One of the most legendary cases of petty revenge documented on the internet is the case of this man who had his vehicle towed. Anyone who’s ever returned to an empty parking space, realizing they have to go through the hassle of paying an exorbitant amount to get it from an impound lot, knows how much of a screw job it can feel like.
So this guy decided to get back at the towing company by hassling them just as much, if not more. He forced them to accept his payment in all pennies. Normally, a person who decides to pay for their goods and services with all coins isn’t the hero in any story, but this was a scenario in which people applauded the man’s decision to stick it to the towing company with a wheelbarrow full of coins.
Popular Taco Bell worker Caleb Lennon (@caleb_lennon) shared similar tale of penny revenge—only his story had a very different outcome.
Lennon, who has 464,000 followers, answered the viewer question: “What happens when people pay with only change at Taco Bell?”
“All currency is currency, so in 90% of these situations, we just count it out and accept it,” he started.
But, for Lennon, it’s a different story when customers attempt to pay in all coins in an effort to be petty. “We’ll tell them we’re not able to do it,” he said.
He then shared the story of a “rude” customer. “This guy already had an attitude from the start, and then he was complaining about the prices,” Lennon said. Lennon said that the customer saw that his order was going to be $23, so he went to his car for “some change.”
Lennon said this confused him as he saw the customer with at least $20 in his wallet.
“So I was thinking maybe he’ll get $3, $4 to pay the rest from his car, but he came in with a large bag completely filled up with nickels, pennies, quarters, dimes,” Lennon said.
Lennon said the man sat the bag down on the counter and expected him to “just take out the” $23 for the order. “I told him I wasn’t gonna go through is bag and count it all out, but if he counted it out in front of me, I would accept it, but I was not gonna do it myself. And, of course, he took the bag back and just paid me with cash,” Lennon said.
“If it’s not worth your time to do it, it’s not worth mine, either. So he learned a lesson that day, don’t be rude to others,” Lennon said.
@caleb_lennon Would you have counted up the money? #tacobell #karen ♬ original sound – Caleb
Some viewers said they are understanding of patrons who try to pay for their meals with coins if they have no other option. However, they claimed it’s clear when someone is doing it simply to be difficult. “If that’s all someone truly has I get it, but if they’re deliberately being a dbag then eff them!” one exclaimed.
Another speculated that the man Lennon was talking about in the story probably felt a tinge of shame after attempting to pay for the food with a bag of coins and then getting summarily denied. “Omg he must have been embarrassed lol,” they speculated.
While Lennon told his story, he also created a concoction: a Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze garnished with fire sauce. He also prepared a cup of coffee with what appears to be vanilla-flavored creamer.
Some viewers were stuck on the fact Lennon squeezed a bit of fire sauce on the Baja Blast Freeze.
“Yo fire sauce in the baja freeze is no joke, we get one every paycheck and i be doin ts. its gas,” they said.
“Bro you ruined that slushie,” another said.
The Federal Reserve Board stated that there aren’t any laws that stipulate private businesses must accept any form of legal tender from a customer in exchange of goods and services, which is probably because companies have the right to refuse service customers, just as long as their reasoning for doing so doesn’t violate any laws pertaining to discrimination. However, when it comes to government agencies, coins and bills are acceptable forms of legal tender for all charges.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Taco Bell via email and Lennon via TikTok comment for further information.
