STORY:
On my way home from work, I stopped at Taco Bell for a quick bite to eat.Â
I have a $50 bill and a $2 bill. I figure with the $2 bill, I can get something to eat and not have to worry about irritating anyone for trying to break a $50 bill.Â
Me: âHi, Iâd like one seven-layer burrito please, to go.â Server: âThatâll be $1.04. Eat in?âÂ
Me: âNo, itâs to go.â At this point, I open my billfold and hand him the $2 bill. He looks at it kind of funny.Â
Server: âUh, hang on a sec, Iâll be right back.â He goes to talk to his manager, who is still within my earshot.
The following conversation occurs between the two of them:
Server: âHey, you ever see a $2 bill?âÂ
Manager: âNo. A what?âÂ
Server: âA $2 bill. This guy just gave it to meâŚâÂ
Manager: âAsk for something else. Thereâs no such thing as a $2 bill.âÂ
Server: âYeah, thought so.âÂ
He comes back to me and says, âWe donât take these.
Do you have anything else?âÂ
Me: âJust this fifty. You donât take $2 bills? Why?Â
Server: âI donât know.âÂ
Me: âSee here where it says legal tender?âÂ
Server: âYeah.âÂ
Me: âSo, why wonât you take it?âÂ
Server: âWell, hang on a sec.âÂ
He goes back to his manager, who has been watching me like Iâm a shoplifter, and says to him, âHe says I have to take it.â
Manager: âDoesnât he have anything else?âÂ
Server: âYeah, a fifty. Iâll get it and you can open the safe and get change.Â
Manager: âIâm not opening the safe with him in here.âÂ
Server: âWhat should I do?âÂ
Manager: âTell him to come back later when he has real money.âÂ
Server: âI canât tell him that! You tell him.âÂ
Manager: âJust tell him.âÂ
Server: âNo way! This is weird. Iâm going in back.Â
The manager approaches me and says, âIâm sorry, but we donât take big bills this time of night.â
Me: âItâs only seven oâclock! Well then, hereâs a two dollar bill.âÂ
Manager: âWe donât take those, either.âÂ
Me: âWhy not?âÂ
Manager: âI think you know why.âÂ
Me: âNo really, tell me why.âÂ
Manager âPlease leave before I call mall security.âÂ
Me: âExcuse me?âÂ
Manager: âPlease leave before I call mall security.âÂ
Me: âWhat on earth for?âÂ
Manager: âPlease, sir..âÂ
Me: âUh, go ahead, call them.âÂ
Manager: âWould you please just leave?âÂ
Me: âNo.âÂ
Manager: âFine â have it your way then.âÂ
Me: âHey, thatâs Burger King, isnât it?âÂ
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-oldish guy comes in.Â
Guard: âYeah, Mike, whatâs up?âÂ
Manager (whispering): âThis guy is trying to give me some (pause) funny money.âÂ
Guard: âNo kidding! What?âÂ
Manager: âGet this. A two dollar bill.âÂ
Guard (incredulous): âWhy would a guy fake a two dollar bill?âÂ
Manager: âI donât know. Heâs kinda weird. He says the only other thing he has is a fifty.âÂ
Guard: âOh, so the fiftyâs fake!âÂ
Manager: âNo, the two dollar bill is.âÂ
Guard: âWhy would he fake a two dollar bill?âÂ
Manager : âI donât know! Can you talk to him, and get him out of here?âÂ
Guard: âYeah.â
Security Guard walks over to me andâŚâŚ
Guard: âMike here tells me you have some fake bills youâre trying to use.âÂ
Me: âUh, no.âÂ
Guard: âLemme see âem.âÂ
Me: âWhy?âÂ
Guard: âDo you want me to get the cops in here?âÂ
At this point Iâm ready to say, âSure, please!â but I want to eat, so I say, âIâm just trying to buy a burrito and pay for it with this two dollar bill. I put the bill up near his face, and he flinches like Iâm taking a swing at him. He takes the bill turns it over a few times in his hands, and he says,Â
Guard: âHey, Mike, whatâs wrong with this bill?âÂ
Manager: âItâs fake.âÂ
Guard: âIt doesnât look fake to me.âÂ
Manager: âBut itâs a two dollar bill.âÂ
Guard: âYeah? âÂ
Manager: âWell, thereâs no such thing, is there?âÂ
The security guard and I both look at him like heâs an idiot and it dawns on the guy that he has no clue and is an idiot. So, it turns out that my burrito was free, and he threw in a small drink and some of those cinnamon thingies, too.
Made me want to get a whole stack of two dollar bills just to see what happens when I try to buy stuff.Â