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Man arrested, cuffed for using $2 bills at Best Buy

worldnetdaily.com — A man trying to pay a fee using $2 bills was arrested, handcuffed and taken to jail after clerks at a Best Buy store questioned the currency's legitimacy and called police. According to an account in the Baltimore Sun, 57-year-old Mike Bolesta was shocked to find himself taken to the Baltimore County lockup in Cockeysville, Md., where he was ha

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  • duke1776, on 10/21/2007, -20/+450Welcome to OUR nightmare.
    • z00k, on 10/11/2007, -220/+45Our? ... How is it "Our" nightmare? ... How is it even a nightmare in the first place? If people don't know about the currency of their own country they need to GTFO.
    • hater2win, on 10/11/2007, -153/+15Before clicking through, I was almost 99% sure this would be a Consumerist story...

      I suppose it will show up there eventually.
    • allenobendorf, on 11/06/2007, -16/+1262"It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."

      If YOU accept 2 dollar bills, the terrorists win.
    • Nudar, on 10/11/2007, -17/+761Please tell me that he sues the police for unlawful arrest. To even consider arresting someone for paying legal tender makes you a mass murderer.
    • Holosoth, on 10/11/2007, -260/+9How is being "handcuffed to a pole" a nightmare?
    • screamthenrun, on 11/06/2007, -14/+1425Police spokesman:"It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."
      -- No, its a sign that your officers are idiots.
    • Beshitehboss, on 10/11/2007, -11/+359I hope in their next payday all the officers and BestBuy employees will receive an envelope with their paycheck amount in $2 bills.
    • Al3x, on 10/11/2007, -25/+353Please note Apr 7, 2005. Somebody already said this I'm sure, but seriously...
    • p0tent1al, on 10/11/2007, -11/+164In a related story, a man was arrested at a cafeteria because he tried to use a half dollar for the vending machine.
    • appurtenance, on 10/11/2007, -62/+283What happened to "innocent until proven guilty"?
    • rm999, on 10/11/2007, -33/+59Al3x

      Hehe, yeah - I remember reading about this 2 years ago - on Digg.
    • scatfly, on 10/11/2007, -16/+59hasnt this happened before? or is this just a dupe of it?
    • OgnodoD, on 10/11/2007, -21/+8Barney Fife strikes again! Where's Andy when you need him?
    • diggsuxxxx, on 10/11/2007, -41/+15posted 2 years ago, reported as dupe.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -15/+208appurtenance...how does that apply? Was he sentenced to spend time in prison? Innocent until proven guilty has absolutely nothing to do with being arrested.

      People are ARRESTED all the time before being proven guilty. In fact, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of the time when people are arrested, they have not been proven guilty of anything.
    • samyoungguitar, on 10/11/2007, -10/+143 Hopefully he sues them for 5,000,000 $2 bills.
    • Beshitehboss, on 10/11/2007, -37/+7Al3x... i was born the 8th of April of 2005.. so i don't remember it :-D
    • FoolishMortal, on 10/11/2007, -8/+571"She looked at the $2 bills and told me, 'I don't have to take these if I don't want to.'

      Isn't there a law that if legal tender is rejected as payment, the debt is void?
    • fober, on 10/11/2007, -19/+10Yeah well, I didn't get a chance to read it in 2005 because my e-mail spam blocker was set to "Aggressive".

      The Internets; trampling over those who can't keep up since 1999.
    • kevincw01, on 11/06/2007, -2/+191I would have said "no problem, I'll be back." and then changed the $2 bills for quarters, unrolled and delivered them in a bag.
    • pogfreak, on 10/11/2007, -254/+3This story has fake written all over it. What kind of bank gives out $2 bills to anyone? And even if it is true, then heres a tip: don't pay with $2 bills like a jackass. The nerve of some people...
    • Knucklecallus, on 10/11/2007, -36/+10srry, digg this down, didnt see the post by allenobendorf.
    • Matrix_Prime, on 11/06/2007, -4/+192you know, I just recently got a $2 bill back in change at a Best Buy, no joke.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -32/+6 FoolishMortal...just making up random laws out of thin air now?
    • signal15, on 11/06/2007, -33/+265>Bolesta says the cashier marked each bill with a pen.

      It is illegal to deface money, Best Buy broke the law.

      Additionally, is it a FEDERAL law that if a business refuses to take your legal tender money, the debt is considered PAID. For example, if I walk into a store and they tell me no bills larger than $50 after 10pm and all I have is a $50 bill, if they refuse my $50 bill when I present it, it is considered paid for. You'll probably end up getting arrested anyway, but that's still the law.
    • webtroy, on 10/11/2007, -8/+57Best Buy staff are lamers.

    • g0dfather0, on 11/06/2007, -6/+143@signal15
      "It is illegal to deface money, Best Buy broke the law."

      Retail stores have special pens they use to identify if currency is fake or not. The usually only use it for bills $20 and higher. I don't think it is considered defacing for them to check.
    • GleepGlop2, on 10/11/2007, -25/+6"makes you a mass murderer"? 80+ diggs for that non-sequiter?
    • jambaphil, on 11/06/2007, -8/+367"Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey told the Sun: "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world.""

      ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????!!! What the HELL does this have to do with 9/11???

      I'm sick and tired of 9/11 being cited like John 3:16 for every asinine act of incompetent government. Perhaps Toohey could have just said, "Um, we screwed up. Sorry."
    • zxof, on 10/11/2007, -14/+3now americans can say 'better safe than sorry'.
    • theballdredge, on 10/11/2007, -8/+18@signal15

      the pens do not typically mark on valid us currency, and as such is not defacing the bill. considering most major retailers utilize these pens as a simple check to make sure the currency is valid at tender, i would be EXTREMELY surprised to find that using the pen is somehow illegal.

      in the writeup i read about this, the secret service officer that showed up noted that sometimes the ink smears on new/fresh bills.

      also, as already noted this article is very old.

      update: g0dfather0 beat me to it.
    • AriaStar, on 10/11/2007, -5/+85I hope he sued the living hell out of Best Buy AND the police.
    • vypergts, on 10/11/2007, -61/+8Seriously, what did he expect? From the article it sounds like he was trying to be an ass and when they somebody called him out on it he kept up the act and got what he deserved. It's easy to jump all over Best Buy in a situation like this given their track record, but it's awfully hard to tell what actually went down without having actually been there. The article says the bills were consecutive and that the ink looked smudged, I would have called the cops too.

      /Devil's Advocate
    • capiCrimm, on 10/11/2007, -17/+2@FoolishMortal

      sweet. Now I have a reason for stealing from those vending machines and small town gas stations...

      "but officer, it wouldn't take my $100 bill !"
    • donwilson2, on 10/11/2007, -16/+2They should arrest him for living in the 80s again.
    • AriaStar, on 10/11/2007, -3/+23@ signal15:

      Well, I guess we should take every wheresgeorge.com bill to the police so they can track down the bastards who are defacing our money!

      Actually, defacing with intent to commit fraud is illegal. It's legal to write on money.

      Though you are correct about a bill being paid - almost. "This note is valid for ALL debts, public and private." It doesn't say only at places that accept that bill.
    • domain755, on 10/11/2007, -2/+46Why do people have to be so stupid that you have never once in your life seen a two dollar bill
    • doodlebumm, on 10/11/2007, -2/+87I smell a law suit. And I hope he wins. People that don't understand $2 bills need to be educated, even if it is an expensive lesson.

      $2 bills are a novelty, but totally legitimate. They are usually in new condition because they are a novelty. They are also usually in sequence if you get a bunch of them because they came in packs in sequence. No counterfeiter worth anything will waste time with bills smaller than $20 anyway. It just isn't worth the time and energy (let alone they probably cost more than $2 to print them on fine paper. The best counterfeiters used to bleach the ink on $1 bills to then print a $20 or $50 or $100. Their cost was at least $1. Now if you do that to make a $2 bill, you are just dumb! You'd make more money per hour at McDonalds.
    • AriaStar, on 10/11/2007, -2/+76@ pogfreak:

      You idiot, the $2 bill is legal tender. Banks give out all forms of US currency, from $2 bills to dollar coins if you ask.

