Sorry Ma’am, We Don’t Take Maple Money: A Petty Retail Tale from the Bookstore Counter
Have you ever worked a retail job and fantasized about the perfect, subtle way to get back at a rude customer? Well, grab your receipt tape and gather ‘round, because today’s tale from the front lines of customer service delivers just the right dose of petty (yet oh-so-satisfying) revenge. Our setting: a high-end bookstore in the U.S., where one employee found themselves facing a customer armed with attitude and a fistful of Canadian coins.
When a lady, barely acknowledging the cashier and deeply engrossed in her phone call, tried to offload her leftover Canadian change, our retail hero decided that manners matter—and so does legal tender. What followed was a gentle but pointed refusal that left the entitled shopper inconvenienced, and the internet cheering.
The Coin Toss: When Manners Meet Money
Let’s set the scene: working retail, you’re used to the occasional odd coin sneaking into the register—especially if your store’s near the border. But as u/Wikeni, the original poster (OP), explained, “it bothered me she was specifically picking [Canadian coins] out to unload them on us.” Most cashiers will let a stray loonie or toonie slide, but when someone’s making a point of it—and being rude in the process—the “policy” suddenly becomes very, very important.
When the customer was told, “Sorry ma’am, I can’t take these. They aren’t US tender,” her response was classic entitlement: “What? Oh who cares?! Canadian money is all over and it doesn’t matter! They look similar.” But the rules are the rules, and our cashier hero stood firm. The result? A scoff, an eye roll, and some grumbling—plus a small but meaningful victory for retail employees everywhere.
Borderline Change: It’s Not Just a US-Canada Thing
What makes this story even juicier is the flood of hilarious and insightful comments from the Reddit community. As u/NotQuiteNick quipped, “Same thing as Americans trying to pay me American money in Canada, wrong country dude.” Turns out, currency confusion (and cheeky attempts to sneak coins across borders) is a universal retail experience.
And it’s not just North America. As u/Anxious-Rhubarb8102 pointed out, “We have the same thing between Australia and New Zealand. Most of our coins are the same size and denomination. Most places don’t care…we don’t seem to get entitled people offloading them deliberately.”
But when someone’s being intentionally sneaky? That’s a whole different story. As one commenter, u/Grrerrb, put it: “Sometimes when people were being jerks I would think about doing this [refusing foreign coins].” The consensus? Kindness goes a long way—try to game the system, and you might just get a taste of petty retail justice.
Retail Revenge: One Coin at a Time
Let’s be real: retail workers see it all. Regulars, tourists, accidental mix-ups, and—every so often—someone who treats the counter like a piggy bank for their unwanted change. But as this story shows, a little well-timed pettiness can go a long way. As u/beadzy confessed, “I loved saying no to entitled assholes in my retail job. Or that we were out of ‘the one product they came in for.’”
And the nuances of currency acceptance are surprisingly complex. Some Canadian stores will take American bills at par (even if the exchange rate isn’t), while others, as u/Thatcher_da_Snatcher recalled from bartending days, would warn Americans, “it’s 1:1.” Meanwhile, u/msuvagabond remembered the shock of exchanging cash and ending up with “nothing but coins left”—because Canadian currency loves a good coin more than most.
There’s also the legal side: as u/mechant_papa pointed out, “Strictly speaking, there is no such a thing as a Canadian ‘quarter.’ It’s legally called a ‘twenty-five cent piece’…We have informally adopted the terms quarter, nickel and dime, but they have no meaning in the Currency Act.” So if you’re trying to pawn off your “quarters” in another country, you might want to check the fine print—or at least the small print on the coin.
The Final Word: Respect, Retail, and a Little Petty Payback
At its core, this story isn’t just about coins—it’s about respect. As u/TheAnti-Karen passionately noted, “Being on your phone the entire time you’re with a cashier is so damn rude… I am still a human and would like basic human interaction please.” The lesson? Whether you’re shopping in your home country or abroad, a little politeness goes a long way. And if you’re tempted to offload your leftover foreign coins, maybe save them for your next trip—or at least for someone who isn’t having to juggle customer service with international currency exchange.
So next time you’re at the register, remember: the person behind the counter holds more power than you think—especially when it comes to accepting your change. And sometimes, a small act of pettiness is the sweetest revenge of all.
What about you? Have you ever encountered a sneaky coin swap—or delivered your own slice of retail justice? Share your stories below!
Original Reddit Post: Told rude lady we couldn’t accept Canadian coin