# Would you pick up a penny? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2001, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081 "2001-11-13T05:56:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/41 "2001-11-15T16:16:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*Yes. Unless you’re talking about a girl named Penny, in which case I wouldn’t pick her up. Unless she’s fallen down. \*\* My girlfriend’s name is Penny, and I’ve picked her up in more ways than one on more than one occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/42 "2001-11-16T01:19:24Z")
Totally. I love finding pennies. Free money, baby! ---
**Author:** ![lesa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/34f0e0/32.png) [@lesa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lesa)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/43 "2001-11-16T06:01:29Z")
If a penny is face up, I pick it up. If it’s face down, I turn it over for the next person. Yes, I’m weird. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/44 "2001-11-20T23:41:45Z")
I once read about a tall fellow in New York City who made a habit of putting coins on building ledges around town. Later, when he was walking with someone, he would reach up and pluck the coin from the ledge, look at it, and put it in his pocket, all without a pause in the conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Spider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Barking\_Spider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Spider)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/45 "2001-11-21T03:06:17Z")
There is no stinking way I’m going to pass up found money, even if its only a penny! ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/46 "2001-11-21T04:22:17Z")
A week or so ago, I was standing around after work with some of my coworkers on the sidewalk outside the building. A homeless guy came down the sidewalk looking for change. I offered a handful, and he picked out the silver, throwing my pennies on the ground. After he left, I picked up the pennies he had tossed, then realized that this probably wasn’t exactly the proudest moment of my life. Usually, I don’t bother with pennies on the ground unless I dropped them. ---
**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/47 "2001-11-21T06:07:36Z")
I pick them up when I find them. Free money? Whooyeah!! I’m with **Creaky and Barking Spider** , why turn down free loot? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/48 "2001-11-21T14:17:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by royjwood \* > \*\*Yes, I will pick up the pennies, too…just to give them away to the kids. \*\* Okay, I’m going to shut up now. That’s beautiful, man. ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/49 "2001-11-21T15:33:44Z")
I picked up those pennies that my dog ate… The day after he ate them, of course. It was a very good example of “throwing money away”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/50 "2001-11-21T16:59:34Z")
Yes, but only because if I don’t pick it up, I need it the next time I buy something. If I don’t pick it up, I will have $1.41 in my pocket and the item will cost $1.42 and I will have to go into my wallet and break a twenty. Happens every time. ---
**Author:** ![Kbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Kbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kbean)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/51 "2001-11-21T20:50:58Z")
Yes. I always pick up loose change and save it in a piggy bank. When it is full, I go and exchange it for bills (usually have about $15). Then I go buy all the junk food I can and crash on the couch at home with my comfy fleece pj’s and watch TV all night. ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/52 "2001-11-22T02:49:27Z")
I used to always pick up pennies, my Mom started me on this as a child with the whole “good luck” thing. Now, I don’t bother. I wish they’d just do away with the penny entirely, its value is so little as to be worthless. I still will pick up nickels, dimes, and quarters, though. ---
**Author:** ![kellibelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@kellibelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellibelli)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/53 "2001-11-22T03:01:15Z")
I dont bend over for anything less than a quarter. ---
**Author:** ![EagleEye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@EagleEye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EagleEye)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/54 "2001-11-22T03:37:17Z")
Heck yeah! It could be a double die! But I must admit, half of the time I’m not really looking for loose change on the ground. I have found dollar bills on the ground before. I’ve found about a dollar in change (there was a few pennies). In that change there was also a Canadian quarter. My dad and I are in the coin collecting so we get all the chances we can. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/55 "2001-11-22T06:56:35Z")
I just picked one up today–another in a long series of picked-up pennies. You never know when you’re gonna need one. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/56 "2001-11-22T20:45:12Z")
I sometimes do, the last time I did I had great luck that day… It was a tales up penny 2. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/57 "2001-11-22T20:54:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kellibelli \* > \*\*I dont bend over for anything less than a quarter. \*\* So if we paid you 50 cents… (I’m sorry, someone had to make the joke…) ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Diogenes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/58 "2001-11-23T16:02:07Z")
I always pick up pennies. If it’s money and it’s on the ground it goes in my pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081/59 "2001-11-23T16:15:21Z")
Sometimes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pick-up-a-penny/93081.md?page=2)