      Did you read the article? He was told there would be no fee for installation, and Best Buy reneged. He wasn't the jackass.
    • capiCrimm, on 11/06/2007, -5/+98To everyone saying there is a law.

      I looked it up and you can see that it doesn't apply in a private transaction such as this one or stores not accepting bills greater then $20 or whatever. Only when the transaction involves a creditor. BestBuy doesn't have to take $2 bills if they don't want.

      http://www.treas.gov/education/faq/currency/legal-tender.shtml#q1
    • Dhalgren, on 10/11/2007, -4/+14"the pens do not typically mark on valid us currency, and as such is not defacing the bill. considering most major retailers utilize these pens as a simple check to make sure the currency is valid at tender, i would be EXTREMELY surprised to find that using the pen is somehow illegal."

      Yeah they do. They are iodine pens, and leave a yellow mark on the bill if it is "valid." If there is any starch in the bill, the ink will turn black. On a side note, it has been shown that these pens do not work against common current counterfeit bills.
    • Svoma15, on 10/11/2007, -12/+7I actually had something similar happen to me too. I had a $2 bill on me and I tried to use it so I didn't have to break a $10 bill. The clerk told me, "Hold on let me ask about this." I just said don't worry about it and used my $10 bill.
    • formergthing, on 10/11/2007, -12/+2Edit: wow someone already beat me to the "terrorists win" comment

      I guess I have nothing else to add here. Carry on.
    • simpleid, on 10/11/2007, -15/+2this is the first time I've ever seen the same story hit the front page twice.

      Record?
    • vhold, on 10/11/2007, -7/+5"Isn't there a law that if legal tender is rejected as payment, the debt is void?"

      Well, if they never sell him the thing in the first place, then there is no debt, so it's not clear how that law would apply here. I wonder if you technically go into "debt" the moment the register prints what you owe. Probably not, as it wouldn't be binding for either party.
    • curiousgrge, on 10/11/2007, -5/+3@g0dfather0

      "Retail stores have special pens they use to identify if currency is fake or not. The usually only use it for bills $20 and higher. I don't think it is considered defacing for them to check."

      By special pen I think you mean those pens that is basically iodine. The assumption is that counterfeiters use cheap paper and iodine reacts to the starch in the paper. Official currency lacks this "starch" so it doesn't react to money.

      I guess if you want to be an ass or just have some fun, spray some starch on your money where you know they use these pens and prepare to have an interesting time or get arrested at which point I guess you can start your own lawsuit.

      This has been well documented by James Randi:

      http://www.randi.org/jr/070105quality.html#7
    • TheKidd, on 10/11/2007, -13/+5I'd like to give those Snorg chicks 57 $2.00 bills, one at a time...........
    • Noah0504, on 10/11/2007, -2/+26Taken from moneyfactory.gov:

      31 USC ยง 5103. Legal Tender

      United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues. Foreign gold or silver coins are not legal tender for debts.

      However, there is no Federal statute which mandates that private businesses must accept cash as a form of payment. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise.
    • ronsii, on 10/11/2007, -10/+5I could see it if the $2 bill had a picture of Bill or Hillary on it ;-)
      • mcraigw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2
        No, that would be a $3 Bill. And Hillary won't do anything for $2 or $3.
    • toppgun, on 10/11/2007, -7/+5what is the law that states that a debt is nullified if the tender is not accepted? I really want to know.
    • pitlord, on 10/11/2007, -8/+4everything old is new again...

      -_-
    • shinynew, on 10/11/2007, -5/+13@FoolishMortal

      also why the ***** would a cashier care that much?
      If i worked there and I really cared that much I would say I was on break and he should go to another cashier.

      I acually am a cashier. I work at a breakfast brunch place, I have had some some ridiculus people, I had one person that ordered some tea to go(~2$) then paid with a 100$ bill, Its not my job to argue with these people, so I laughed to myself about the situation and made his change.
    • KamikazeeDriver, on 10/11/2007, -5/+9"you know, I just recently got a $2 bill back in change at a Best Buy, no joke."

      you should've called the law.
    • kristov, on 10/11/2007, -3/+40Stupid?

      Best buy clerks - obviously
      Managers - sadly
      Police - wtf? are our standards that low for police officers?
    • blog4charity, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2The man should counter sue
    • Ignignokt01, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11@signal15

      it actually ISNT a federal law.

      "This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy."

      Taken straight from the Treasury FAQ
    • t4ll3y, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2@hater2win

      they've had a good 2 years. It's not going to be on there,
    • joeware, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10@signal15
      "Additionally, is it a FEDERAL law that if a business refuses to take your legal tender money, the debt is considered PAID. For example, if I walk into a store and they tell me no bills larger than $50 after 10pm and all I have is a $50 bill, if they refuse my $50 bill when I present it, it is considered paid for. You'll probably end up getting arrested anyway, but that's still the law."

      I've never heard of anything remotely backing up what you have said. Additionaly, if I trust Wikipedia, you are wrong about this:

      There being no other federal law prohibiting private businesses, persons or organizations from specifying other methods of payment they choose to accept or refuse, such entitites therefore are free to insist on payment by credit card, for example, or to refuse larger denomination banknotes. Some small stores in the United States have a policy of not accepting large notes, typically above $20, either at all or at certain times of day; this allows them to keep fairly small quantities of money in the register and deter robbery, and also serves to limit one's risk of accepting counterfeit notes.
    • Arkonnan, on 10/11/2007, -8/+14> "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."

      It seems as though this can be used to excuse any breach of our civil rights nowadays.

      /comment abuse
      //If you mod me down, you're violating my civil rights.. Post 9/11 world, yadda yadda.
    • chronusmcgee, on 10/11/2007, -4/+16The service switch and bait at Best Buy is quite common. My son's computer hard-drive crashed so he wanted a new drive installed. He was told that if he bought a larger and more expensive drive that they would install it for free. Two hours later, the no-neck manager come to us, saying, that my son will have to pay full price, of $119.95, for the installation service. When I confronted him about the promise from the clerk, he just shrugged his shoulders and said the salesman wasn't allowed to make such promises.

      Best Buy is very aggressive when it comes to calling the cops. If they even think you are being hostile, they call the police at the drop of a hat, and never apologize.

      This man should have as an absolute minimum an apology from Best Buy, and the police department. But he shouldn't hold his breath, it ain't gonna happen.
      • mcraigw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I hope you told them that you no longer wanted the drive and demanded a full refund.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -12/+12signal...LOVE tpo see your source for that FEDERAL law that you quoted.

      So, please. post the source.

      Actually, never mind. Becuase it isdoes not exist. It is perhaps the dumbest of hte made up laws that chidlren on Digg post as fact. Suffice it to say that there is NO law that says that if a store refuses to accept a denomination that the bill is considered paid for. It just does not exist.

      Because guess what you stupid *****...If you walk into my store and only have a $50 and I don't want to accept it, I DO NOT HAVE TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU. Private owner. I can refuse to do business with you for ANY reason other than the protected ones like religion, sex, race, etc. The money you have is not a protected under discrimination law.

      But again...I know the children on Digg will bury me. Of course, NO ONE will prove me wrong. (Because I am not.) But even if I was, no one would anyway. So much easier to hit BURY and try to hide the fact that you are all ridiculously stupid and destroying the credibility of Digg with each and every post in this thread.
      • mcraigw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"Because guess what you stupid *****...If you walk into my store and only have a $50 and I don't want to accept it, I DO NOT HAVE TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU."

