The following is a true story. It amused the hell out of me while it was happening. I hope it isn’t one of those “had to be there” things.
On my way home from the second job I’ve taken for the extra holiday ca$h I need, I stopped at Taco Bell for a quick bite to eat. In my billfold is a $50 bill and a $2 bill. That is all of the cash I have on my person. I figure that with a $2 bill, I can get something to eat and not have to worry about people getting mad at me.
Me: “Hi, I’d like one seven layer burrito please, to go.”
Server: “Is that it?”
Me: “Yep.”
Server: “That’ll be $1.04, eat here?”
Me: “No, it’s “TO-GO” [I hate effort duplication]
At this point I open my billfold and hand him the $2 bill. He looks at it kind of funny and . . .
Server: “Uh, hang on a sec, I’ll be right back.”
He goes to talk to his manager, who is still within earshot. The following conversation occurs between the two of them:
Server: “Hey, you ever see a $2 bill?”
Manager: “No. A what?”
Server: “A $2 bill. This guy just gave it to me.”
Manager: “Ask for something else, THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A $2 BILL.”
Server: “Yeah, thought so.”
He comes back to me and says:
Server: “We don’t take these. Do you have anything else?”
Me: “Just this fifty. You don’t take $2 bills? Why?”
Server: “I don’t know.”
Me: “See here where it says legal tender?”
Server: “Yeah.”
Me: “So, shouldn’t you take it?”
Server: “Well, hang on a sec.”
He goes back to his manager who is watching me like I’m going to shoplift.
Server: “He says I have to take it.”
Manager: “Doesn’t he have anything else?”
Server: “Yeah, a fifty. I’ll get it and you can open the safe and get change.”
Manager: “I’M NOT OPENING THE SAFE WITH HIM IN HERE.” [My emphasis]
Server: “What should I do?”
Manager: “Tell him to come back later when he has REAL money.”
Server: “I can’t tell him that, you tell him.”
Manager: “Just tell him.”
Server: “No way, this is weird, I’m going in back.”
The manager approaches me and says:
Manager: “Sorry, we don’t take big bills this time of night.” [It was 8pm and this particular Taco Bell is in a well lighted indoor mall with 100 other stores.]
Me: “Well, here’s a two.”
Manager: “We don’t take those either.”
Me: “Why the hell not?”
Manager: “I think you know why.”
Me: “No really, tell me, why?”
Manager: “Please leave before I call mall security.”
Me: “Excuse me?”
Manager: “Please leave before I call mall security.”
Me: “What the hell for?”
Manager: “Please, sir.”
Me: “Uh, go ahead, call them.”
Manager: “Would you please just leave?”
Me: “No.”
Manager: “Fine, have it your way then.”
Me: “No, that’s Burger King, isn’t it?”
At this point he BACKS away from me and calls mall security on the phone around the corner. I have two people STARING at me from the dining area, and I begin laughing out loud, just for effect. A few minutes later this 45 year old-ish guy comes in and says [at the other end of counter, in a whisper]:
Security: “Yeah, Mike, what’s up?”
Manager: “This guy is trying to give me some [pause] funny money.”
Security: “Really? What?”
Manager: “Get this, a two dollar bill.”
Security: “Why would a guy fake a $2 bill?” [Incredulous]
Manager: “I don’t know? He’s kinda weird. Says the only other thing he has is a fifty.”
Security: “So, the fifty’s fake?”
Manager: “NO, the $2 is.”
Security: “Why would he fake a $2 bill?”
Manager: “I don’t know. Can you talk to him, and get him out of here?”
Security: “Yeah…”
Security guard walks over to me and says:
Security: “Mike here tells me you have some fake bills you’re trying to use.”
Me: “Uh, no.”
Security: “Lemme see ’em.”
Me: “Why?”
Security: “Do you want me to get the cops in here?”
At this point I was ready to say, “SURE, PLEASE,” but I wanted to eat, so I said:
Me: “I’m just trying to buy a burrito and pay for it with this $2 bill.”
I put the bill up near his face, and he flinches like I was taking a swing at him. He takes the bill, turns it over a few times in his hands, and says
Security: “Mike, what’s wrong with this bill?”
Manager: “It’s fake.”
Security: “It doesn’t look fake to me.”
Manager: “But it’s a $2 bill.”
Security: “Yeah?”
Manager: “Well, there’s no such thing, is there?”
The security guard and I both looked at him like he was an idiot, and it dawned on the guy that he had no clue. My burrito was free and he threw in a small drink and those cinnamon things, too. Makes me want to get a whole stack of $2 bills just to see what happens when I try to buy stuff. If I got the right group of people, I could probably end up in jail. At least you get free food.
