Take a Penny, Leave a Penny

[Scott]

I just bought a pop at the local gas station and took a penny.  While walking back I thought of the time in high school when my friend was short 13 cents for his pop and candy bar and so he emptied the penny dish.

The guy working got mad at him, saying that you should only take 1 or 2 and not 13...that was abusing the dish.  I was with my friend, that dish represents people basically throwing that money on the ground and is fair game for the taking

So, JediDefender members, what is the limit on how many pennies you can take from the dish?  What is your personal best take?  Was the cashier out of line?

I think my personal best is around 4 cents...I remember that incident to this day and don't want to abuse the situation

[Famine]

8 cents.

Damn 8% sales tax.

Kevin

[JediMAC]

I just bought a pop at the local gas station and took a penny.  While walking back I thought of the time in high school when my friend was short 13 cents for his pop and candy bar and so he emptied the penny dish.

Nice ethics they teach you guys up there in MN.  Buncha stinkin' thieves, you guys are! 

I've always just assumed that the penny dish was just a cheap "tip jar", so I leave 'em be.  Unless I'm exactly one penny short and the cashier's not looking, then I may indulge...

[Scott]

Tip jar?  Why would you leave pennies for the cashier as a tip?  Hey nice job ringing up my gas, have 3 cents

[JesseVader08]

My pharmacy has a penny dish, and I've always figured that 4 cents was a reasonable amount to take from it.

I've never really thought about it until now, no one has ever needed/taken/used more than that.

(And I charge enough for the prescriptions, I don't need a tip.  Unless it's a $20 bill    )

[Morgbug]

Well, I'm a prude, so I'm on the cashier's side.  $0.13 out of what? $0.50?  That's a bit of a chunk I'd say.  Even if it was over a buck, it's over 10%.  I work on the impression that it's meant for 1, 2, 3 cents, no more.  Four and up you should cough up the nickel and leave the pennies behind.  

Personally I wish they'd do away with pennies anyway.  Go to a system based on 5 cents.  Round up for 3 and over, down the other way.  Not like computer based cash registers can't do that now.  I know the argument is that businesses will lose money but if the decision point is set at 3 they'll win on the balance of time.  

[Scott]

It was probably around $1.50 total...I've seen penny dishes with like quarters and stuff in them, are those fair game?

[JesseVader08]

If it's in the dish, it's fair game.  In my mind, someone left it there to help another person who needs it.  How about maximum 4 cents or 1 coin? 

[Matt_Fury]

Usually, if what I'm purchasing comes up to just over a dollar amount, the cashier will grab the pennies...I don't think I've ever touched it unless I was putting some in.

On a related topic, reading this thread reminded me of a time I was in a walmart buying something and the only money I had was a roll of dimes.  The cashier was kinda snotty and said they don't take rolled coins...so I smacked the roll on the counter let the dimes spill out an the countrtop and said, Is my money good now?"  The total for what I was buying came to about $4.95, and I waited until I got my change too!  

[Scott]

Why stop at 4 though, its all fair game as far as he was concerned.  It is no different than the people taking their pennies and walking out of the store and throwing them on the sidewalk

[JesseVader08]

Usually, if what I'm purchasing comes up to just over a dollar amount, the cashier will grab the pennies...I don't think I've ever touched it unless I was putting some in.

Good point, as someone on the other side of the counter, I'm usually the one that grabs the penny because it simply saves me the effort of counting out more change.

On a related topic, reading this thread reminded me of a time I was in a walmart buying something and the only money I had was a roll of dimes...

Thanks for the laugh Matt!  But if I was the cashier, I'd have to kick your ass.   (Of course, I'm much too polite to put myself in that situation to begin with)  

[JesseVader08]

Why stop at 4 though, its all fair game as far as he was concerned.

I think another factor is:  how much change is in the penny dish?

If there's 13 cents in there, taking it all somehow seems wrong, even if the whole intention of the dish is to help someone who needs it.  If there was $1.50 in there, I don't think the 13 cents would even make me think twice (again, when I'm on the cashier end of things)

[Jeff]

I know people who have taken ALL the pennies in the TaP/LaP bin, but I think the most I ever snaked from there was like $0.08 so I didn't have to break a $20 bill...

I agree, maybe it's just MN ideology, but that little TaP/LaP bin = FREE MONEY.  Maybe it's in poor form to take more than 1-3 pennies, but there is no law against it.

I guess it's kinda like that whole Army Builder issue - how much can you take before you are being inconsiderate?  The world may never know...    

Jeff

[Famine]

Matt, I was in a similar situation, with coinstar. I dumped 18 dollars worth of change into the machine, got my slip (them taking 8cents from each dollar in the machine) and then they wouldn't cash it unless I bought somthing. So I bought a 13 cent candy and sat there and waited till they counted out my change, and gave me my money.

Kevin

[Morgbug]

Why stop at 4 though, its all fair game as far as he was concerned.  It is no different than the people taking their pennies and walking out of the store and throwing them on the sidewalk

Why not just wander around taking all the coins from various penny dishes and put them in the bank.  I'd guess if you did it every day you could put away a not insignificant sum of money over the course of a year. 

Can't really be answered I'd say as it is subject to personal philosophy.  I guess I just categorize it as not much different than panhandling when you start taking larger sums of money.  The intent[/i] is when you are short the difference from the nearest $0.05 so you don't end up with a pocket full of largely useless pennies.  $0.13 passes by the $0.05 and $0.10 mark. 

Greed is subjective, I suppose.  I don't know your buddy, but is he the kind of guy that doesn't chip in on a joint restaurant bill for the tip, just because others will?  I know and despise guys that take advantage of others charity so they can save a miniscule amount of money.  I work with a couple of them and steadfastly refuse to share bills with them.  If they want to cheap out and not tip, let it reflect on them.  No reason for them to assume any benefits from my charitable notions.