        Except that Best Buy already did business with him, and he was attempting to pay them for giving him the business. They were charging him for delivery of an item, when he had been promised that there would be no delivery charge. I would have simply refused to pay and let them attempt to get the money from me -- or they could come and pick up the item and take it back.
    • strictlybogart, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4@ pogfreak

      You can request $2 bills from any bank. Most do not have them on hand so they in turn have to request them from the federal reserve. So you just need a couple days to get it.
    • rebrad, on 10/11/2007, -5/+2I wonder if Best Buy will try to pay him with about 2 million two dollar bills?
    • modad, on 10/11/2007, -4/+9@ hdtvdust

      Dugg up for being a grumpy old man. Now say "Get off my lawn."
    • Crazyglues, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7yet another reason why best buy sucks.... I hope he sues their ass. I mean how dumb are the people who work at best buy, or better yet how dumb are the police officers' that they don't know that there is nothing wrong with $2dollar bills. Do cops still have to go to college or did they just throw that out as a requirement?
    • jambaphil, on 10/11/2007, -3/+53@foolishmortal

      "Isn't there a law that if legal tender is rejected as payment, the debt is void?"

      This is a really interesting point of law. Here's the rule:

      1. If there is an existing debt when payment is presented (e.g. like at a restaurant when you get a bill after eating), then any form of legal tender MUST by law be accepted. You can pay in a combination of pennies and $10,000 bills if you want.

      2. If there is NO existing debt when payment is presented (e.g. you bring a candy bar to the counter at a convenience store), then the merchant is NOT obligated to accept any form of legal tender, and is under no obligation to even allow your transaction. So when a clerk at a liquor store doesnt let you use a $100 bill to buy a snickers, he's well within his rights.

      In the Best Buy case, it sounds like the guy already OWED money for a car installation that had been performed. Therefore, there is an existing debt, and Best Buy is obligated by law to accept silver dollars, wooden nickels, 2 dollar bills -- whatever the hell form of tender payment Joe Bob feels like digging out of his pocket.

      And they aren't allowed to pretend that 9/11 has anything to do with their ignorance : )

    • nomadxx7, on 10/11/2007, -2/+20What happened to "innocent until proven guilty"?

      That ended the day of 9/11/2001. Now we have TERRORISTS using $2 bills to pay service fees at Best Buy.
    • gpd209, on 10/11/2007, -8/+5Digg needs a "History" category for people who insist on submitting extremely out-of-date articles and passing them off as if they are relevant to the present. I don't mind having the same story hit the front page periodically. This seems fine for a cool video, a fun flash game, or something else for which the date is irrelevant. But for stories about stupid things that government officials do, police misconduct, corporate corruption, etc., it is irresponsible to post a 2-year-old article without clearly calling attention to the date the incident occurred.
    • Cowtastic, on 10/11/2007, -5/+1Wow, I live in Baltimore County and I know the Best Buy where this happened... cuz a friend worked there and called me during the festivities.....
    • diggsilva, on 07/10/2008, -5/+5@jambaphil

      Do you have a source for your claim that all legal tender must be accepted at restaurants but not at convenience stores?
    • rhyme22, on 10/11/2007, -6/+4Yay for news that's two years old!
    • Detritus, on 10/11/2007, -9/+2This is another entirely made up story from WND... shame they couldn't fit racism into this one too.

      Try to find this anywhere else. It isn't even on the Baltimore Sun's website!

      For those of you that might have forgotten their last bit of made-up news, they had a field day with this one: http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=185167 (Note that only now does it carry the disclaimer that it was fake... after the story got nearly 7000 diggs.)

    • stevealford, on 10/11/2007, -6/+4@doodlebumm: Two dollar bills aren't a novelty, you ***** moron... they were minted originally because there was a massive call for two dollar bills at racetracks and gambling houses. Since most odds run at "something and a half to one" there was a need to make payouts an even number while taking in more cash for the house. The solution: petition the mint to make 2 dollar bills. That way, people could bet on strange odds without using a TEN dollar bill, fewer bills would be circulating while the dollar amount is higher, and it generally made life easier.

      Just because YOU don't know why two dollar bills exist doesn't make them a novelty, it only makes you ignorant of the facts... then you went a bit further and made yourself into a ***** by stating a false claim that you pulled out of your ass based on your ignorance.
    • CBanga, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4"Commenting on the incident, Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey told the Sun: "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world.""

      Because money and guys piloting planes has a connection how?
    • faskippy, on 10/11/2007, -2/+0"However, there is no Federal statute which mandates that private businesses must accept cash as a form of payment. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise"

      Yes, but the argument is not whether or not the store refused to accept cash, they obviously do. The customer was attempting to pay with cash. A $2 bill is cash. The law descriminates against no denomination of cash.
    • NikoKun, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4Boy they're lucky that wasn't me they were questioning about a ***** 2$ bill... I would have raised hell...

      ***** sue the cops... and sue the store too... ***** ridiculous...
    • theOster, on 10/11/2007, -18/+13the real story
      (my brother was working at this store at the time)

      this guy was trying to pay for a large bill with his $2 bills. the cashier thought it was suspicious, and so asked her manager (my brother) if she should accept them. he told her that she could accept or not accept, but that if it turned out to be counterfeit then she as the acceptor would be at least partially responsible. given the options, she used the counterfeit pen and found one of the bills to be suspect. when she informed the customer, he threw a tantrum and started spouting that he uses them daily and his kids use them for lunch money, etc, etc. he was then asked to leave the store at which point he became even more irate and decided to call the police himself.

      when the local police arrived, they decide that the whole situation required the Secret Service. the Baltimore sun (being the sh*tty syndicate out of Chicago) interviewed *only* the customer and provided a highly slanted story.

      given the liability, i would reserve criticism of best buy.
      • mcraigw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"reserve criticism of Best Buy."

        I wouldn't. I've had too many problems with them. Did you know, for instance, that you cannot pay your Best Buy credit card bill at a Best Buy store? Not even on the day it is due. I can pay my Circuit City card at the Circuit City store. I can pay my Home Depot bill at the Home Depot store. I can pay my Allstate insurance bill and my insurance agent's office. Not Best Buy.

        Years ago, I paid Best Buy $80 for a dishwasher to be delivered and installed, and for the old dishwasher to be removed. The old dishwasher was broken, why else do you buy a new one? So the old dishwasher had water in it. I figured that someone who removes old dishwashers for a living would have the proper tools to do so, and that maybe a portable pump would be part of that tool set. The guys that arrived told me, in no uncertain terms, that "anyone with any common sense" would have the broken dishwasher all emptied of water and ready to go. I should have at that point refused delivery of the new washer and kicked the morons out of my house, but I didn't. I allowed them to install the washer and remove the old one, bailing it out with one of my Tupperware dishes. I have since then done my best to take my business elsewhere -- like Circuit City, although neither of these retailers carry large appliances like dishwashers any more.
    • MAJORstrasser, on 10/11/2007, -4/+5God, I remember seeing this on FARK when it first happened. And this is something like the fourth 12+ month old FARK story I've seen on here this week. Is this really the best Digg can come up with anymore?
    • binky79, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12"It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."

      He's lucky he didn't try and pay in Sacajawea dollars, he might have ended up in Guantanamo Bay!
    • khyberkitsune, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3@seacaptainn

      I may not have proof, but rather personal experience - If you eat at a restaurant, usually they feed you first before you pay (fast food does not count.) they're required to accept any form of payment when a debt is incurred, and if you cannot offer any form of payment (including washing dishes or windows) we are free to put a mechanic lein on your property. I'm doing it right now with a company called Select Remedy - they owe my company currently 600+ dollars, and we have a court ein granted which states we own those particular buildings that we cleaned until they pay us what we owe - if they don't pay us within a court-specified amount of time, that property becomes ours 100%, and we're free to do what we want with it, including evicting the debtors and selling the place off.
    • selrahc, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"What kind of bank gives out $2 bills to anyone?"

