Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Rumor · Aug 3, 2006, 02:20 AM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/w...st/5239962.stm

What a way to say

to the court system.

OwlBoy · Aug 3, 2006, 05:46 AM

wait.

It's real money, why the hell could they not accept it?

-Owl

Gamoe · Aug 3, 2006, 05:54 AM

I don't even understand why it's a problem for them. An automatic sorting machine should be able to sort and count the money rather quickly. Stores and banks have sorting machines available and I've used them before to turn my change into bills. And yes, if it's real money, they really have no basis upon which to deny it.

JazzCatDRP · Aug 3, 2006, 06:20 AM

Here at K-State last semester, someone paid for an entire semester's worth of tuition in bags of nickels.

Dork. · Aug 3, 2006, 07:01 AM

Rhondda magistrates said the Coinage Act of 1971 meant the court did not have to take more than 20p in copper.

...

A spokesman for HM Court Service said: "Anything over 20p in bronze is not legal tender. You don't have to accept it."

There you have it. In the UK, once you get more than 20 pennies in a bag, it's no longer legal!

Salty · Aug 3, 2006, 07:03 AM

We have the same deal with over 25 pennies up here. That said when my sister worked at a law firm some of their drug clients paid in all 20s. Yah... they weren't' guilty.

Tyre MacAdmin · Aug 3, 2006, 07:04 AM

I don't get it... I mean he paid EVERY SINGLE PENNY of that fine!

Rumor · Aug 3, 2006, 03:38 PM

In the literal cents.

Doofy · Aug 3, 2006, 03:52 PM

A spokesman for HM Court Service said: "Anything over 20p in bronze is not legal tender."

What's the betting that if I suddenly start to only accept customer payments in bronze it'd somehow miraculously become legal tender at tax time?

mitchell_pgh · Aug 3, 2006, 03:54 PM

Many places only accept check, money orders and debit cards. They don't accept cash because:
- They don't want robberies
- They don't want internal theft
- It's easier to track checks, money orders, debit cards.

zankoku · Aug 3, 2006, 04:00 PM

Pretty sure this might be considered "bad faith" in the legal context.

OreoCookie · Aug 3, 2006, 04:15 PM

AFAIK in Germany, the stores needn't accept coins. The basic idea is that they just refuse you to sell the item(s). I'm not sure about fines, though.

turtle777 · Aug 3, 2006, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

What's the betting that if I suddenly start to only accept customer payments in bronze it'd somehow miraculously become legal tender at tax time?

True, true...

-t

hickey · Aug 3, 2006, 04:24 PM

maybe the UK doesnt have any auto coin sorting machines.

Rumor · Aug 3, 2006, 04:26 PM

The UK doesn't have a tooth fairy?

Doofy · Aug 3, 2006, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by hickey

maybe the UK doesnt have any auto coin sorting machines.

Yep, we do.

I prefer the following modification of your question/statement:

maybe the UK public sector is full of stupid little jobsworth @ssholes who make it their mission in life to piss everyone off, even inventing new rules if needs be.

(if anyone thinks I'm exaggerating, read this).

Doofy · Aug 3, 2006, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by Rumor

The UK doesn't have a tooth fairy?

Used to, but she wasn't making a very good living so she emigrated.

hickey · Aug 3, 2006, 04:40 PM

wow.

lpkmckenna · Aug 3, 2006, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by Rumor

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/w...st/5239962.stm

What a way to say

to the court system.

What a

ing jerk. Stop wasting people's time.

Rumor · Aug 3, 2006, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

What a

ing jerk. Stop wasting people's time.

Who pissed in your cherrios this morning?

lpkmckenna · Aug 3, 2006, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by Rumor

Who pissed in your cherrios this morning?

Not you, the guy deliberately exchanging bills for coins just to waste the time of civil servants.

torsoboy · Aug 3, 2006, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

What a

ing jerk. Stop wasting people's time.

I think that if they waste his time and his money, he should waste theirs. His $40 covers the costs of the employees counting for an hour or so, so in the end it comes up even. I think it's great that he found a way to hit them back.

lpkmckenna · Aug 3, 2006, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by torsoboy

I think that if they waste his time and his money, he should waste theirs. His $40 covers the costs of the employees counting for an hour or so, so in the end it comes up even. I think it's great that he found a way to hit them back.

