales tax. It’s $1.99 including tax. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/5 "2011-05-19T02:19:09Z")
The penny should be abolished, as it serves no purpose except the avoidance of getting more pennies. If you care about that penny, you are a monster and I hate you. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/6 "2011-05-19T02:21:34Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > The penny should be abolished, as it serves no purpose except the avoidance of getting more pennies. If you care about that penny, you are a monster and I hate you. It costs more then a penny to make a penny too. It really should be done away with. ---
**Author:** ![tetranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tetranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetranz)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/7 "2011-05-19T02:27:51Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > The penny should be abolished, as it serves no purpose except the avoidance of getting more pennies. If you care about that penny, you are a monster and I hate you. I agree with that, although I don’t hate me. You’re right. I use their pennies to avoid more pennies. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/8 "2011-05-19T02:33:42Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > The penny should be abolished, as it serves no purpose except the avoidance of getting more pennies. If you care about that penny, you are a monster and I hate you. Bite me, camelopardalis. Pennies rock! ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/9 "2011-05-19T02:59:44Z")
I object to the banning of pennies or nickels. How else will I get my son to dust the living room? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/10 "2011-05-19T03:01:56Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > The penny should be abolished, as it serves no purpose except the avoidance of getting more pennies. You, Sir, have apparently never lived in a men’s dormitory on a college campus. Pennies are most useful for trapping someone in their room…usually with a girl, or when they’re drunk enough to need to pee really bad. If done correctly, the door becomes virtually impossible to open from the inside without removing the hinges. Your shortsighted and ill-considered proposal would deprive future generations of great hilarity. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/11 "2011-05-19T03:12:54Z")
You simply MUST create a video demonstration on how to do this, and post it to youtube. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/12 "2011-05-19T03:14:54Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > You, Sir, have apparently never lived in a men’s dormitory on a college campus. Pennies are most useful for trapping someone in their room…usually with a girl, or when they’re drunk enough to need to pee really bad. If done correctly, the door becomes virtually impossible to open from the inside without removing the hinges. Your shortsighted and ill-considered proposal would deprive future generations of great hilarity. I’ve suspected you were truly evil to the core for quite some time now. Finally, I have the proof. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/13 "2011-05-19T03:23:00Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > You, Sir, have apparently never lived in a men’s dormitory on a college campus. Pennies are most useful for trapping someone in their room…usually with a girl, or when they’re drunk enough to need to pee really bad. If done correctly, the door becomes virtually impossible to open from the inside without removing the hinges. Your shortsighted and ill-considered proposal would deprive future generations of great hilarity. Should work fine with dimes, no worries. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/14 "2011-05-19T03:27:10Z")
I really wish people would stop giving me pennies and receipts… ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/15 "2011-05-19T03:29:21Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > You simply MUST create a video demonstration on how to do this, and post it to youtube. Without turning the doorknob, push the door as if to open it. Wedge a stack of pennies (however many are required) between the face of the door and the lip of the door frame. You want to place the stack high or low enough that you can get the door flexing a bit between the coins and the latch. The idea is to create enough friction between the latch and the doorframe that the doorknob won’t provide sufficient leverage to retract the latch. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/16 "2011-05-19T03:53:54Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Bite me, camelopardalis. Pennies rock! Pennies are horrible, and if you like them you are stupid. > [@CitizenPained](#): > > I object to the banning of pennies or nickels. How else will I get my son to dust the living room? I don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/17 "2011-05-19T03:59:55Z")
> [@tetranz](#): > > At the risk of sounding a little silly or not having enough to worry about… > > Most mornings I stop at a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru and get a cup of coffee which is priced at $1.99. I usually give them two dollar bills. One guy automatically assumes I don’t want the penny change. If I give him $5 he’ll give me exactly $3 change. Of course I could ask for it but I’m just not a big enough PITA to hold things up insisting on my penny. Hmm, down here where I live, my morning coffee and pastry comes out to 3.01. The old guy at the register routinely waives the .01. Obviously, given your situation, this plays an important role in maintaining the balance of the space-time continuum. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/18 "2011-05-19T04:04:46Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I don’t care. That’s just a terrible response. For shame. The proper response is “If your son is willing to dust the living room for pennies, then you are raising a fool and a sucker”. You’re welcome. Now set about abolishing the penny, if you don’t mind. We need the copper. ---
**Author:** ![RedWood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f08c70/32.png) [@RedWood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedWood)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/19 "2011-05-19T04:10:38Z")
and when the total is $22.87, my change is NOT $7.00 from a $20 and a $10; it’s $7.13… thank you SO much for trying to keep ALL the change until I asked for it. You’re lucky I talked to the senior waitress instead of the owner… who DOES know me, actually. \*oh, and I tipped a $5.00 bill… which is over 20%. I may come in only 1 day a week, but I am a regular. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390/20 "2011-05-19T04:34:07Z")
One cent coins are great. I have a gallon of them saved up. I think the U.S. needs more coins- we need to start heavily circulating dollar and half dollar coins. We should also have one mill coins and 15 and 75 cent coins and 2 and 5 dollar coins. It would be ever so much more fun! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-99-is-not-2/582390.md?page=2)