      I walked into my local bank(Westconsin Credit Union) and asked about them. They gave me $60 worth of rather scruffy looking $2 bills on the spot.
    • darkciti, on 10/11/2007, -0/+12@doodlebum:

      $2 bills as a novelty? $2 bills should be our baseline! It is the only bill that features the signing of the Declaration of Independence (on the back). It doesn't feature a central pyramid with the "all seeing eye" atop it. It also doesn't feature tiny overseer owls, etc.

      The $2 bill should be the baseline of all currency used in the next American revolution.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3sorry, ariastar...you are wrong again (northing new for you). Yes, it is valid tender for all debts, private and public.

      However, a private store can choose to NOT ACCEPT YOUR BUSINESS at any time. Which is the same as not taking your bill if they don't want to.

      By not accepting your business, there is no more debt, but also no more exchange of goods or services. Hencve, the money is not tendered.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1 rebrad...for WHAT? If you are trying to say that he would win $2 million in a lawsuit, please...end your life now. You are not prepared for reality.
    • darkciti, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3We should all declare every act of terrorism that we "get accused of".

      If you've downloaded a song, proclaim yourself as a terrorist.
      If you've blown fireworks in your backyard, proclaim yourself as a terrorist.
      If you've experimented with chemicals in your backyard, proclaim yourself as a terrorist.
      If you've ignored the Constitution and let your government take your rights away, proclaim yourself as a terrorist.

      The only way the government wins, is if the word "terrorist" carries a "scary" meaning. If the word becomes benign and meaningless (like *****, or bitch), it loses it's power over the uninformed masses.

      Words are only as powerful as the context in which we allow them to be used.

      Dilute words.

      When I was a teenager foreigners were called "foreigners". Now they are called "Foreign Nationals".
      When I was a teenager, we were called irresponsible. Today, teens are considered "repurposable Young Minds".
      When I was young, books were incontrovertible. Today, 8 people control EVERY TV SHOW you CAN watch.

      If you run an independent media organization, proclaim your organization as terrorist. It's the only way we can keep the governments from inciting the masses against us.

      The reVolution has begun.

      Tune in or be tuned out.
    • alpinweiss88, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2Wow, someone is super-digging all the comments..... do mine next!
    • davissm, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1This happened like over two years ago.... IT was on Digg over a year ago... Why do we keep recycling old trash?
    • themastersb, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3What's with people in the US thinking 2 dollar bills are cursed?
    • jsballardx, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4As expensive as Best Buy is you would think they would take any payment you give them.
    • ohgr, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5@***** (#6925719)
      Screw $2 Bills... Give their pay in Pennies instead. Lets em' see count that out.
    • christianw, on 10/11/2007, -3/+31701 Belmont Ave, Baltimore, MD
      (410) 281-1900

      and you can pull it up on windows live search.

      we can crank call the store for free and let them know what idiots we think the employees there are =)
    • joach, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world." -You are d*mn right, and I am glad I am not living in that crazy so-called-free country!
    • joklem, on 10/11/2007, -5/+057 $2 dollar bills in sequential order, I would have done the same thing.

      It's suspicious, and he should have known that.
    • bettaa, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3old news....*yawns*
    • LarianLeQuella, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1Not only OLD, but pretty sure it's an Urban Legend, retold. Here is the ORIGINAL work: http://www.snopes.com/business/money/tacobell.asp
    • Akaricloud, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Jesus titty ***** christ. How many times can this story make it to the digg front page?
    • turbosatan, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3 "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."

      scared of .........$2 bills??

      jesus christ i hope no one ever walks in with a gun
    • 0o0Moylan0o0, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5" "Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey told the Sun: "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world.""

      ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????!!! What the HELL does this have to do with 9/11???

      I'm sick and tired of 9/11 being cited like John 3:16 for every asinine act of incompetent government. Perhaps Toohey could have just said, "Um, we screwed up. Sorry." "

      Yeah, i agree... why not just say something like ""It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-WWI world."" Its been and gone, if people arent going to get over it, then Its just gonna be like the Boston bombs and Baltimore Bestbuys for the rest of American life.


      Im not even in/from america, and im sick of hearing this kind of crap.
    • decepto, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I was a bank teller at TCF not to long ago. Two dollar notes are completely legal. I've taken them as deposits, and given them as withdraws.
    • mblitch, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3signal15:
      >Bolesta says the cashier marked each bill with a pen.

      It is illegal to deface money, Best Buy broke the law.

      Additionally, is it a FEDERAL law that if a business refuses to take your legal tender money, the debt is considered PAID. For example, if I walk into a store and they tell me no bills larger than $50 after 10pm and all I have is a $50 bill, if they refuse my $50 bill when I present it, it is considered paid for. You'll probably end up getting arrested anyway, but that's still the law.
      ****************************************

      Signa15l, you and everyone else claiming matters concerning defacement are just ignorant and are merely using guesswork to come to some conclusion that seems to fit in your own mind. this is just as bad as the spokesperson using the catch-all excuse of 'protection from terrorism' in that they refuse to identify specific facts and argument to come to a specific conclusion that is appropriate. It is NOT illegal to deface money and I challenge you to find anything that states otherwise. At most amusement parks, museums, gift shops, etc there tends to be a penny pressing machine that will flatten and emboss into a penny some particular mark. This is in no way any more illegal than you tearing up or burning any paper bills in protest or even putting it through the wash. If you think defacement is illegal, then I hope you turn yourself in whenever you accidentally put a load of pants into the wash that contain paper money. It IS illegal to deface money for the purposes of fraud. Marking the money with a pen that tests the chemical aspects of the paper used in currency is not fraud, but an inept attempt to use a Sharpie to change a $10 bill to a $100 bill by adding a zero and then passing it off as the higher amount WOULD be fraud.

      There is NO law that compels a private business or even government to accept any particular bill. Stupid people all the time try to 'protest' some bill fine by taking in a wheelbarrow of pennies and then throw tantrums when even the government office (e.g. traffic department) refuses to accept it. Convenience stores typically do not want to collect anything in higher denomination than $50 for two reasons; they don't want to keep having to issue a lot of change and deplinish their drawers, and they do not wish to have high denomination bills that are easy to swipe in a robber. someone wanting to rob a store will have to collect and cart off a higher quantity of bills, thus taking more time and effort and making such a target less attractive.

      I challenge you to find any quote to support your assertion. If this were true, and it OBVIOUSLY is not, then people would only carry around $100 or $500 bills, try to pay for a drink with such, and then claim they can just walk out when the store cannot provide change and reserves their right to not sell a product since terms are not agreeable to them. So until you learn a lot more about actual law and the way society works, stop spreading lies and misinformation.

      P.S. If anyone wishes to complain about the misuse of the excuse of terrorism, then try emailing the spokesperson instead of just complaining. Only education and diligence will stem the ebbing of rights.
    • iowaxproud, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1excuse my french but what the ***** do 2 dollar bills have to do with living in a "post 9/11 world". I dont remember any terrorists using sacagawea dollars to book their flights.
    • SambekZX, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5I'm seeing a lot of comments about existing debts and presentment of legal tender. The law behind what kind of payment a person can take or refuse has nothing to do with the Coinage Act, but everything to do with contract law. The Coinage Act merely states that the federal government's "greenback" is lawful money that can be used to satisfy debts. But that doesn't mean you can't expressly limit the type of money you'll accept in a contract.

      If you contract that you will accept U.S. dollars, without restriction, then the other party can pay you in pennies, nickels, and $2 bills. However, if you have a sign at the counter saying no denominations greater than $20, then the other party walking up to the counter with a Snickers in hand is implicitly agreeing to the terms of the contract and must abide by it to receive the Snickers.

