# Why do hipsters pay for things in quarters? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450 "2011-02-15T15:16:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diamonds02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Diamonds02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diamonds02)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/1 "2011-02-15T15:16:40Z")
I read yelp a lot. I’ve read several complaints about service being slow because hipsters were paying for things in quarters. I have not really paid attention to this in the past. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/2 "2011-02-15T16:19:29Z")
Maybe the bars charge a buck fifty for a can of PBR. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/3 "2011-02-15T16:27:36Z")
Cuz they hang out in the CITY, man, and they’ve got to park their Prius at the METER, man. Honestly, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/4 "2011-02-15T16:33:00Z")
It’s because bills are square. (Well, rectangular if you want to be picky about it.) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/5 "2011-02-15T16:33:06Z")
It’s how they got their three fitty. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/6 "2011-02-15T16:34:22Z")
They’re broke and occasionally raiding their change jar/ laundry money? ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/7 "2011-02-15T21:15:40Z")
Because they are painfully stupid, and think it’s clever? ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/8 "2011-02-15T21:22:31Z")
I work with quite a few hipsters, an I’ve never seen one of them pay for anything in quarters… of course, some of them don’t have two quarters to rub together, and the others just use Credit/Debit cards. ---
**Author:** ![Trubie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71c47a/32.png) [@Trubie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trubie)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/9 "2011-02-15T21:48:19Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > I work with quite a few hipsters, an I’ve never seen one of them pay for anything in quarters… of course, some of them don’t have two quarters to rub together, and the others just use Credit/Debit cards. If hipster is being the way I think it is, yuppie vs someone who’s actually hip, I’ve only seen them use plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/10 "2011-02-15T21:52:35Z")
My only guess is that this is the same demographic (young presumably apartment dwellers) who spend a lot of time at laundromats. And also whose income might be expected to consist of tips. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/11 "2011-02-16T04:33:09Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > I work with quite a few hipsters, an I’ve never seen one of them pay for anything in quarters… of course, some of them don’t have two quarters to rub together, and the others just use Credit/Debit cards. I’m surprised. Nobody pays for things in quarters, they’re just too small an amount of money. Unless you mean adding one, two, or three of them to the bills offered in payment, so you can get an even dollar amount in change. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/12 "2011-02-16T04:47:41Z")
Because they’re two-bit poseurs. ---
**Author:** ![Tanaqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/13 "2011-02-16T13:40:11Z")
Of all the social ills I’ve seen hipsters accused of, this has got to be the most bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/14 "2011-02-16T14:22:55Z")
I can answer this. My daughter uses a debit card. She never has any actual cash. I ‘collect’ quarters (roll them up in coin wrappers, turn in to the bank, and this is how I send checks to my little charities) and am always telling her, “if you need a couple bucks, take some quarters”. Nine times out of ten, she only needs a couple of dollars and takes a handful of quarters. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/15 "2011-02-16T14:28:08Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Because they’re two-bit poseurs. …and that’s just how they roll. -d&r- ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/16 "2011-02-16T14:53:11Z")
Maybe they get a cheaper deal than buying an eighth? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/17 "2011-02-16T15:04:39Z")
Because for all their cynical posing, hipsters have a near-universal reverence for our first Presdient. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/18 "2011-02-16T21:57:07Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > I have not really paid attention to this in the past. I think you have a lot of company in that respect. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/19 "2011-02-16T22:45:08Z")
Heh. I’m reminded of one fine morning in the summer of 1979. I hadn’t worked my coffee shop job the night before, so I was well-rested for an excursion to Disneyland with the future **kaylasmom**. But first, I needed to stop by the used car lot where I had bought my car a few months before, and make a payment. In quarters. THEN we drove into Anaheim, where I proceeded to buy our passports for the day. With quarters. Honestly, sometimes I wonder how I ever got that woman to marry me (four years later). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450/20 "2011-02-17T01:20:51Z")
What is a hipster? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hipsters-pay-for-things-in-quarters/571450.md?page=2)