A toll booth worker has been praised for his ‘petty’ revenge on a driver who paid his fee in pennies to ‘prove a point’ – as he says the man was ‘over by 20 pence’
A toll booth worker has been hailed for serving up some ‘petty revenge’ on a driver who decided to pay his fee entirely in pennies, apparently to ‘prove a point’. The employee understood the motorist’s frustration but found the gesture misplaced, as they were just an employee with no authority over the regulations.
On social media site Reddit, the toll operator shared their anecdote: “I was working for the toll authority before they got rid of them for ez-pass. This guy comes through with a toll of about £5. He raised his cupped hands up towards me full of pennies and nickels.
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“Once I took them he said: ‘Here you go! Enjoy counting!’ while laughing to himself.” In response, the toll worker cleverly asked the driver to switch his car into neutral and wait while each coin was meticulously counted, warned that if the motorist drove off beforehand, they’d call “state troopers to bring him back” to ensure the payment was complete.
Continuing the tale, the worker described: “He pouted the entire time while I stacked pennies, and, accidentally knocked them over, having to start again a couple times.”
Once the total was tallied, it turned out the driver had paid too much, leading the clerk to hand back the excess change with a witty comment: “He was over by 20p. I gave it back to him and said: ‘Here’s your change. Aren’t you glad you waited?'”
Online readers applauded the clever act of petty vengeance, with many finding great amusement in the story, reports Bristol Live.
One Reddit user quipped in the comments: “”Aren’t you glad you waited” is the kind of thing you usually think about after and kick yourself for not getting to use it.”
Another person hailed the deed, stating: “Petty at its finest.” Some users also reminded everyone to extend kindness towards those in customer service roles.
Amid the comments, a reminder of empathy surfaced: “I’ll never understand people who do this and think they’re ‘sticking it to The Man’. Like, no, sir, you’re just annoying the employee who’s just trying to make their rent.”
Is it legal to pay in pennies in the UK?
In the UK, it’s possible to pay with pennies, but there are restrictions on how much you can use in a single transaction due to something called legal tender rules.
For 1p and 2p coins, they are only legal tender up to the value of 20p. This means that if you try to pay for something costing more than 20p entirely in 1p or 2p coins, the recipient (e.g., a shopkeeper) can legally refuse the payment.
It’s important to note that “legal tender” means that a creditor is obliged to accept that form of payment for a debt, but businesses and individuals have the right to set their own payment terms. For example, a shop can refuse to accept certain denominations, including pennies, altogether as long as this is made clear before the transaction.