I overheard something at work regarding a patient and after mentioning it to several people, apparently I’m the only one that thinks that the statement is ironic.
One patient to another patient’s family member in a separate room (yes, it was a social event in the ED again):
“I don’t trust him anymore. Besides, he’s on the ‘bad check writing’ list at Nancy’s Ice Cream Parlor.”
If you’re bouncing $3 checks for an ice cream cone, should you really be in an ice cream parlor to begin with? And if someone doesn’t have the cash to pay for a $3 ice cream cone, should you really be selling them ice cream?
sorry, white coat. you might need to review the definition of irony. That statement is a lot of things, but ironic is not one of them
If bouncing ..no ..they should not buy anything.
But people leave home without cash and i often do.
Last fall I went to a political gathering at a local restaurant where Governor Chris Christie was speaking. When it was over ..I stopped at their counter (separate from the restaurant side)because I REALLY wanted a cup of coffee to go. But I didn’t have any cash on me and I asked if they would take a credit card or check for the coffee and said I did not want anything else. They said they would..but then the guy standing next to me told her to put it on his bill …sweet…but I would’ve used them for that little item. Maybe they agreed because I had a credit card.?
But ..I would take a 3.00 check from someone. It all adds up.
Hey, I’ve seen pieces on some mighty expensive ice cream concoctions. An example:
http://most-expensive.net/ice-cream-sundae
I wonder if they run a credit check in advance. Not nearly at that level but even the town of 2k people where I used to live in Idaho had a $50 sundae offering.
not sure you know what irony is…sounds like you have made an astute observation on poor financial and business decisions made by others, as opposed to overhearing an ironic comment.
Funny yes, but not actually ironic by most definitions of the word.
Signed,
A stickler for the correct use of the term ‘ironic’ and hater of that “Ironic” song – which doesn’t describe ironic events.
It’s ironic that a song called Ironic doesn’t describe anything ironic.
Seriously though, you could include a definition of “ironic” so that those of us that never understood it could correct ourselves in future.
“If you’re bouncing $3 checks for an ice cream cone, should you really be in an ice cream parlor to begin with?”
You’re a doctor, ergo you’re intelligent. Poor people by default aren’t smart enough to realize these things…otherwise they wouldn’t be poor.
“And if someone doesn’t have the cash to pay for a $3 ice cream cone, should you really be selling them ice cream?”
I use credit to pay for tiny things (cough $.80) all the time. I carry zero balance month to month (never owing interest), so it’s easier for me to use/carry my card all the time instead of cash. Plus my cc has protections cash doesn’t. Therefore, not using cash doesn’t => couldn’t.
I think of lot of the irony is that checks are just such an archaic method of payment to use when you go to retailers anymore. I mean different cards might offer benefits, but all paying with a check does it put you at risk of having someone copy the routing and transit number and account number.
Paper checks have to be the most risky and most time consuming way to make purchases. Also as a male I usually don’t have anywhere on my person that can accommodate a large checkbook…
Perhaps they were not buying an ice cream cone with the check but rather, they were purchasing a customized ice cream cake, like you would buy for a children’s birthday party. That can be considerably more than $3.00. And I can see someone picking up a bunch of supplies for some rugrat’s birthday, running out of money and deciding to pay by check. I can also see someone with that lack of foresight also bouncing said check.
That said, I see the irony also.
I live in a city where a good 20% of the restaurants simply do not accept Debit or Credit Cards…. so you always have to have cash on you. I NEVER have cash on me… hence I write $5 checks all the time. I really don’t understand why this is so odd? I mean, duh, bouncing a $3 check is lame…. but writing a $3 check??
OK. OK. I give on the “irony” thing. Uncle.
I changed the title of the post from “Ironic Comment” to its current title.
Anon anon – is that you, CrankyProf?
And the ice cream shop isn’t a place to go get ice cream cakes. I’m not thinking there was a $50 check involved.
Different irony.
The ice cream shop may have taken the check in the first place because Little Johnny had puppy dog eyes. Only works once, apparently. Maybe he went to work for the banks next.
I thought the ‘ironic’ point was that a person who was bouncing checks at an ice cream parlor was getting treatment in an ER most likely for “free”