Change disaster hits Twickenham shopper, 35.

[wardytron]

I was in Crown newsagents, 187 Richmond Road, Twickenham TW1 2NJ on Saturday morning, buying a can of Fanta Icy Lemon. It's not my favourite lemon-based soft drink by any means; that's San Pellegrino Limonata, but they don't sell that in Crown newsagents, and Fanta Icy Lemon was the closest equivalent. Well anyway the man in front of me had just

Comments

[jimyojimbo]

Could you not have given the cashier the ten pound note, plus five pound coins and one penny, and asked for a five pound note back?

Or better, give her the ten pound note, four pound coins, the 50 p, three 10ps, three 5ps, two 2ps and 1 penny, and asked for a five pound note back?

For christ's sake, wardytron.

[wardytron]

It's very easy to offer advice in hindsight, or if you know how counting works, and things like that, but where were you on Saturday morning, when I needed you? Were you in the Twickenham branch of Waitrose? Were you HELL.

[jimyojimbo]

Who am I? The Commando Carol Vorderman (Twickenham Branch)? No. I am not.

[bonsai_human]

Or better, give her the ten pound note, four pound coins, the 50 p, three 10ps, three 5ps, two 2ps and 1 penny, and asked for a five pound note back?

He wouldn't do that, would he, 'cause then he'd be one penny short.

[chiller]

"sea salt with a black pepper shock" crunchy potato bites

I don't understand this. How can it be a "sea salt with a black pepper shock" crunchy potato bite, when they have already spoilered the shock by announcing that it is black pepper-related on the packaging? I mean, I'm assuming that, when you open the packet, you don't find the black pepper all déshabillé, blowing the postman or something. Because, in that case it probably would be a bit of a shock, and well done you for not spoilering it in this blog entry, and no WONDER you recommend this salty snack, it sounds jolly exciting.

BTW, I rushed here trom twitter and feel that this entry would have benefitted from being more about pepper shock-related snacks and less about small change. We all need customer feedback, wardytron.

[wardytron]

It would also have benefitted from being more funny or informative or important or something, but I find all that sort of thing quite difficult.

[chiller]

That's ok, Wardy-T. Your post did provoke quite a lot of maths-related commenting that I couldn't follow, so I think the whole thing ultimately counts as educative and intellectually intimidating.

[annakey]

This post has made my day.

[wardytron]

I don't know if I'd have admitted to something like that. Actually, I definitely wouldn't have. Anyway the current status is 2 pound coins, three 10p's, three 5's, two 2's and four 1's. I've just taken my wallet out of my pocket to count the change, and you wouldn't believe the relief.

[steer]

He should write an angry letter to the telegraph.

I have developed no shame about counting out my change very slowly in the manner of a crotchety old person. Also you can feed spare change into the "illegal item in bagging area" machine in tescos in exchange for food.

[wardytron]

Illegal item? Is your Tesco in Nazi Germany? Mine just says "unexpected", but I could never use it for change-disposal purposes as it's always so busy. There's always a good 10 or so people queueing and watching you. I get quite self-conscious and find myself buying things I hope they'll approve of.

[steer]

Well, I guess it depends what you put in the bagging area doesn't it?

It is overly approval-seeking behaviour to hope that strangers think well of you because of your shopping basket contents?

Mind you, I know I've been guilty of making silent judgements about people. Like the other day when a very fat man with a bright red nose had only 6 bottles of the same variety of cheap red wine and nothing else. I felt disapproval mixed with admiration for the determination of his lifestyle.

[jimyojimbo]

You saw Michael Winner and didn't even say hello?

Join forces in the fight against small change

[anonymous]

I think if you and the angry Telegraph buying gentleman in front of you had joined forces, you could have surprised the shopkeeper with a full-frontal assault, taken control of the shop and all of its feeble newspaper and change making facilities, and then exchanged your unwieldy change for the more manageable £5 note and sundry. Or perhaps rounded up to the nearest £100

Re: Join forces in the fight against small change

[wardytron]

He looked so disheartened, and the worst of it was he had to go into the café where his wife was waiting, without the magazine section. And everyone knows women can't read news and have to look at pictures of shoes and things instead, and there were none for her to look at.