him: Mooring fees, please.
me: sure. (hands over carrier bag full of change).
him: What's this?!
me: It's £8
him: I can't possibly take it in that denomination.
me: eh? It's legal tender, coin of the realm. What's up with it?
him: It's too heavy. You will have to move on.
me: But that's ridiculous!
him: Moor up on the park, where it is free.
We know nowhere in Henley is free. Nice try at stitching us up. But we are not idiots. On another day, we'd have dug our heels in. We were offering to pay, in cash. But we were having too nice a day to put up with his pettyness, and we shoved off. So, if you want a free mooring in Henley, pay him in 1, 2, and 5p pieces. It's too heavy, apparently.
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modern day lazy pirate
ReplyDeleteStand and deliver! :-)
ReplyDeleteHave you read this
ReplyDeletehttp://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/policies-and-guidelines/legal-tender-guidelines
Thanks for that, Brian. I offered him a mixed bag of 10, 5, 2 & 1's. According to the webpage, the coppers can only account for 40 pence of the mooring fees? But there was a substantial chunk of silver in there too. He obviously wanted a note, and shoo'ed us off when he didn't get it.
ReplyDeleteI think, true to form, he was just determined to be an asshole. My friends have suggested that next time (and I hope there is not a next time) that I should offer to pay him by cheque. Or just cast off, and drop our anchor 3 feet from the shore.
I have seen him charging the full rate to old duffers just out for an hours picnic. When I broke down, and had to tie up in the
bushes, he would have jumped on me then, too.
£8 to tie up, with no services, is just taking the michael. :(