Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Unreachable Cents

Okay maybe they are in reach but should I even bother?

The Situation
There is a green traffic switch box outside my office and where people often put stuff on after leaving a local restaurant and before entering a cab. I have seen them leaving full coffee cups, fresh food, and money. Once I found $22 that some unknown person left there, if I saw it happening I would yell down to them.

This is what has been left recently.

 First someone left one cent about two weeks ago and then a week ago two more cents appeared. 

Since this my place of work I feel uneasy about reaching over for such little. Back when I found the $22 it was less busy and I just started out. I know these days finding lost money is good but I often see loose change on the street and pass it by if I am with others.

I know this money will be there for a while but the weather will take its toll.

The Choices:
  1. Be shameless and just go for it.
  2. Ignore it and keep some dignity.
  3. Go all ninja and try to secretly get them.
Your opinion matters.

P.S. The green  boxes are repainted and cleaned about twice a year so these will not stay there forever.

10 dollars worth, for Comments/Questions click here.:

Anonymous said...

Option #4: Add some of your own pennies. See if a large collection begins.

Man said...

Option #4: Add some of your own pennies. See if a large collection begins.

Funny, but once I saw 5 pennies there and then the city repainted the box and they were gone.

Plus I'm not in the habit of tossing coins away.

Hunter Krueger said...

1 and 3 seem like the best options to me. Whenever I see money laying around I try to tell myself it's something worth picking up. Usually the coin or coins are just worth face value, although I have found 95% copper cents and possibly some foreign coins. If you decide to pick them up be sure to post them. It would be interesting to see what treasures (or common change) you find.

Man said...

1 and 3 seem like the best options to me.

3 is my choice but the streets are so crowded today. Since I use my phone to respond to comments I thought I would put my drink on top and then use my phone then grab my drink back at the same time grabbing the change. BUT the timing has to be right I get enough odd looks at work.

I used my camera to check they are all clad Lincolns. That said I did find and pick up a 2005 cent on the subway this morning but I could not get a cent on a manhole cover in the middle of the street (street sweepers will probably eat that one).

Hunter Krueger said...

This all reminds me of a YouTube video I saw which is incidentally called Coined. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e35ik1XeocU

Good luck with those cents. Who knows maybe one will be a 1983 double die reverse or a 1984 doubled ear variety.

Man said...

This all reminds me of a YouTube video I saw which is incidentally called Coined.

Same thing happened at my college except with a penny and no video. I kept falling for it but eventually a janitor pried it off, luckily no damage to the floor.

Unknown said...

I always shamelessly pick up coins, I look in the median at stop lights and ninja fast jump out and grab a penny or two. Once in a laundry mat I found a silver dime, all those poor people too proud to stoop down to get it so now its mine!

Man said...

I always shamelessly pick up coins,

I should be that way but in reality I am not.

But that is 1 vote for "go for it" and 1 vote for "Add more pennies".

I will update progress soon.

baselle said...

I'm pretty shameless also, and will pick the pennies up even if I'm with friends. I call it "coin rescue" and even turn it on its head ... picking up coins means you are environmentally conscious - after all, copper and zinc are toxic in high concentrations in the soil.

Man said...

@baselle

Noted that is 2 votes for "go for it" and 1 for "Add more pennies".