so there were two Americans trying to buy lunch in the cafeteria ...

[Lisa]

A teenaged girl and her father, just ahead of me. They had a couple slices of pizza and sodas, and her dad pulled some of those strange greenish pieces of paper out of his wallet with the dead 1700s guys on them. (This is Canada, where we use big gold or gold-and-silver coins with pictures of the Queen on them. Or beaver pelts.)

Well, they aren't getting snippy or shrieking about why their money should work anywhere on Earth, so I decide to step forward and put their lunch on my tab. The cashier and the people behind us in line look relieved. The Americans look like they've been slapped with one of those hundred-pound Chinook salmon that used to live in the Columbia River.

Okay, so maybe I treated Karl Rove's in-laws to a freebie, but I keep reminding myself that the chances are better than 50% that this guy didn't vote for George W. Bush in 2000. (The daughter was probably too young to vote even in 2002.) Plus this is a college campus on the West Coast, which tilts the odds a little more -- the neo-cons would probably break out in hives if they set foot around here. The guy tried to pay me (with some of that strange money) but I waved it off and said something along the lines of "you've had enough to cope with, what with Mr. Bush and all -- I hope you have a nice visit".

Which should be provocative either way, no?

[roguevalley]

1. you done a good deed. hugs to you, honey. OH! CAN-UH-DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you.

[bahrbearian]

2. How about buying my lunch, I have to put up with him too!

[ithacan]

3. what f***ing idiots!

you must be a saint.

What is wrong with these people? Surely they knew they weren't in the US anymore. Surely they know that Canada has its own money. Yet they still try to pay with foreign money.

Imagine how you would be treated if you'd done that in the states with Canadian currency... In Texas...

[Mobius]

4. you can send me any kind of money you want via paypal

[e-mail]

:waits:

[LuLu550]

5. OK, so now let's look at that the OTHER way

two Canadians are trying to pay for lunch with funny pink or blue money .... the angry American mob pummels them to death screaming "You fucking idiots! You are in America! You pansy ass Canadians! What are you trying to use your useless money in the best country on the face of the earth? Why aren't you sending troops to Iraq, what are you, French?"

[Canuckistanian]

6. Once saw some american tourists in a food court

They were complaining loudly about the fact that they couldn't get a beer with their submarine sandwich.
I had to explain about Ontario Liquor laws before they quieted down. They just thought they were being refused service or something.

[liberalhistorian]

7. Good for you!

What was his reaction when you said that to him?

[Lisa]

10. he looked a bit flustered ...

Actually it was hard to tell whether he heard, because of the ambient noise levels in there. And I didn't want to shout it too loudly in case he was secretly a DUer and I embarrassed him in front of the whole cafeteria.

I'm assuming he was either on campus to check out the facilities here (was his daughter a prospective student?) -- or possibly there was a professional meeting or conference on campus. (It's between terms and the school rents out accommodation ... by the way, the University of British Columbia does this as well, and anyone looking for affordable rooms in Vancouver should check out their website!)

[DrWeird]

8. UBC?

The bookstore took american last time I was up.

[Dookus]

9. to be fair....

in my travels to Vancouver and Toronto, almost every place happily took US money.

[Lisa]

11. one would think, in a tourist town like this ...

Victoria is a bit smaller than Vancouver, though -- and I've noticed that the campus outlets aren't as well-equipped to handle foreign exchange (especially before the school year is officially over and the tourist season starts).

We didn't even think of this last year, when we were hosting the big Protected Areas conference -- luckily most of the delegates were carrying Canadian bills, for registration payments!

[NuttyFluffers]

12. and more than a few countries do most business in US dollars

granted it's illegal, but it's a pretty regular occurence outside.

that said Americans are really bad tourists. they really should have spare local currency or credit cards or travelers checks on them. that and we tend to have very rude members among us - some of us even think the US constitution travels with us.

and listening to Americans complain about the food because their hamburger isn't like it was 'back home,' is no fun. sometimes beef is expensive in other countries, and sometimes they like to season food with something besides cheese and bacon...

[Lisa]

13. Cheese and bacon not a problem up here!

We invented those things!

[Canuckistanian]

14. And doughnuts, don't forget doughnuts

All hail Saint Tim Horton.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

15. very nice

thanks for helping out our naive freinds