Man cited after paying bill with 2,500 pennies

[Nica_In_Love 98]

VERNAL, Utah – A Utah man has been cited on a charge of disorderly conduct after paying for a disputed medical bill with 2,500 pennies.

The Deseret News of Salt Lake City reports Jason West went to Basin Clinic in Vernal on May 27 prepared to dispute an outstanding $25 bill.

Assistant Vernal Police Chief Keith Campbell says that after asking staff members whether they accepted cash, West dumped 2,500 pennies on the counter and demanded that staff count them.

Campbell says the incident upset staff because pennies were strewn about the counter and floor, and West's action served "no legitimate purpose."

Police later issued the 38-year-old West a citation for disorderly conduct. That carries a fine of as much as $140. Or 14,000 pennies.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110605/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_paying_with_pennies;_ylt=Au1CZaZCPRWSCwKFjrGr6mGrYCoD;_ylu=X3oDMTNrbTgwMmtvBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwNjA1L3VzX29kZF9wYXlpbmdfd2l0aF9wZW5uaWVzBGNjb2RlA3RvcGdtcHRvcDIwMHBvb2wEY3BvcwM5BHBvcwM5BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDbWFuY2l0ZWRhZnRl

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

VERNAL, Utah – A Utah man has been cited on a charge of disorderly conduct after paying for a disputed medical bill with 2,500 pennies.

The Deseret News of Salt Lake City reports Jason West went to Basin Clinic in Vernal on May 27 prepared to dispute an outstanding $25 bill.

Assistant Vernal Police Chief Keith Campbell says that after asking staff members whether they accepted cash, West dumped 2,500 pennies on the counter and demanded that staff count them.

Campbell says the incident upset staff because pennies were strewn about the counter and floor, and West's action served "no legitimate purpose."

Police later issued the 38-year-old West a citation for disorderly conduct. That carries a fine of as much as $140. Or 14,000 pennies.

http://news.yahoo.co...WFuY2l0ZWRhZnRl

I like his spirit. He must have a huge piggy bank.

[Nica_In_Love 98]

I like his spirit. He must have a huge piggy bank.

Yes, he must

Nice way of getting his point across.

[The Dude 206]

Yes, he must

Nice way of getting his point across.

How did he get his point across? He will end up with a fine that far exceeds the initial debt. The man is an idiot. Now, had he rolled the coins, and not just dumped them, he would have been fine.

[Nica_In_Love 98]

How did he get his point across? He will end up with a fine that far exceeds the initial debt. The man is an idiot. Now, had he rolled the coins, and not just dumped them, he would have been fine.

He was disputing a bill yet they made him pay. Yes, he paid, what's wrong with pennies now? I don't see anything wrong with the guy. I find it rather stupid to cite him after something like that. Gee, that's my opinion dude.

[Fandango 1,440]

I did the same thing with our old neighbors. They were crazy peeps, and the hubby bummed cigs off my hubby every day that they lived there. Texted my hubby 7 am on Easter morning that he was 'hurting bad', lol. At first would say things like 'I'll owe you $1' but would never do anything about it. Not that we needed his dollar. Hell, add 5 more and go get your own pack and leave us alone.

Anyway, the guy was a complete freak.

So they had a yard sale. We went over to say hello to them. Hubby found this old joystick thingamawhatsit, and they wanted $5 for it. So I told them that we were getting ready to go out for the day, we had literally no cash on us, but we were stopping by the bank and we'd give them $5.

We go back in the house to get ready, when I hear a knock on the door. It's prolly like 20-30 mins after we talked to them outside.

He comes to the door, and was like 'you got my $5 you owe me?'

#######? Hubby was like 'erm, have you even seen our car leave yet?'

I was so pissed off, I broke out the change jar and paid him in nickels and dimes. He was like 'oh you can wait til you go to the bank' and I'm like 'oh no, here's the $5 we owe you'

Thank God they moved, lolz.

[The Dude 206]

He was disputing a bill yet they made him pay. Yes, he paid, what's wrong with pennies now? I don't see anything wrong with the guy. I find it rather stupid to cite him after something like that. Gee, that's my opinion dude.

He was cited, because of the intent of his actions. You cannot be cited if your intent is merely to pay. But that wasn't what this guy was doing, so he's the moron who will not only pay the debt, but will get a fine over 5 times what the debt was. I fail to see the logic in his actions.

[Fandango 1,440]

Pennies are legal tender. I think it had more to do with his yelling and throwing the pennies around than actually paying with the coins.

jmo

[The Dude 206]

Pennies are legal tender. I think it had more to do with his yelling and throwing the pennies around than actually paying with the coins.

jmo

That's why I said his intent was the determining factor. I paid for my nintendo when I was 11 with nickels and pennies. The store (Toys R Us) wouldn't accept the pennies initially, so my parents and I rolled it. The store still didn't want to take it, but could see that I wasn't trying to cause trouble, just pay for it.

[TBoneTX 47,503]

Some stores might appreciate being paid in rolled coins, si man, because then they wouldn't have to lug so many rolls from the bank, no man.

Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar. Mrs. T-B.'s #2 sister has a busy store in a rather small town in Ecuador. She's always running out of dollar coins (which they use there far more than our dollar bills). When I visit, I make sure to bring 5 or 6 rolls of dollar coins to sell to her (for a slight discount). Funny to see how the customers react to the presidential series of coins -- they're still using the same worn-down Sacagawea dollars from 2001 or whenever. Those rolls of coins are heavy to transport, though.

Back to the penny business: A lot of folks either let their pennies sit in jars, or they actually throw them out. Because it costs more to mint pennies than they're worth, one would think that it would be generally good to have more (once they're rolled and banked) available for the public, si man.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It kinda sounds like something Paul might do.

If you're going to get done for disorderly conduct, the guy could have at least done something a bit more original - like offering to pay the debt with "magic beans" or something

[The Dude 206]

It kinda sounds like something Paul might do.

If you're going to get done for disorderly conduct, the guy could have at least done something a bit more original - like offering to pay the debt with "magic beans" or something

I imgagine paul would go all Jared on the situation and start quoting Atlas Shrugged or something.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

That's why I said his intent was the determining factor. I paid for my nintendo when I was 11 with nickels and pennies. The store (Toys R Us) wouldn't accept the pennies initially, so my parents and I rolled it. The store still didn't want to take it, but could see that I wasn't trying to cause trouble, just pay for it.

If you weren't trying to cause trouble, you would have just taken to the change to the bank and exchanged it for bills. :devil:

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

He was cited, because of the intent of his actions. You cannot be cited if your intent is merely to pay. But that wasn't what this guy was doing, so he's the moron who will not only pay the debt, but will get a fine over 5 times what the debt was. I fail to see the logic in his actions.

I read a local story and it doesn't sound like he did anything wrong. The bill was disputed so he asked if they accepted cash. They said yes, so he delivered the pennies. He didn't demand they be counted, he apparently just wanted a receipt which he said he could be mailed and then left. The police called him 3 hours later regarding the charge.

[Fandango 1,440]

I read a local story and it doesn't sound like he did anything wrong. The bill was disputed so he asked if they accepted cash. They said yes, so he delivered the pennies. He didn't demand they be counted, he apparently just wanted a receipt which he said he could be mailed and then left. The police called him 3 hours later regarding the charge.

Agreed.

Legal tender, what's the ish?