      The restaurant example is also purely about contract law, not whether the debt is pre-existing or not. The menu displays prices in dollars, which is a restriction on the type of payment to US dollars, not Mexican Pesos. However, if there is no sign or statement in the menu restricting the dollar denomination, then the restaurant must accept your $100 bill for the $2 coffee or the thousand pennies for a $10 burger as a discharge of the contract obligation. If you have no money, the restaurant doesn't have to accept your dishwashing services, either. They can haul your ass to court and get restitution for breach of contract.

      The Best Buy employee was wrong to refuse to accept $2 bills not because the Coinage Act requires them to, but rather because the implied contract does not limit the denomination.
    • khatrubuck, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The employees and the cops were probably under the age of 25. They don't remember 2 dollar bills. And the schools they attended never taught them that or much of anything else. Its not their fault.
      I blame the severely Jacked Up American education system.
    • joelevi, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1I'm a fan of $2 bills and regularly pick up a couple hundred bucks in $2's...

      This guy needs to sue the cashier, the supervisor, and the store manager by name, he also needs to sue Best Buy, and the police department who arrested him -- jointly and severally.

      - Joe Levi, http://www.JoeLevi.com
  • lakush, on 11/06/2007, -11/+107So I guess this isn't America, where you can't pay for stereo equipment with federal reserve notes.

    Yet another reason I will avoid Best Buy.

    • zombiedepot, on 10/11/2007, -1/+32Just think if he would have paid in liberty dollars.
    • AzDraon, on 10/11/2007, -1/+58"Are these real?"

      Are you kidding me? People are this uninformed that they haven't even heard of a $2 bill?
    • catalysis, on 10/11/2007, -18/+6Don't you think you are being a bit over-dramatic? This seems to be an isolated incident as far as I can tell.
    • StingingNettle, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2If they don't take Federal Reserve Notes (which aren't backed by anything anyway), you might as well try and pay with Liberty Dollars.
      • mcraigw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1They are backed by the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the United States.
    • dorshorst, on 10/11/2007, -13/+4It seems like the problem wasn't the $2 bills, it was the fact that they were new and sequential and possibly had smeared ink. This ordinarily would have not been noticed, but strangeness of seeing $2 bills prompted a closer inspection. It is certainly reasonable that Best buy would be suspicious and would want to look into it.

      The guy was intentionally being an ass and it backfired on him. I don't feel too sorry for him.
      ...Now all you who just read the headline and didn't RTFA go ahead and bury me too...
    • TheKidd, on 10/11/2007, -6/+5GEEK SQUAD STRIKES AGAIN
    • mnx12, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3Best Buy isn't the only ones who were idiots here, the police are the ones who handcuffed him and had to call the secret service...
    • spargett, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6Commenting on the incident, Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey told the Sun: "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."

      - - - - -

      Its a sign that the terrorist have completed their mission.
    • mike17032, on 10/11/2007, -5/+2Oh for christs sake, the people working the checkout line at bestbuy are kids fresh out of highschool most of the time. Its not exactly a sought after job.

      Is it really so hard to belive that most of them would have never seen or heard of a 2 dollar bill?

      The police are a different story, but the bills being in order didnt help the guys case.
    • Jpardue, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7So will this prompt our current administration to start a war on currency?
    • drakethegreat, on 10/11/2007, -3/+4@catalysis

      Wrong!!!!!!! Sorry it just feels too good to say that. Not that I wanted to Applify this story but Steve Wozniak told a similar story on the dialy show involving 2 dollar bills and almost being arrested for using them at a casino. Not only that but I have a serious case of deja vu, I seriously remember there being an incident involving some currency that best buy didn't want to take.

      Lets take the serious tone off things a second. Anyone else find it ***** hilarious and tragic at the same time given that the name of the store is best buy and you arrested for trying to buy something with federal currency, oh the irony was smashed in that guy's face.
    • Genesee, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7never, ever underestimate the stupidity and ignorance of the american public, or of bestbuy employees.......
    • moush, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1It's the same at places that claim they won't accept bills over a certain amount ($20 dollar bills). It's illegal for them to not accept legal tender. Another ironic thing, that clerk that marked on the bills was committing a felony.
  • duke1776, on 11/04/2007, -11/+18Witty comeback and you're right, it's not a nightmare that even law enforcement officers are too ignorant to know our currency and are too hate-filled to not handcuff a customer who is trying to pay his bill. Whoops, there I go again, using the "our" word. After all, we, meaning us, and most likely you, live in this country together. As for GTFO, where do you suggest that we go? What parcel of land on earth is beyond the marshal force of the United States government?
    • jeffiek, on 10/11/2007, -6/+17I hear theres a few acres left on the northern Canadian border, on the north side of the border.
    • Oculus, on 10/11/2007, -73/+13If you read the article, you'll see that the reason he took them in is because the bills were new, they weren't a common denomination, the ink on the bills was smeared, and they were in sequential order. If I walked into somewhere and paid cash using 70 crisp, brand new bills, all in sequential order with smeared ink, you think they might be suspicious?

      In my opinion, him being a smart ass coupled with the stupidity of the Best Buy employees put him in the situation. He goes in with the "I'll show them!" attitude with $2 bills. Who's going to give a *****, the minimum wage Best Buy Employee that knows NOTHING about your situation and doesn't care about you or your bill? Just pay the bill and move on, or go to court and fight the billing. Don't try to pull a little prank and get upset when it backfires.
      • mcraigw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1So the Bank that gave him the cash is at fault? Or maybe the U.S. Treasury that prints their two dollar bills in order.

        The main problem was that Best Buy was charging him for something for which they said there would be no charge. The $2 bills were his form of protest. He should have just refused to pay.
    • sockpuppets, on 10/11/2007, -12/+58Paying in cash is a prank?

      You're an idiot.
      • moush, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1The dude who did this even said it was his way of showing them who's boss.
    • merreborn, on 10/11/2007, -24/+12"Paying in cash is a prank? You're an idiot."

      From TFA:
      "As a means of protest, Bolesta decided to pay the $114 bill using 57 crisp, new $2 bills."

      The use of the word "prank" is not unwarranted here. The guy was *intent* on causing a disruption, although certainly not to the extent of the disruption he actually ended up causing.

      Again, FTFA:
      "I said, 'If you don't [take these bills], I'm leaving. I've tried to pay my bill twice. You don't want these bills, you can sue me.'"

      There's a agitated guy at your counter, offering you unusual bills with sequential serial numbers, and smeared ink; he insists that you *must* take these bills, and that he won't pay with anything else. This is *very* unusual behavior. Most normal customers would be perfectly happy to use any other form of payment if asked. On the other hand, a counterfeiter would naturally insist on paying in only his counterfeited currency. If you *aren't* suspicious at this point, you're an idiot.

      Yes, there was an overreaction here, and I loved the taco bell two dollar bill story as much as the next guy, but the guy's partially responsible. When you act strangely, people are going to be suspicious. Being suspicious of people who act in an unusual manner is a survival trait.
    • goofporter, on 10/11/2007, -3/+8If you don't mind learning another language there are places where you can buy something very similar to liberty for a reasonable price. That's how cynical I have become.
    • merreborn, on 10/11/2007, -13/+8Anyone care to actually dispute any of my points, rather than just digging me down?

