# Man Cited for Paying Bill with 2,500 pennies **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 6, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471 "2011-06-06T03:06:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/1 "2011-06-06T03:06:53Z")
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110605/ap\_on\_fe\_st/us\_odd\_paying\_with\_pennies;\_ylt=AodH\_6.zY8DjVVo2wQG4fANH2ocA;\_ylu=X3oDMTNkYzJlZnRsBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwNjA1L3VzX29kZF9wYXlpbmdfd2l0aF9wZW5uaWVzBGNjb2RlA29mZnB6ZjMwcARjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNtYW5jaXRlZGFmdGU-](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110605/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_paying_with_pennies;_ylt=AodH_6.zY8DjVVo2wQG4fANH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTNkYzJlZnRsBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwNjA1L3VzX29kZF9wYXlpbmdfd2l0aF9wZW5uaWVzBGNjb2RlA29mZnB6ZjMwcARjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNtYW5jaXRlZGFmdGU-) We’ve had similar threads before, but this is stunning to me. I can see the defense now: A man pays a bill in legal tender, U.S. Currency, asks for a receipt, and it is considered disorderly? ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/2 "2011-06-06T03:10:52Z")
From your link: > [@](#): > > … after asking staff members whether they accepted cash, West d **umped** 2,500 pennies on the counter and **demanded** that staff count them. Looks like it was his actions not the fact that he paid in pennies that was the problem. Being a (legal) dick can sometimes backfire. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/3 "2011-06-06T03:27:50Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > From your link: > > Looks like it was his actions not the fact that he paid in pennies that was the problem. Being a (legal) dick can sometimes backfire. A dumb one at that. The court would just take them to a CoinStar. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/4 "2011-06-06T03:43:07Z")
I wonder if he could get legal advice from the lawyer who helped the homeowners foreclose on a bank? (I’d link the thread but now i can’t find it:confused:) ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/5 "2011-06-06T05:37:20Z")
> [@guestchaz](#): > > I wonder if he could get legal advice from the lawyer who helped the homeowners foreclose on a bank? (I’d link the thread but now i can’t find it:confused:) You mean [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=611173)? ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/6 "2011-06-06T05:40:59Z")
He could have paid in rolled coins. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/7 "2011-06-06T12:17:05Z")
I imagine if he had folded a cheque into a paper plane and threw it at the cashier, he would also have been considered disorderly. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/8 "2011-06-06T12:26:36Z")
As stated, clearly it was the way he paid, not the coinage itself. He was way out of line. I suppose it could have been worse, though: he could have swallowed the pennies and crapped them out onto the desk. mmm ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/9 "2011-06-06T12:30:19Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > As stated, clearly it was the way he paid, not the coinage itself. He was way out of line. I suppose it could have been worse, though: he could have swallowed the pennies and crapped them out onto the desk. > mmm Did that man just crap treasure? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/10 "2011-06-06T13:56:48Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Did that man just crap treasure? Not really. If someone crapped a mixture of pennies and the usual, and you paid someone U.S. minimum wage ($7.25/hour) to clean the pennies up, they’d have to clean shit off pennies slightly faster than one every 5 seconds for you to break even, even if that was your only cost of turning the pennies into money you could actually use. ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/11 "2011-06-06T13:58:17Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > As stated, clearly it was the way he paid, not the coinage itself. He was way out of line. I suppose it could have been worse, though: he could have swallowed the pennies and crapped them out onto the desk. That’s not how ass pennies work. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/12 "2011-06-06T14:07:18Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110605/ap\_on\_fe\_st/us\_odd\_paying\_with\_pennies;\_ylt=AodH\_6.zY8DjVVo2wQG4fANH2ocA;\_ylu=X3oDMTNkYzJlZnRsBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwNjA1L3VzX29kZF9wYXlpbmdfd2l0aF9wZW5uaWVzBGNjb2RlA29mZnB6ZjMwcARjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNtYW5jaXRlZGFmdGU-](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110605/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_paying_with_pennies;_ylt=AodH_6.zY8DjVVo2wQG4fANH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTNkYzJlZnRsBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwNjA1L3VzX29kZF9wYXlpbmdfd2l0aF9wZW5uaWVzBGNjb2RlA29mZnB6ZjMwcARjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNtYW5jaXRlZGFmdGU-) > > We’ve had similar threads before, but this is stunning to me. I can see the defense now: A man pays a bill in legal tender, U.S. Currency, asks for a receipt, and it is considered disorderly? Did you read the story? > [@](#): > > Campbell says the incident upset staff because pennies were strewn about the counter and floor, and West’s action served “no legitimate purpose.” The guy was clearly being a dick and disorderly. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/13 "2011-06-06T15:03:27Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Did that man just crap treasure? Talk about a penny pincher. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/14 "2011-06-06T15:07:56Z")
Must …read …thread…titles…properly. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/15 "2011-06-06T17:21:39Z")
I know that he was fined for disorderly conduct, but why? Implicit in the concept of paying in pennies is the disdain that goes along with it. Would it really be against the law if I threw a $20 bill and a $5 down on the desk and told you to give me my damned receipt? If not, then the only difference is the pennies, which are legal tender. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/16 "2011-06-06T17:24:56Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Would it really be against the law if I threw a $20 bill and a $5 down on the desk and told you to give me my damned receipt? If not, then the only difference is the pennies, which are legal tender. The difference is that if you put cash on the desk, no one has to spend an hour cleaning up after you. A lot of time was probably wasted after this asshole left the premises. Serves him right. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/17 "2011-06-06T17:38:32Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I know that he was fined for disorderly conduct, but why? Implicit in the concept of paying in pennies is the disdain that goes along with it. > > Would it really be against the law if I threw a $20 bill and a $5 down on the desk and told you to give me my damned receipt? If not, then the only difference is the pennies, which are legal tender. First of all, the issue is not “legal tender.” It rarely is. A business has a right to demand payment in the form it wishes. Second of all, the issue is not “legal tender.” If I put 2,500 pennies in a jar and then threw the jar at your head, that would be battery. It’s disorderly conduct not because he paid in pennies but because he dumped 2,500 pennies on a desk in a manner that was disruptive. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/18 "2011-06-06T17:41:15Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The difference is that if you put cash on the desk, no one has to spend an hour cleaning up after you. A lot of time was probably wasted after this asshole left the premises. Serves him right. If he had slammed a box containing 2,500 pennies neatly rolled on the counter he could have made his point and still been civil. It would still have been more work for the folks behind the counter but certainly within reasonable bounds. Tossing coins around in a public office is bound to get you in trouble no matter what the reason. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/19 "2011-06-06T17:47:26Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I know that he was fined for disorderly conduct, but why? Implicit in the concept of paying in pennies is the disdain that goes along with it. > > Would it really be against the law if I threw a $20 bill and a $5 down on the desk and told you to give me my damned receipt? If not, then the only difference is the pennies, which are legal tender. It’s the difference between hurling a napkin toward a passing vehicle, and chucking a burrito at same. One is light and harmless, the other is a [deadly weapon](http://www.wtfiwwp.com/story.php?title=teen-turns-burrito-into-deadly-weapon-cops-say). But seriously, coins are heavier than bills. There’s a difference between throwing 100 pennies at someone and throwing a dollar bill at them. Pretending otherwise, just because they both happen to be legal tender, is disingenuous. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471/20 "2011-06-06T21:23:40Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > First of all, the issue is not “legal tender.” It rarely is. A business has a right to demand payment in the form it wishes. Are you sure? Yes, a store can refuse to sell you something unless you pay in the form they approve of. But in this case, it sounds like a debt was incurred. If “This note is legal tender for all debts public and private” doesn’t mean that you can force someone to take money for a debt you owe them, then what does it mean? I will note that coins don’t have that printed on them, and I’m not sure if pennies count as “legal tender” for the purposes of paying a debt. Agreed that the issue in this case was the mess and conduct, not the method of payment. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-cited-for-paying-bill-with-2-500-pennies/584471.md?page=2)