Wednesday, June 22, 2011

British cashier wanted, Americans need not apply...

I have worked with money or as a cashier in many of my previous jobs.  I feel that I am a fairly reliable cashier and do pretty well with handing money -- American money that is.

British money, or change rather, is quite confusing.  Instead of 'ones' they have coins.  The are around the size of a nickle, but three times as thick and are a golden color.  1pence or 1p looks a lot like a penny, but then there is 2p -- the are copper colored, thin, and about the size of a half dollar.  The 5p looks a lot like a dime, but a bit smaller.  The 10p is close to the size of 2p but silver.  The 20p resembles a nickle, but hexagonal.  The 50p is not too far from our half dollar -- same size, shape, and color.  But then there are £2 coins.  It looks like a coin inside a coin...silver on the inside, golden £1 piece color on the outside.  Notes or bills come in £5, £10, £20 and so on.

I keep forgetting that the "change" actually has more worth than the change I typically have on me.

I stopped in a corner market today and had to pay £2.09.  (You don't say 2.09, you say 2 pounds nine.)  I couldn't figure out what I had!  The nice lady at the register ended up picking up the 10p coin and giving me 1p back. LOL

I have come to the conclusion that I would not do well as a cashier in London.

1 comment: