Showing ID when buying GOLD ???

[Frosty_47]

Democrat always seem to be taking something... Anyway, just gave my opinion, I don't have much of hoard, maybe a dozen or so silver dollars, couple pounds of quarters, some dimes. Not much gold, couple of chains... Still, if the money was dirty, but still real, wouldn't the machine still say it's okay, but the police or FBI come in and say it was evidence in a crime. They would take the bills, but who would end up with them later. If they came from a bank robbery, would the bank be out the cash, or the gold seller. Forgot you are in Canada, polar bears and penguins... We have a lot of high dollar crime in America, probably don't see much up there. Anyway, are paper money have unique numbers on them, serial numbers. Easy enough to keep trak of, if you need to. Oh yeah, our quarters work in vending machines, unlike Canadian coins.

Polar Bears? Machines don't accept Quarters ?

I know that US media is full of sh*t, but I never thought that our fellow Americans are that brainwashed...

I hope you were just joking about it...

 

[Frosty_47]

I really don't think that it is necessary to have or show an ID when buying a gold. Unless the country or the government isn't sure about their economic security. Well it's just a safety measure for them.

Yes, I agree on the first part. Especialy in today's economic times, the North American government is very "unsure" about economic security. However, I still doubt all "the safety measure" thing. The banks and the government are the number 1 money launderers in the North America. I bet major Casinos don't even come close to the 60 trillion dollars printted by the US government, never mind some individual trying to launder an insignificant amount...

 

[dknguyen]

Oh, that's what he meant. I was like "Duh, that makes sense. Why would Canadian vending machines bother to accept American quarters?" Where did the idea that Canadian vending machines don't accept Canadian quarters comes from? An American whose American quarters were rejected by a Canadian vending machine?

 

[Frosty_47]

Oh, that's what he meant. I was like "Duh, that makes sense. Why would Canadian vending machines bother to accept American quarters?" Where did the idea that Canadian vending machines don't accept Canadian quarters comes from? An American whose American quarters were rejected by a Canadian vending machine?

LOLZ This reminds me when a body of mine traveled to Europe and was frustrated when he asked the cashier at a liquor store what the currency exchange rate for US dollars was, when he attempted to pay for the booze in USD. The cashier suggested that he walk across the road, pick up a newspaper and look it up

 

[dknguyen]

Was he trying to pay a fewer number of USD dollars than the number listed in the domestic currency as would be the case in most places, but not Europe? He didn't know the Euro or pound is worth more than the US dollar is?

 

[Frosty_47]

He didn't know the Euro or pound is worth more than the US dollar is?

LOL. No I think he just didn't realize that there is a world out there other than United States of America

 

[HarveyH42]

Why would a Canadian vending machine take American quarters? Aren't they still worth about 7 cents more? But yes, I was just kidding about the polar bears stuff.

I still believe a business owner should have some right to know, in high dollar transactions. Any thing over a couple of thousand dollars, anyway.

 

[Mikebits]

Was he trying to pay a fewer number of USD dollars than the number listed in the domestic currency as would be the case in most places, but not Europe? He didn't know the Euro or pound is worth more than the US dollar is?

That is not quite correct.
1 Euro = 1.3567 U.S. dollars

 

[dknguyen]

That is not quite correct.
1 Euro = 1.3567 U.S. dollars

Which means the Euro is worth more than the USD...

My implication was that the USD has more value than most other currencies, so in most places of the world you could expect to get more than "100 in the domestic currency" worth of stuff for $100USD. I was wondering if it was so common place that some Americans thought that every other currency was valued less than the USD. I sure remember being pretty wowed in junior high when I learned that Euros were worth more than the USD (or very near, I don't remember exactly what it was at the time). ANd then a few years ago I ran into British pounds which were even more. Expensive.

 

[Mikebits]

LOL. No I think he just didn't realize that there is a world out there other than United States of America

A common misconception of Americans.

The media really does not speak for the average Joe American, you should know that.

Many Americans embrace all cultures and enjoy outside travelers. After all why would America be called a melting pot? We are made up of many cultures and Nationalities.

Why do we brag? Because we can

 

[Mikebits]

Which means the Euro is worth more than the USD...

Oops your right... Finals week, I am tired...

 

[dknguyen]

A common misconception of Americans.

The media really does not speak for the average Joe American, you should know that.

