Would you pick up a penny from the floor of a public restroom?

[fuzzy math]

In an obvious puddle of piss, NO. anywhere else on the floor, yes.

[pecunia]

I would pick it up with my tongue. I have no shame and I love money.

Best Response Yet!

[DreamFIRE]

I would pick it up with my tongue. I have no shame and I love money.

What if it was stuck on a floating turd?

[Anon in Alaska]

Pennys, no. Nickels and up, yes. However the last coin I actually picked up was a dollar. I've been carrying it around for three months unused since my bank won't take deposits of loose coins, and if I buy with my credit card instead of cash I can get 1 or 2% back, so I just can't bring myself to pay cash.

Eventually I'll go to a cash only business  and be able to justify spending it, but I may have wasted more time putting in my pocket every day and taking it out every night than it was worth.

[MDfive21]

if it's not a quarter i don't bother.  quarters i can use at the car wash, but anything less doesn't move the dial for me.

if i did pick up pennies i would have no problem picking it up out of a puddle of pee in a bathroom and taking it directly to the sink for a thorough wash with soap.  our culture has gone WAY overboard worrying about germs.  guess what, you're covered in germs, including all the bad ones you hear about on the news. 

[alleykat]

No, I would not pick it up.  Just like I would not pick one that is encrusted in dirt and slime.  Just no.

[PoutineLover]

I would probably pick it up if it wasn't super gross, but realistically I never see pennies anymore since we got rid of them in Canada. I will stop my bike to pick up coins in the road (when safe) and I find lots of coins on the ground, sometimes even bills.

[Dragonswan]

Nope.  I don't care where it is I'm not picking it up. I'm not picking up anything less than a dollar.  I leave these coins for the less fortunate or children who are at the mercy of their parents' goodwill for money.  There are plenty of homeless folks here who need it way more than I hope I ever do.

[hadabeardonce]

There is something to be said about the "aversion to loss" effect that makes folks do an action that averts a loss, or recoups from a loss, while not doing an economically equivalent action.  In the coin example, this would mean that the person would pick up the coin that he dropped, while not picking up the same value coin that happens to be on the floor (irrespective of the cleanliness of the floor, LOL).  I find myself doing this to some extent.

Thanks for making me Google "loss aversion": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_aversion

"refers to people's tendency to prefer avoiding losses to acquiring equivalent gains: it is better to not lose $5 than to find $5... Some studies have suggested that losses are twice as powerful, psychologically, as gains."

I would probably pick it up if it wasn't super gross, but realistically I never see pennies anymore since we got rid of them in Canada. I will stop my bike to pick up coins in the road (when safe) and I find lots of coins on the ground, sometimes even bills.

Thanks for sharing that Canadians don't make cents ;)

I leave these coins for the less fortunate or children who are at the mercy of their parents' goodwill for money.  There are plenty of homeless folks here who need it way more than I hope I ever do.

I like your answer about leaving it for those in your community who may need it more.


for non-voters:

Yes. 59 (28.1%) Dirty Compulsive Money Addicts
No. 145 (69%) Self-Centered Wealthy Germaphobes
Other. 6 (2.9%) Piss Resistant Floor Lickers

[DreamFIRE]

Nope.  I don't care where it is I'm not picking it up. I'm not picking up anything less than a dollar.  I leave these coins for the less fortunate or children who are at the mercy of their parents' goodwill for money.  There are plenty of homeless folks here who need it way more than I hope I ever do.

The chances are someone else that doesn't need it will come along.  I'll even pick up a quarter as long as it's not in a puddle of piddle, stuck in a piece of shit, lying in some vomit, or something like that.  I sure don't need it.

[solon]

I think the "leave it for others" argument doesn't hold water. There is nobody - even the poorest of the poor - who would materially benefit from an extra penny.

I've kept a record of all my found money for the last several years. I'm finding $5-10 per year. The only real reason to pick up a penny is because you've made a game of it, or you want the exercise, or it's fun to talk about with others, etc. But trying to get richer isn't a good reason.

[GuitarStv]

I would pick it up with my tongue. I have no shame and I love money.

What if it was stuck on a floating turd?

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/02/what-is-stoicism-and-how-can-it-turn-your-life-to-solid-gold/

[Dragonswan]

Nope.  I don't care where it is I'm not picking it up. I'm not picking up anything less than a dollar.  I leave these coins for the less fortunate or children who are at the mercy of their parents' goodwill for money.  There are plenty of homeless folks here who need it way more than I hope I ever do.

The chances are someone else that doesn't need it will come along.  I'll even pick up a quarter as long as it's not in a puddle of piddle, stuck in a piece of shit, lying in some vomit, or something like that.  I sure don't need it.

While I agree this is likely to happen, it may also still be there when someone who needs it comes along.  It's funny how many coins I don't see now that I'm not needy (others will point them out and not pick them up either).  But when I had my poor years I deliberately looked down hoping to find a quarter to help me get enough for a package of hotdogs at the 99 cents store.  And often I was successful at that.  Even found $10 once just rolling through a parking lot many folks were walking past who literally didn't see it.  Guess they weren't hungry.

[Dragonswan]

I think the "leave it for others" argument doesn't hold water. There is nobody - even the poorest of the poor - who would materially benefit from an extra penny.

I've kept a record of all my found money for the last several years. I'm finding $5-10 per year. The only real reason to pick up a penny is because you've made a game of it, or you want the exercise, or it's fun to talk about with others, etc. But trying to get richer isn't a good reason.

I would agree with you if I had said this only applied to pennies, but I said all coins.  This isn't about getting richer, sometimes it's about having sufficient food for the day.  See my previous post.  The "game" is a lot more serious when the stakes are going hungry vs getting a thrill at finding something of "value".

[Zola.]

No

But

Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck

[PoutineLover]

Nope.  I don't care where it is I'm not picking it up. I'm not picking up anything less than a dollar.  I leave these coins for the less fortunate or children who are at the mercy of their parents' goodwill for money.  There are plenty of homeless folks here who need it way more than I hope I ever do.

The chances are someone else that doesn't need it will come along.  I'll even pick up a quarter as long as it's not in a puddle of piddle, stuck in a piece of shit, lying in some vomit, or something like that.  I sure don't need it.

While I agree this is likely to happen, it may also still be there when someone who needs it comes along.  It's funny how many coins I don't see now that I'm not needy (others will point them out and not pick them up either).  But when I had my poor years I deliberately looked down hoping to find a quarter to help me get enough for a package of hotdogs at the 99 cents store.  And often I was successful at that.  Even found $10 once just rolling through a parking lot many folks were walking past who literally didn't see it.  Guess they weren't hungry.

If there's a homeless person right there when I find money, I'll give it to them. I noticed a toonie at the bottom of an escalator, and there was someone begging for change like 10 feet away so I dropped it in his cup. I like finding money, but I don't need it as bad, so I'm happy to pass it on. If no one's around, I'll stick it in my pocket and probably drop it in a tip jar later or something.