# I almost got a nickel out of my commode today **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 7, 2000, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854 "2000-05-07T21:17:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/41 "2000-05-09T19:35:06Z")
I have retrieved a nickel from my toilet. Two years ago in kindergarten my son was standing in the lunch line playing with his ice cream money, a quarter, 2 dimes and a nickel. He put them in his mouth and swallowed one of them. The school called because it got stuck in his throat and it was hurting his chest. I rushed home from work and took him to the lab for an Xray. By then it had gone down into his stomach. The next afternoon there it was in the bottom of the downstairs toilet. A nickel, it was black, I have no idea why. Other items my goofy guy has put into his body…a small blue button in his nose. A peanut in his nose, and a wad of tissue paper in his ear. (He did this while "watching the film strip, Mommy!) It’s every mother’s nightmare to hear their child say something like…this button in my nose is bothering me, Mama! Needs ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/42 "2000-05-09T19:40:43Z")
Well, aha, I was going to offer to come fish it out for you myself. But since you won’t let me touch _you_, there ain’t no way I’m touchin’ your toidy. Nuh-uh. It can just stay there and rust for all I care. :: Pffffth :: ---
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/43 "2000-05-09T19:41:18Z")
I have retrieved a nickel from my toilet. Two years ago in kindergarten my son was standing in the lunch line playing with his ice cream money, a quarter, 2 dimes and a nickel. He put them in his mouth and swallowed one of them. The school called because it got stuck in his throat and it was hurting his chest. I rushed home from work and took him to the lab for an Xray. By then it had gone down into his stomach. The next afternoon there it was in the bottom of the downstairs toilet. A nickel, it was black, I have no idea why. Other items my goofy guy has put into his body…a small blue button in his nose. A peanut in his nose, and a wad of tissue paper in his ear. (He did this while "watching the film strip, Mommy!) It’s every mother’s nightmare to hear their child say something like…this button in my nose is bothering me, Mama! Needs ---
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/44 "2000-05-09T19:46:02Z")
I too have retrieved a nickel from my toilet. Two years ago in kindergarten my son was standing in the lunch line playing with his ice cream money, a quarter, 2 dimes and a nickel. He put them in his mouth and swallowed one of them. The school called because it got stuck in his throat and it was hurting his chest. I rushed home from work and took him to the lab for an Xray. By then it had gone down into his stomach. The next afternoon there it was in the bottom of the downstairs toilet. A nickel, it was black, I have no idea why. Other items my goofy guy has put into his body…a small blue button in his nose. A peanut in his nose, and a wad of tissue paper in his ear. (He did this while "watching the film strip, Mommy! And didn’t bother to tell me until 10:00 on a Friday night.) It’s every mother’s nightmare to hear their child say something like…this button in my nose is bothering me, Mama! Retrieving a nickel in the toilet is nothing. Go fishing in someones sinuses for a peanut. Needs ---
**Author:** ![struuter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@struuter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/struuter)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/45 "2000-05-09T19:47:40Z")
When my daughter swallowed two quarters–another long story–we had to watch for them. We only found one; I didn’t look too hard, to be honest. We ended up getting the old plastic slotted spaghetti spoon for retrieval. It worked wonders and was thrown away afterwards. The best part is that we can joke with her now… “What do you want for dessert? A bowl of ice cream? Or maybe a little bowl of pennies?” She doesn’t think we’re funny. We think we’re hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![LocalLoop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@LocalLoop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LocalLoop)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/46 "2000-05-09T20:23:44Z")
My own toilet tale: My two lovely children , The Boy and The Baby. Toilet mysteriously starts acting up, requiring frequent plungings. Visual inspection of the bottom of the toilet reveal nothing…finally get sick of this crap (heh) and poke around with a stick …I meet immediate firm resistance mere inches down the pipe…look again - nothing there. Poke, resistance. look again. There appears to be a forcefield blocking my toilet. Grit teeth, reach hand in…retrieve transparent plastic cup flushed by The Boy. ---
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/47 "2000-05-09T20:32:39Z")
We teased my son about eating his ice cream money for awhile that was two years ago though. Now my mother and I have started calling him “ER” since it seems like the local hospital emergency room is one of our regular hang outs. Needs ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/48 "2000-05-09T23:17:14Z")
Maybe I’m missing something, but couldn’t you tie a magnet to a string, drop the magnet, and thus retrieve the nickel? Then you can wash it, and frame it. Or else when you have guests over, hand it to people, and ask them “Guess what’s special about this nickel.” Have them thoroughly examine it before you reveal the answer. It would be a great conversation piece. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/49 "2000-05-10T00:11:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Maybe I’m missing something, but couldn’t you tie a magnet to a string, drop the magnet, and thus retrieve the nickel? > > Then you can wash it, and frame it. Or else when you have guests over, hand it to people, and ask them “Guess what’s special about this nickel.” Have them thoroughly examine it before you reveal the answer. It would be a great conversation piece. > \*\* An if it is someone you don’t particularly like you could hand them the nickel and say, “smell this nickel is it me or does it smell funny?” I like the magnet idea but who the hell has a magnet to tie on a string? ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/50 "2000-05-10T03:17:27Z")
Do magnets attract nickel? Are nickels still _made_ of nickel? ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/51 "2000-05-10T03:24:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > I like the magnet idea but who the hell has a magnet to tie on a string? > \*\* Oh man!! Apparently you don’t know the wealth of resources you have available to you as a teacher. Ask a math or science teacher. Just don’t tell them what you’re going to be using it for. ---
**Author:** ![jsvec69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@jsvec69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsvec69)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/52 "2000-05-10T03:56:58Z")
ok, i got your solution!! the magnet wont work, none of the us currency is magnetic, (mabye the sacs are, but that’s another thread) anyways, there should be a faucet type thing under your toilet, like the one outside. turn that off, then flush the toilet a couple of times until it’s empty. then dump some bleach on it or hose it down with lysol, then use a rubber glove to get the pesky nickel. problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![CreoSote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@CreoSote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CreoSote)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/53 "2000-05-10T04:21:46Z")
Won’t work, Arney - nickels aren’t attracted by magnets, or vice versa. Morkster ---
**Author:** ![Gitchi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a9adbd/32.png) [@Gitchi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gitchi)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/54 "2000-05-10T05:41:52Z")
if the head is up is washington or who ever looking at your butt?? my first post- my mom would be proud ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/55 "2000-05-10T18:27:42Z")
I posted that without thinking, but now that I’ve been challenged by several posters, I will test out the magnetic properties of US coins tonight and post my results tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/56 "2000-05-11T15:05:00Z")
I acutually bent down and looked at it close today…it’s heads up and brown around the edges. Rust perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Doctordec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Doctordec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctordec)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/57 "2000-05-11T15:16:19Z")
> [@](#): > > I had to fish out of the bathtub a log that my son silently released Easy solution to this is to give your son a bath in the kitchen sink and if he “floats” one just use the disposal after he’s out and suck that puppy down. My inlaws never eat at my house anymore. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/58 "2000-05-11T16:36:58Z")
Magnets do not attract nickels. At least, the magnet I just tried did not attract the nickel I just tried. (Not to generalize too broadly) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854/59 "2000-05-11T18:41:39Z")
If I were you, I’d hope the brown stuff on the nickel was rust. The alternative is too gross to think about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-almost-got-a-nickel-out-of-my-commode-today/18854.md?page=2)