Neil Williams wrote:
The US could really, really do with $1, $2 and $5 coins for this
sort
of purpose. I genuinely do not understand why people are so
resistant.


Because the continued existence of the dollar bill is an article of
faith?

Jarle H Knudsen wrote:

I'm amazed you still use one dollar bills. Why haven't they been phased
out?

Paper notes are still far more convenient to carry than coins and the US has far
more vending machines and cash register drawers than most other countries. While
many will accept dollar coins, the ones that do tend to be government owned (ie
Post Office) or located in casinos. The far more ubiqutous soda and candy
vending machines tend to take nickels, dime and quarters, and if you are really
lucky, the have a working receiver for $1 bills. Replacing all those won't be
cheap and the cost would fall on the machine owner while the benefit went to the
government.

I've lived in both kinds of countries and used both types of currencies. While
you can make an argument that coins are cheaper over their lifetime, I'm glad
the US is still using paper.

On 27/12/2011 22:57, Neil Williams wrote:
On Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:00:55 -0800 (PST), wrote:
SEPTA, unlike NYC, accepts dollar bills on its buses. I don't know
why NYC's fareboxes aren't set up to handle that.

The US could really, really do with $1, $2 and $5 coins for this sort of
purpose. I genuinely do not understand why people are so resistant.

Neil

They do have one-dollar coins and they and TVMs in New York City
regularly dispense them as change.

The interesting thing is that they have minted a few different series to
ease use since the late 1970s, when the Susan B. Anthony dollar replaced
the Eisenhower dollars, which were almost as big as a five-pound coin.

Neil Williams writes:
SEPTA, unlike NYC, accepts dollar bills on its buses. I don't know
why NYC's fareboxes aren't set up to handle that.

The US could really, really do with $1, $2 and $5 coins for this sort
of purpose. I genuinely do not understand why people are so
resistant.

"If dollar bills were good enough for Jesus, they're good enough for me!"

-Miles

p.s. By random luck, I got a ¥100 paper note in a store a while back:
a customer was trying to use it, and the store wouldn't take it
(though they're technically still legal tender), so I bought off her
for a ¥100 coin... :]

-Miles

--
Twice, adv. Once too often.

On 27/12/2011 23:05, Bruce wrote:
Neil Williams wrote:
The US could really, really do with $1, $2 and $5 coins for this
sort
of purpose. I genuinely do not understand why people are so resistant.


Because the continued existence of the dollar bill is an article of faith?

Yeah, that's what I also noted.

On 27/12/2011 22:09, Bolwerk wrote:
On 12/27/2011 1:00 PM, wrote:
On Dec 27, 12:38 pm,
wrote:

I don't know about NYC, but in Phila, initially the driver could punch
a refund slip if a passenger overpaid. The slip could be cashed in at
the local bus garages. Obviously punching up a slip took time and
passengers arguing with the driver over change took time.

Could they not have also used it as partial fare payment?

No, they could only be redeemed.

At some point after the cutover, the fare refund slips were
discontinued. Apparently people accepted exact fare by that point and
were used to it. Also, SEPTA resumed selling token-packets at a
discount; and started selling passcards, so for regular riders, exact
fare wasn't an issue.

SEPTA, unlike NYC, accepts dollar bills on its buses. I don't know
why NYC's fareboxes aren't set up to handle that.

Because it's time consuming and a pain in the ass. Dropping change in is
easy and you can use dollar coins - though I suppose the downside to
dollar coins is about the only place I can readily find them is in
transit vending machines.

But I remember seeing electronic fareboxes in Westchester county that
took dollar notes, even those in bad shape. And the older fareboxes
certainly took them before they were replaced by the newer ones.

Robert Neville writes:
The far more ubiqutous soda and candy vending machines tend to take
nickels, dime and quarters, and if you are really lucky, the have a
working receiver for $1 bills. Replacing all those won't be cheap and
the cost would fall on the machine owner while the benefit went to the
government.

I've also heard people say that the "vending machine lobby" is a major
factor resisting currency change; WTF anybody pays attention to them, I
dunno...

-miles

--
Absurdity, n. A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own
opinion.

On 27/12/2011 23:21, Miles Bader wrote:
Neil writes:
SEPTA, unlike NYC, accepts dollar bills on its buses. I don't know
why NYC's fareboxes aren't set up to handle that.

The US could really, really do with $1, $2 and $5 coins for this sort
of purpose. I genuinely do not understand why people are so
resistant.

"If dollar bills were good enough for Jesus, they're good enough for me!"

-Miles

p.s. By random luck, I got a ¥100 paper note in a store a while back:
a customer was trying to use it, and the store wouldn't take it
(though they're technically still legal tender), so I bought off her
for a ¥100 coin... :]

-Miles

I saw somebody on the Midland Metro try to pay their fare with a
unimetallic two-pound coin. I offered to take it off her hands for the
equivalent face value when the conductor wouldn't take it. I also ont
one in change at Wimbledon station once. Admittedly, however, it took a
bit of convincing for the ticket agent to give it to me as such.

I also occasionally run into one of the pre-1997 50-pence coins.

On 27/12/2011 23:31, Miles Bader wrote:
Robert writes:
The far more ubiqutous soda and candy vending machines tend to take
nickels, dime and quarters, and if you are really lucky, the have a
working receiver for $1 bills. Replacing all those won't be cheap and
the cost would fall on the machine owner while the benefit went to the
government.

I've also heard people say that the "vending machine lobby" is a major
factor resisting currency change; WTF anybody pays attention to them, I
dunno...

-miles

Yes, I've also heard that.

On 27/12/2011 23:31, Miles Bader wrote:
Robert writes:
The far more ubiqutous soda and candy vending machines tend to take
nickels, dime and quarters, and if you are really lucky, the have a
working receiver for $1 bills. Replacing all those won't be cheap and
the cost would fall on the machine owner while the benefit went to the
government.

I've also heard people say that the "vending machine lobby" is a major
factor resisting currency change; WTF anybody pays attention to them, I
dunno...

-miles

I would have also thought the vending machine lobby that they would be
happy to get rid of their dollar slots as it would mean less moving
parts to be maintained and less jams.