The morning news runs through a crime log. Counterfeiting on what seems to be a relatively small scale has been a problem since New Year's. But now we have several incidents of people using 100 won coins (not proper Japanese 100 yen coins) in vending machines! The horror! This has happened a few times in Kanagawa prefecture. Other regions have yet to be affected.
They show footage of a 100 won coin being measured with calipers. It's a half millimeter thinner than a 100 yen coin.
Footage of vending machines appears on screen.
Footage of more vending machines appears on screen.
The camera zooms in for a close-up on the coin slot, then pans down to the coin return.
The anchor lists police measures being undertaken to catch these vile spenders of foreign money. Extra patrolling of vending machines! Special note to be taken of people spending a lot of time in front of the vending machines! (They seem unaware of how it doesn't take any longer to use a 100 won coin than it does to use a 100 yen coin.) And profiling of odd, foreign-looking people using vending machines.
Yeah, that's right: racial profiling at the vending machines. They're looking for Asian people.
I am not making this up.
211 words | March 11, 2005 09:23 PM | Real true storyI always wondered if that would work. When I was stationed in Korea we found that 100 won coins were suitable replacements for quarters in mechanical (non-electric) vending machines. Nothing like getting that Sunday copy of Stars and Stripes for 1/3 of the actual price! ^.^
Posted by: Drew at March 14, 2005 07:25 AMWell, now you know. But don't try it, or at least not in Kanagawa. And if you do, don't spend extra time at the vending machine to do the dance of "Woo! I'm sticking to The Man! I got my Pocari Sweat for 15 cents!" Because they're watching you.
Posted by: Nee-chama at March 14, 2005 08:24 PMI always had that problem running the soda machine on campus, that certain foreign coins would work as a replacement for a quarter or a dime. That banks wouldn't take them, so I'd just pass on the favor, by using them in another vending machine on campus.
Posted by: Derek at March 15, 2005 03:18 AM