      BTW, I've got a stack of smeared, sequential $2 bills for sale, for $1 each. Send me an email if you're interested in buying some.
      • mcraigw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1
        I'll buy them for a dollar each, if they pass the iodine pen test.
    • minamhere, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2@goofport, please tell me about some of these places. I find your idea fascinating and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
    • faskippy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6@merreborn...You were the arresting occifer, weren't you?
    • mcraigw, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1
      Try North Korea.
  • Davers, on 10/11/2007, -15/+2You should pay the bill with gold & silver dollars.
  • feb420, on 10/21/2007, -4/+137Lets all go to best buy and buy a copy of idiocracy with $2 bills.
    • ichbinladen, on 10/11/2007, -4/+81I wouldn't spend $2 in Best Buy. Not as long as I have an internet connection. (and a functioning brain)
      • moush, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1That sun sure is hot these times of the year.
    • thepaulm, on 10/11/2007, -3/+12For some of us, somehow, we wound up with Best Buy PROVIDING our internet connection:

      http://www.speakeasy.net/press/pr/pr032707.php
    • AdmiralKarelia, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4I'm truly sorry. Considering that anything bought out by Best Buy eventually has its integrity destroyed for profit (just look at the Geek Squad), I fully expect you will need to find a new broadband provider.
    • VodkaAvenger, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3"Uhh, this particular individual was attesting to reconstitute a debt with his two dollar bills and caused some technical differences..." OMFG great idea :-D
  • deathianity, on 10/11/2007, -2/+68LMFAO! Alright, so terrorist are going to come to America and this time they are going to use counterfeit money at our Best Buys.... The police are retarded for even using that type of lame excuse to justify their actions on what happened and the people at Best Buy who didn't know that the bills were real were either mentally deficient for never seeing one or some other type of special for thinking they were fake after checking them. Either way we have a whole lot of special people in this story that through moronic devices somehow survived the womb.
  • redrock34, on 11/04/2007, -6/+162I bet they even used the counterfeit marker on all the bills and it came out clean.

    I love this one: "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."

    No, it's a sign that people are stupid. Stop trying to hide your stupidity behind 9/11.

    • dorshorst, on 10/11/2007, -5/+4"I bet they even used the counterfeit marker on all the bills and it came out clean. "

      Evidence?
    • Ender10, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2HERE! HERE! Exactly what I have been thinking the entire time.
    • faskippy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3The story said she marked every bill. ?? Don't you think they would have made a statement about the ink turning black had it done so? The only statement they made was some lame crap about being nervous after 9/11, as if maybe they expected the bills to blow up or something?
  • silverchrysalis, on 10/11/2007, -4/+58just think- once he gets his wrongful arrest lawsuit settled, he can buy hundreds more of those sneaky $2 bills and do it all over again!

    best buy is a moronhouse
    • Viperiii, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5I agree 100%... False Imprisonment and F$%K Best buy and the PD on this one...

      That clerk at a minimum should be fired and the Arresting Officer Reprimanded or some form of public humiliation of the PD for that BS...

      If the Pen works all they have to do is get his Drivers License and simply write down the dang number... done... maybe even get another ID like a SS Card or something...

      If they stuck by their original arrangement to pay for the installation they wouldn't be back in the papers and getting the digg effect....

      I am almost more angry at the cops for handcuffing him whilst they could have walked with him quietly outside
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -8/+2With what? Was he already rich? Because he sure as hell wouldn't win any lawsuits.

      Again you stupid ignorant *****...He was NOT IMPRISONED. He was detained for questioning pending an investigation.

      People are detained for far longer than he was EVERY DAY. Hundreds of people in fact. And they don't sue. Because you can't.

      I honestly cannot believe the stupidity that goes iunto the average Digger's thinking process. That this is the worst thing that has happened to anyone.

      People get arrested EVERY DAY. And most never have charges filed on them. And this guy wasn't even arrested. He was DETAINED. And the cops had MORE than sufficient cause to warrant detaining him while investigating the matter. (And Viperiii...cops HAVE to handcuff a criminal in this situation. And Viper...they aren't "back in the papers" They are on Digg where people with ZERO poer will bitch about it. Like you are doing.

      bottom line. The story is two years old. THERE WAS NO LAWSUIT!

      If he was lucky, Best Buy felt sorry for him and gave him a $20 gift card. But that would have been a GENEROUS move on their part because they didn't owe him anything.

      Get the ***** over yourselves. you are COMPLETELY ignorant on every subject. NEVER act like an expert on anything because you will always come up looking as foolish as you do right now.
      • mcraigw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"And the cops had MORE than sufficient cause to warrant detaining him while investigating the matter."

        No.
    • IHaveCrayons, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1He can buy hundreds of those 2 dollar bills? He can "BUY" hundreds of DOLLARS?
      • looncraz, on 01/10/2008, -0/+1If you want money, you have to buy it... with more money.

        Normally you get it other ways as well, of course. You want hundreds of $2 bills? Buy them from the bank for $2 each.
    • moush, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1I don't really know why Best Buy is getting the riff, it was 1 stupid clerk.
  • hotfolks, on 10/11/2007, -5/+8Oh my god. I would have flipped the F--k out.
    People really are this stupid.
    ::shakes head::
  • Hensworth, on 10/11/2007, -3/+31Did they think the bills were going to explode or something?
    • djpants428, on 10/11/2007, -4/+21Of course not, this didn't happen in Boston
    • TheOneTrueGod, on 01/28/2008, -0/+1No. But it is common knowledge that dollar bills are made of paper and tend to get caught by the wind. Thus, it is not improbable for them to fly against a sky skraper.
  • poornbroken, on 10/11/2007, -32/+5if you actually read the article, you would know some facts of why the police decided to cuff him:

    1. the clerk knew it was legal tender, but noticed ink smearing on the currency.
    2. the police saw that the bills were in sequential order.

    conclusion: they thought that the bills were counterfeit.

    perhaps there should have been more done to preserve the dignity of the man, but i think that's more of a customer service issue than it is a legal issue.
    • ganjadude4391, on 10/11/2007, -3/+681. the clerk knew it was legal tender, but noticed ink smearing on the currency.

      ok so its a new bill, ive had bills smear when i get them straight from the bank


      2. the police saw that the bills were in sequential order.

      proves point 1. New bills, So they were in order.... if the were fake, chances are they would all have the SAME number, most counterfitters do not think far enough ahead to fix the numbers on them.

      I hope he makes a killing off the upcomming lawsuits (if hes smart) and asks for it all in 2$ bills
    • Terr01, on 10/11/2007, -4/+47They're two-dollar-bills. Counterfeiting such small and comparatively memorable currency would be pretty retarded. Why not make fives at least? etc.
    • poornbroken, on 10/11/2007, -24/+1counterfeiting is still counterfeiting. and in regards do doing small bills... quarters have been counterfeited.

      and in today's technology, it'd be stupid not to go the extra mile for sequential currency. also, there is occasion where banks issue out sequential currency... that's when they want to track money.

      like i was saying earlier, the police had PROBABLE CAUSE. and he was released once the misunderstanding was cleared up. once again, the legality is solid, though the customer service is poorly lacking.
    • madmac625, on 10/11/2007, -1/+11$2 are unusual enough, and would be looked at a little closer than the oh so typical bills. A counterfeit $5 would be passed over quickly if it looks good enough, but a funky $2...although people might not know how exactly they're supposed to look.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -6/+9ganjadude4391...you have any evidence to back up your (incorrect) assumption that "most counterfietiers do not think ahead to fix the numbers on them"? No, you don't. Because it is absolutely NOT true. Some small time counterfeiter using a ***** ink jet printer might now. But professional counterfeiters using equipment similar to the ones that actually print out money do change the serial numbers, because the machine does it for them automatically.

      Then again, big time counterfeiters would never counterfeit a $2 bill which will autoamtically draw more scrutiny than any other bill, (except maybe $100s) and have less of an upside.
    • ganjadude4391, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3ok I guess i wasnt clear enough with the word MOST.....

      anyone stupid enough to counterfit a 2 $ bill is not on the level of making them sequential, better???

      i thought i blocked you already why can i still read you HD
    • merreborn, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5"They're two-dollar-bills. Counterfeiting such small and comparatively memorable currency would be pretty retarded"

      People have counterfeited *nickels*, using the logic that they're less likely to get caught using such a small denomination. Anyone working retail in or around a large city knows there are tons of counterfeit $100 dollar bills in circulation. I've seen places that have stopped accepting anything larger than $20 because of the high rate of counterfeits received.
    • FortyCaliber, on 10/11/2007, -13/+7If I were a cop... I would have assessed that: A. the bills are new, B. they are sequential, C. ONE had ink that smeared... At this point the burden for REASONABLE SUSPISCION is met. However, D. every bill was counterfeit detection pen marked and shown to be real. At ths point, I would have kindly asked the man to wait around a for a few minutes, talked to the manager alone, explaining what I was going to do, asked the man over to explain what I explained tot he manager, called the Secret Service, and then and ONLY then, if just one was fake, I would have taken him to be arrested. However, since none were, I would have told him that everything was a big misunderstanding on the store's part and perhaps he shouldn't resort to such middle school tactics to appease himself.
      At least he isn't dehumanized by being cuffed in front of a large crowd for paying with LEGAL. *****. TENDER.

