Or, why is it so ferschlugging hard to exchange foreign currency in this country?
Over a year ago we went to Mexico. I came back with 70 pesos in paper currency, and I’ve been carrying it ever since. Granted, it’s a negligible sum, but why shouldn’t I be able to exchange it for dollars if I want?
I work next door to LAX. So one day I stopped off there, and walked into the international terminal thinking I could exchange it there. Wrong. All the foreign exchange counters are beyond the checkpoints, and you have to be a ticketed passenger to reach them.
Another day, I was in downtown L.A. I went into the downtown main branch of my bank. They didn’t do foreign exchange, but told me they did at the Biltmore Hotel.
I walked into the Biltmore. No, they wouldn’t exchange my 70 pesos either. If I’d been a guest, they’d have been happy to oblige, but as someone walking in off the street, I was unworthy.
I imagine the value of this currency is about $6.50 now. So what would happen if I go to the ATM and deposit it, and enter the deposit amount as $6.50? Would the bank accept it?