Uh, the guy lost in court. That's life. He should pay his fine and stop acting like a crybaby.

Besides, we only have his word that they "wasted his time and money." Why is everyone here so quick to accept his version of events?

Regardless, he had his day in court. He should grow the hell up.

Tyre MacAdmin · Aug 3, 2006, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

o waste the time of civil servants.

You sound like a judge... That's just my TWO CENTS

torsoboy · Aug 3, 2006, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

Uh, the guy lost in court. That's life. He should pay his fine and stop acting like a crybaby.

Besides, we only have his word that they "wasted his time and money." Why is everyone here so quick to accept his version of events?

Regardless, he had his day in court. He should grow the hell up.

Sounds like you are taking this pretty personal. You didn't happen to have had to count his coins did you?

For the most part I think people get shafted quite a bit in court, especially when it is a driving citation and it is just the cop's word against the person's word. The judge pretty much always goes with what the cop says regradless of anything else. But that's another discussion.

Maybe it's you that shouldn't be so quick to judge this person as being the one in the wrong?

::maroma:: · Aug 3, 2006, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

What's the betting that if I suddenly start to only accept customer payments in bronze it'd somehow miraculously become legal tender at tax time?

Damn straight. They'd make sure they taxed you for every single piece of copper too.

DigitalEl · Aug 3, 2006, 06:08 PM

One of the theatre chains I worked for years ago used to have a problem with deaf moviegoers. To protest the fact that we didn't open-caption films, they'd stage so-called "penny protests." They'd do it on a busy Friday or Saturday night, show up in a large group... And pay with pennies.

All the people stuck in line behind them who missed the beginnings of their movies were really sympathetic to their cause afterwards.

lpkmckenna · Aug 3, 2006, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by torsoboy

Sounds like you are taking this pretty personal. You didn't happen to have had to count his coins did you?

For the most part I think people get shafted quite a bit in court, especially when it is a driving citation and it is just the cop's word against the person's word. The judge pretty much always goes with what the cop says regradless of anything else. But that's another discussion.

Maybe it's you that shouldn't be so quick to judge this person as being the one in the wrong?

I have no idea if he was in the wrong or not. The point is: he went through the process, and he didn't win. Whining about it won't solve anything.

I'm not taking anything personally. I just think this guy's "penny crusade" is childish, and I'm surprised I'm the first person to point it out.

turtle777 · Aug 3, 2006, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by DigitalEl

All the people stuck in line behind them who missed the beginnings of their movies were really sympathetic to their cause afterwards.

But what about the blind people ?

-t

driven · Aug 4, 2006, 09:06 AM

The courts around here won't accept cash of ANY sort. (Paper, metals, anything.) You have to go to the bank and get a cashiers check or money order. Nothing else will be accepted.

also: Some businesses won't accept cash either. (Anyone remember my ScottTrade complaint of last year because they wouldn't take cash? <-- And I never, even write checks.)

driven · Aug 4, 2006, 09:10 AM

Just read the article a bit further:

I take all the pennies out of each individual bag. I rip the bags open and I empty them in a big sack so it gives them a job to count them. It's funny to watch.

"They are refusing to accept any more of my money in pennies. There is no such thing as the Coinage Act. It is legal tender, it belongs to the Queen.

"If I am not allowed to pay the pennies then I'm going to be in contempt of court. I'm willing to go to prison for it.

Yeah, go to prison. THAT WILL SHOW THEM! Well .. to paraphrase an American southern comedian: "If you think getting locked up because others refuse to see things your way is a good idea .... you might be a redneck."

Doofy · Aug 4, 2006, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by driven

Yeah, go to prison. THAT WILL SHOW THEM! Well .. to paraphrase an American southern comedian: "If you think getting locked up because others refuse to see things your way is a good idea .... you might be a redneck."

You have to understand that in the UK at the moment almost everyone has that attitude towards the government and authorities.

Gossamer · Aug 4, 2006, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

But what about the blind people ?