      Just some facts:
      he was DETAINED... Not ARRESTED.
      Cops DETAIN, Prosecutors ARREST.
      He was DETAINED under REASONABLE SUSPISCION.
      If the Secret Service then found that one of them was fake, the burden is then met for PROABABLE CAUSE.
      After that, they have to prove BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT that he _knew_ the cash to be counterfeit.
      • logandurand, on 12/26/2007, -0/+1Reasonable? Suspicious? Are you kidding me? The bank system is constantly replacing old, worn currency with fresh, new bills, and it's not at all uncommon to get brand new bills when you make a withdrawal. Also, when the bank gets fresh currency, it makes sense that they would be in sequential order.
        As for bills looking "too clean", brand new bills look very white, and I'll have you know that I literally "launder" my cash from time to time to keep it from crumpling up.
    • poornbroken, on 10/11/2007, -8/+2kinda odd i'm getting dug down for READING THE ARTICLE.

      i believe the officer had probable cause. perhaps things could have been handled differently, but hindsight is 20/20. NOTHING WRONG WAS DONE, get over it already.
    • AdmiralKarelia, on 10/11/2007, -0/+10I think getting cuffed to a pole for three hours goes just a *bit* beyond a customer service issue.
    • faskippy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Forty: If the police handcuff you and take you down to the pokey, you most certainly have been arrested. Prosecutors prosecute. Police arrest.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1faskippy...you can be taken down to the station for questioning WITHOUT being arrested. Even in handcuffs.
    • darkciti, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3@40caliber

      This is a tricky situation for all parties involved. The parties involved are 1) the corporation and 2) the guy who purportedly stole something.

      Regardless, this is a lose-lose situation. The company could lose if they acuse him of stealing even though he didn't, or they could lose something even though he did. He loses either way, because he gets detained and loses billable hours of his life.

      More remarkable, however, would be noting that if corporations didn't abuse customers and their sales staff, the potential theft rate would drop significantly.

      People steal because they think they can get away with it, or because they have nothing left to lose.
      Corporations steal (wages, benefits, etc) because they think they can get away with it.
    • Mudb0y, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3You can be taken to a police station for questioning, without being arrested, but it would be voluntary on your part. For them to coerce you, they must place you under arrest, and read you your rights.
  • nblsavage, on 10/11/2007, -12/+60Did anyone think to look at the date on this story? April 7, 2005!
    • bsiviglia9, on 10/11/2007, -5/+8Do you expect Digg users to respect the "memory hole" just like TV news?
    • arugulord, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3Yes the article is a bit stale. Mike Bolesta was probably stirring things a little using $2 but still, the police did overreact.

      On a lighter note, his brother Bob is creative he made the entire alphabet using ground beef:

      http://www.robertbolesta.com/2005/valuepack.htm
    • silverchrysalis, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3@arugulord- that was by far the coolest thing i've seen in a week! it should have its own digg posting

      hamburger abcs...
    • Rooster99, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2@arugulord
      They should make a font using those! Meat-dings or something!
  • LysolSCG, on 10/11/2007, -6/+11"It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."
    Yeah, because we all know the terrorists pay with counterfeit bills...
    • jcm267, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7That made me wonder, too. I thought the reason why they never redesigned the $1 was because no one counterfeitted them anyways. What idiot goes and makes a bunch of fake $2 bills?
  • TannerC, on 10/11/2007, -5/+0Doh!
  • DarthBagel, on 10/11/2007, -12/+2Here's the real question... who would actually spend a $2 bill?

    I mean... those things are like novelty items...
    • Karyyk, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Maybe, but it's not like they're a collectible novelty item (you can go to the bank and get them whenever you want). If I have one in my wallet, and it comes time, I'm going to spend the damned thing. Unless the cashier is a bit older, I usually get funny looks, but that wouldn't exactly be a surprise in a day and age when some cashiers need registers with pictures on them.
    • jcm267, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2I do. I wish all you people would, too. If we have a $2 bill that means we have less $1 bills to carry around.
    • z987k, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Not really, go to the bank and ask for them. They'll give you $10k in 2's if you want.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2 Karyyk...good luck going to the bank and getting them "whenver you want". Most banks do NOT carry the "unusual" forms of currency like $2 bills, Susa B. Anthony dolalrs or even ones one circulation now like the Sacagawea dollar. You can order them, but only if you order enoiugh that the bank won't get stuck with them. My mom has been a bank teller for decades, and tellers CAN'T STAND to get an unusual bill or coin in their drawers because they can never get rid of them. (My mom usually replaces it with her own money, and then buys the newspaper with whatever hte money is on her way home.)

      That is why this guy's bills were sequential. He had to order at least 50. Probably more. So they were newly wrapped fresh off the press.

      And z987k...same with your comment. Go to MOSt banks and you will not get any $2 bills right away. You may get 1-2 if you come at a time when a teller has one and like I mentioned, is desperate to get rd of them. But banks to NOT keep wraps of $2 bills in their vaults. You would have to specially order them.
  • mrgreenjeans, on 10/11/2007, -7/+0Sounds like they drew quite a crow of people and not one person had even heard of a $2 bill?
    • poornbroken, on 10/11/2007, -8/+5read the article. the clerk knew it was legal tender. the problem was with smeared ink, new bills, and sequential numbers.
    • razor150, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2The article never said the cashier knew they were legal tender, just that one of the employees pointed out ink smears. The reason this happened at all is because they were too stupid to know about $2 bills.
  • sdoodle, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3People are idiots, this guy needs to sue BestBuy, and I hope he wins. Teach big retail chains to use better judgement in their employee training / hiring procedures - stop hiring stupid people!
    • bsiviglia9, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Given the state of our education system, should we just let 'em starve then?
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2He would not win any lawsuit. Smeared ink is more than enough probable cause to investigate furhter. This guy was not throw in prison. He was detained pending an investigation.

      Happens all the time to people who are eventually let go.

      You an only sue if you can prove Best Buy did it maliciously.
    • geoffpado, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2@bsiviglia9: Yes. Despite the fact that our education system is in the *****, we have libraries and the Internet and *gasp* private institutions. There's no reason any given person can't self-educate beyond the level of a Best Buy lackey.
  • LtDyson52, on 10/11/2007, -9/+23Way to bring back a 2005 article. This is old news, sir.
  • kidjay, on 10/11/2007, -11/+20April 7, 2005.

    Buried as OLD ASS NEWS.
    • bryan986, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3If only they had the "old news" option like before :-(
  • gnarbuckets, on 10/11/2007, -7/+13oldnews is oooooooooooold
  • mparker7410, on 10/11/2007, -5/+4"Commenting on the incident, Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey told the Sun: "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."

