The cashier seemed surprised that I wanted to pay the extra 2 cents
I'm normally in the habit of filling until the trigger gives way, then squeezing in enough extra to bring the amount up to the next whole pound, just so I don't have to fiddle with change. Sometimes I go over by a penny or two, but it would never occur to me to try to argue the toss with the cashier. But that's probably because I'm not a chav, or tight-fisted. I just fish out an extra penny or two, or deal with the 98 pence change coming back in my direction.

On a recent holiday I paid a visit to the States, figuring it's my charitable duty to help prop up a third-world comedy economy. I hired a car for the duration. I did my usual routine of filling up to the next whole peso, ahem, I mean dollar, but missed and went over by two cents. I handed the cashier $40.02, and cashier promptly handed the two cents back to me. "It's okay, sir, we round down."

Fair enough, but it got me wondering. Do petrol stations in Yankistan have so much grief from gun-toting, mouth-breathing tightwads who "know their rights" (but, curiously, never their responsibilities) over the extra couple of cents that they figure it's safer to drop the couple of cents so their staff don't end up with .45 calibre lead poisoning? Or is it just less hassle at the end of each day if they don't have to count up as much change?
( flake has nothing against your right leg, Sun 26 Oct 2008, 9:34, Reply)