-t

That reminds me of the family guy clip where Brian's a guide dog and he tries to describe The Blair Witch Project to a blind guy.

driven · Aug 4, 2006, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

You have to understand that in the UK at the moment almost everyone has that attitude towards the government and authorities.

I understand. i've spent about 5 weeks or more there recently.

it's a childish unhelpful attitude and quite frankly counter-productive.

Person Man · Aug 4, 2006, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by driven

Yeah, go to prison. THAT WILL SHOW THEM! Well .. to paraphrase an American southern comedian: "If you think getting locked up because others refuse to see things your way is a good idea .... you might be a redneck."

He even LOOKS like a redneck.

ghporter · Aug 4, 2006, 06:58 PM

Massive lack of a sense of humor on the part of the court. It DOES show bad faith-by common law refusing an offer to pay a debt discharges it (that's ENGLISH common law, by the way). And it's collosally DUMB for the court to do this. It shines a very unpleasant light on the whole system.

Kind of like our IRS. They WILL NOT accept payment in cash, and WILL NOT accept certified mail. This shows two things: they don't want to work with the taxpayers, and they don't want to be held accountable. Again, very dumb, and showing themselves in a very poor light.

lpkmckenna · Aug 4, 2006, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Massive lack of a sense of humor on the part of the court.

Oh yes, a sense of humor being a crucial element of law.

MindFad · Aug 4, 2006, 08:02 PM

We have a jerkoff that comes to B&N and pays in only singles, because of his "obligation to the general." He spent $1200 one day. $700 in stuff, took a taxi home, came back, spent another $500. Yes, in singles. He's recently only been keeping to a couple hundred a visit, though.

Buckaroo · Aug 4, 2006, 09:15 PM

What's a p? 20p?

Is that like a a dollar, 10 dollars? what?

MindFad · Aug 4, 2006, 09:20 PM

Pence maybe?

d4nth3m4n · Aug 4, 2006, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by Salty

That said when my sister worked at a law firm some of their drug clients paid in all 20s. Yah... they weren't' guilty.

at least they had the decency to pay with twenties.

didn't larry flynt do this already?

Doofy · Aug 4, 2006, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by Buckaroo

What's a p? 20p?

Is that like a a dollar, 10 dollars? what?

1p = 1 penny = 0.01 pounds sterling = 0.019 US $.

d4nth3m4n · Aug 4, 2006, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by Buckaroo

What's a p? 20p?

Is that like a a dollar, 10 dollars? what?

Stogieman · Aug 4, 2006, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

But what about the blind people ?

-t

They can sit next to the deaf people and have them narrate the movie by reading the captions out loud.

Rumor · Aug 5, 2006, 08:19 AM

Edit: Not funny

Ulrich Kinbote · Aug 5, 2006, 05:13 PM

Is it true that in the UK you have to accept postage stamps as legal tender?

(So says David Brent from "The Office", but then again... )

ghporter · Aug 5, 2006, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

Oh yes, a sense of humor being a crucial element of law.

Having a rule like that shows that someone went out of their way to make it harder for the taxpayer - and that this court takes itself far, FAR too seriously. And the fact that the court HAS accepted his coins in the past shows that they just got tired of it. Instead of seeing the point-a protest and exercise of free speech-the court has invoked some law that says not only "we don't have to take more than 20p" but also "our time is far too important to be spent observing this person's protest." Just dumb.

If someone around here tried to pay a fine with coins in a municipal court, he'd get dirty looks, but I don't think anyone would force him to pay some other way.

And besides, isn't the coin of the realm still legal tender?

FulcrumPilot · Aug 5, 2006, 08:12 PM

Never mess with dudes that sport handlebar moustaches.

galarneau · Aug 5, 2006, 11:37 PM

How about this guy:

http://web.morons.org/article.jsp?sectionid=8&id=6131

He tried to pay for something at BestBuy with $2 bills and was arrested for counterfeiting.

loki74 · Aug 6, 2006, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by Doofy

What's the betting that if I suddenly start to only accept customer payments in bronze it'd somehow miraculously become legal tender at tax time?

Nice. Very good point...