    ROFL!!!
  • friend18, on 10/11/2007, -4/+9The last sentence made me laugh. Yet pisses me off.
  • lohphat, on 10/11/2007, -7/+1The People get the government they deserve.
  • plasticgonads, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8he should sue those ***** for all they're worth
    • moush, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1for what, they did nothing wrong but act like morons
  • Nutmegan, on 10/11/2007, -4/+25If this story gets any older, it will eventually be pre 9-11.
  • willgonz, on 10/11/2007, -5/+7This is old as old gets.
    • rgodfrey, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8Your comment at this point in the thread is a bit on the elderly side its own self.
  • idevlabsdotcom, on 10/11/2007, -7/+3I thought they stopped printing $2 bills a long time ago. How is he getting new ones?
    • TheGilmanator, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6Um... no. You ask for them at the bank and they give them to you. I just got some dated 2005 last week.

      Try not being dumb.
    • bagelmaster, on 02/13/2008, -0/+1They reprint them every few years or so
  • yonas, on 10/11/2007, -12/+9FOR *****'S SAKE, STOP SUBMITTING DUPLICATE STORIES.
    • MScrip, on 10/11/2007, -7/+5And also for *****'s sakes.... stop digging it to the front page!
    • jennamalia, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8FOR *****'S SAKE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO CALL IT A DUPE, AT LEAST PROVIDE EVIDENCE!!

      i.e., http://digg.com/tech_news/$2_Bill_Usage_Results_in_Arrest
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4This story is so old, those 223 Diggs the original submission got would have put it on the TOP 10 IN ALL TOPICS if that feature existed back then.
    • JDoorjam, on 10/11/2007, -4/+4This story is so old, those $2 bills are like $3 bills in today's currency.
    • pailsOfGrease, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3Why is it such an inexcusable crime for people to re-post?

      I'd understand if it was the same user posting the same article, but Jeeezus, what do you expect, officer? New users to go back an read everything ever posted on this rather large site?
    • skyfire1, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2FOR ***** SAKE STFU I NEVER HEARD OF THIS WE HAVE LIVES YOU KNOW!
    • hdtvdust, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4skyfire..clearly you do NOT have a life. Your history proves that.
    • yonas, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2@pailsOfGrease

      I don't expect Digg users to go back and read everything cool, but I do expect users to stop submitting something that has already been submitted. Digg's algorithm for detecting duplicate stories is AMAZING, and if a user gets a duplicate story warning, it's only honorable to forget about submitting the damn thing again. There are many, many, many more cool things out there yet to be discovered and happening every day. Let's just move on.
  • bigturns, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4Commenting on the incident, Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey told the Sun: "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."

    What?

  • CyberSmackdown, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2As the owner of Capital City Student Tours, the Baltimore resident has a hearty supply of the uncommon currency. He often gives the bills to students who take his tours for meal money.

    "The kids don't see that many $2 bills, so they think this is the greatest thing in the world," Bolesta says. "They don't want to spend 'em. They want to save 'em.

    So he gives them meal money he knows they won't want to spend?
  • bsiviglia9, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2Police spokesman:"It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."
    Was 9/11 a perfect excuse for governments around around the world to crack down on their people?
    • TheOneTrueGod, on 01/28/2008, -0/+0"Towelhead did it" really seems to be a valid excuse for a police officer.
  • TrAvELAr, on 10/11/2007, -6/+6How many times this year does this story need to be posted?

    Old as *****..... 2005. Let's find some current news.
  • deadpixel, on 10/11/2007, -7/+5LAME
    this same story has been floating around the internet for years...
    • Enviable27, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3I know its old but last time i checked we were in 2007 , don't have to over exaggerate
  • phractured, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2I am going to pay in half dollars!
  • V1ncent, on 10/11/2007, -4/+5Thanks for going YEARS back to submit something. Ooh, look a prominent date on the article too...
    • bsiviglia9, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2Do you expect Digg to use the "memory hole" just as the rest of the news media?
  • bixel, on 10/11/2007, -5/+2It might be old news, but it is such a great story. The BestBuy people are IDIOTS, the police in the situation are also IDIOTS. Good job America, yay.
  • jeffguillaume, on 10/11/2007, -3/+7Dugg down for being old AND from World Net Daily.
  • UrbanVoyeur, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3They don't call them Baltimorons for nothing.
  • lougoose, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1Or you could be like Kramer and pay in change....that would be so much better.
  • DiggzDE, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2Sniff Sniff Sniff.. I smell a lawsuit coming.

    If you chose to pay in pennies, they have to take it. The clerk is an idiot in saying she had the right to refuse it. Legal tender is legal tender. It says so right on the Bill and if the company refuses to accept the payment, then they lose money. The guy is not liable to pay so if they don't accept it payment.

    It is one thing to detain someone temporarily for a short period of time. It is another thing to arrest them and hold them beyond what is reasonable in a situation like this, especially if he is being compliant and offering to stay.
  • 1337diggster, on 10/11/2007, -5/+2I never trusted Best Buy! Viva Ebay!
  • microview2007, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4He's was treated like a pedophile, mass murders are treated nicer.
  • FallenOmen, on 10/11/2007, -5/+8Commenting on the incident, Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey told the Sun: "It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world."

    JESUS ***** CHRIST how ***** long is the US going to beat that ***** HORSE ? I mean serious i have a couple hundred dollars in Canadian ones and two's long after the Lonnie and Toonie came out. They were handed down beofre my Grandmother passed. Is BEST bUy saying i'm a terrorists !! If i use them


    Sorry this just shows not only the mind set of the US but how ***** easyily they play the 9/11 card whenever ***** so simple to straighten out happens !!

    I'm glad i live in CANADA, where they don't pull ***** like this............And i tell you if they did heads would roll. We don't take it up the ass here in our country like you US citizens do in yours when ***** like this goes down !! We take action personally, unlike you where you flood the justice systme over stuff that could have been easily taken car of instead you all sure each other looking for a big pay out for you humiliations !! and Stupidity
    • silverchrysalis, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Random ! capitalizations and oDD Ranting grammar make

      your comment :: that MUCH More ! readable
      ;
    • IEatHamburgers, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1You failed to point out that in Canada, everyone uses $2 coins. Of course, it helps that "toonie" is such a memorable name. I bet you twenty bucks that if the U.S. started making loonies & toonies, America would finally adopt them as common currency.
  • wbeavis, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1From what I understand, due to cost, counterfeiting anything less than a ten is pointless. This was years ago. I imagine twenties and hundreds are bigger targets (less fifties in circulation).

    /a real weenie would have paid in pennies.
  • NegativeTwo, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6I've never heard this story. Who cares if it's old?
  • clavigne, on 10/11/2007, -4/+4Wait did he say "crisp" $2 bills?! Terrorists are threatening us with papercuts now! I would've arrested him; papercuts are a bitch.
  • ralphman, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4Ancient article but it brings up a very germane point : If the terrorists are allowed to put a new stereo in their Ford Festiva then America loses the war on drugs....or something.
  • UtahApocalyse, on 10/11/2007, -3/+4I was in a store where the Registers DO show pictures of the money. the clerk has to touch the ones used. NO $2 picture so im guessing they wouldnt be able to take them there.

    Welcome to the dumbing down of America.
  • necbone, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2Baltimore represnting here, sorry about our local stupidity, but stupidity is everywhere...

    very nice story; however, why is this article from 2005 and why is it on digg?

    If you wanna contact this Best Buy, you can call them at (410) 561-2260, this is a public number, ask them their policies on $2 bills....whoever the manager that day was, he/she must be retarded....
    • bsiviglia9, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Is it possible that Digg doesn't use the "memory hole" as the rest of the news media?
    • polymyxin, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@bsiviglia9
      Yeah, fight the man by posting two year old news stories.
  • NegativeTwo, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1you should pay the bill with STAMPS, they are legal tender, too.
    • netdawg, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Yeah, well while technically correct, I'd like to see you buy a car with stamps.
    • Corvidae, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2I don't know about stamps. But there was a time you could write a check on anything as long as all of the required information was there. (I think law an order did an episode about a guy paying his taxes with a pig). Of course a store can refuse a check and require legal tender, and I'm pretty sure most states now require certain standards for checks...Like actually being written on paper.
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