Many Americans embrace all cultures and enjoy outside travelers. After all why would America be called a melting pot? We are made up of many cultures and Nationalities.

Why do we brag? Because we can

Doesn't the term melting pot imply assimilation? I know someone who lives in the US now...they told me the American news doesn't talk very much about events outside the US. I didn't watch too much news when I was on vacation over there because...well...I was on vacation. I only have second hand opinions to work with. It could have been true or it could have just been culture shock. I don't know.

 

[Mikebits]

A common misconception of Americans.

The media really does not speak for the average Joe American, you should know that.

Many Americans embrace all cultures and enjoy outside travelers. After all why would America be called a melting pot? We are made up of many cultures and Nationalities.

Why do we brag? Because we can

Just for an Example, I have been to Barcelona Spain and all the way to Izmir Turkey, I have been on the continent of Africa and to China, and I loved my experience in each place I visited. Many American are like myself and share my feelings. We are not all egotistical jerks that we are often portrayed. I find this misconception annoying as I see this depiction expressed all the time.

This is called prejudice, or stereotype as one is judged by a previous encounter, or by media (Big reason).

We are humble and kind people, we feel sadness at cruelty to others, I weep at what occurs in Africa, and places of other similar circumstances.

Do not judge us based on a few life experiences or media, we are just like any other person. Sure some are spoiled by the good life that America offers, but for most, we are hard working Joes.

 

[dknguyen]

My biggest beef is the imperial system. We visited our cousins down there, one of which was in Grade 12 at the time and they had never heard of a meter or a Celcius (Celcius I might understand, but a meter!). Looking back now, that's especially annoying since we were grilled with both the imperial and metric system in the mechanics courses. I don't know if things are different in university courses (I can only hope that they are), but understanding and working with the unit is a long way from being aware of its existence.

 

[Mikebits]

Doesn't the term melting pot imply assimilation? I know someone who lives in the US now...they told me the American news doesn't talk very much about events outside the US. I didn't watch too much news when I was on vacation over there because...well...I was on vacation. I only have second hand opinions to work with. It could have been true or it could have just been culture shock. I don't know.

Americans are not Borg. Assimilation is a harsh view. Americans now enjoy the flavor of so many cultures, Chinese, Italians, French and even Canadian. We do not assimilate, we embrace, learn and foster a homogeneous relationship. We take the best of all these cultures and adopt them as our own. How many other nations do this?

Not all feel this way but a majority does.

 

[Mikebits]

My biggest beef is the imperial system. We visited our cousins down there, one of which was in Grade 12 at the time and they had never heard of a meter or a Celcius (Celcius I might understand, but a meter!). Looking back now, that's especially annoying since we were grilled with both the imperial and metric system in the mechanics courses.

I don't know where you went, but here in Ca, the Metric system is heavily taught. And Even if the contrary this seems like a silly reason to have such predisposed ideas of a culture.

 

[dknguyen]

I don't know where you went, but here in Ca, the Metric system is heavily taught. And Even if the contrary this seems like a silly reason to have such predisposed ideas of a culture.

CA is where we went (or rather, where they lived).

 

[Mikebits]

What podunk town did you visit All my jobs that I have had, used the metric system. I am taking classes in college and we use the metric system. I have almost forgotten the imperial system. I still like miles yards and feet though. Easier for me to visualize.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I don't know where you went, but here in Ca, the Metric system is heavily taught. And Even if the contrary this seems like a silly reason to have such predisposed ideas of a culture.

I can't help noticing that you (as with pretty well all Americans) use two letter abbreviations for the individual states - assuming that the rest of the world will understand your local abbreviations - well we don't

I come from the era where we were taught imperial, in fact I was the only pupil to be taught decimals at my infant school (basically because I started a year early at three years old). Normally you only did fractions until you were eight and in junior school, and decimals were then introduced as something new and complicated.

We also had non-metric money back then as well, and even now we always buy meat etc. by the pound, not the kilo - shops tend to display prices in both, even though we supposedly went metric decades ago.

 

[Mikebits]

I can't help noticing that you (as with pretty well all Americans) use two letter abbreviations for the individual states - assuming that the rest of the world will understand your local abbreviations - well we don't

That is very petty, and nit picky. Using the abbreviation is just habit. Do not read something into it.

As far as the metric system, I and most science oriented Americans, support this system as is by far better. What can we do? Industry has made the change, but it is still taught in lower grade levels.