It has become a popular (and occasionally deemed a “best”) practice for libraries to cancel late fees and other fines in my neck of the woods. Keep in mind that these funds are used to help with library costs and special projects.

After a six-month trial, my library followed the lead of other institutions and killed late fees and damage fees.

Yes, we did get back some items that patrons were afraid to return because of fines. However, this happened, as well.

Preparing to split some non-levy funds up for children’s programming, our board was disconcerted to learn that there were no dollars left in the non-levy fund. Where did it go? Why haven’t we been adding to it? Did someone steal it?

It had to be explained that if you don’t ask people to pay fines, money decreases.

I seriously don’t know how these people cope day to day.

I am a commissioned artist; most of my clientele is online, and most of my commissions are of a sexually-explicit nature. Consequently, I get a lot of commissions involving multiple people, so I have my prices set up to account for that. I have some flex room depending on the complexity of a scene, but as a general rule, each extra person adds 50% of the price of a one-person piece.

As with all things sexual, there are certain things I will and will not do, and I have outlined these on my contact page. Someone contacts me for a commission, and their request involves five people and one of the subjects I do not do.

Me: “I’m sorry, but I do not draw artwork involving [subject]. Ask someone else.”

Commissioner: “That’s bulls***. You draw p*rn for money. Are you really going to be picky about your options?”

Me: “Even prostitutes are allowed to refuse service if they’re not comfortable with what they’re asked, my friend. I am not going to draw your commission.”

Commissioner: “Yes, you are. Anyone will do anything for enough money. Now, are you going to keep wasting my time, or are you going to give me a price?”

At this point, I have every reason to block him, but his phrasing (and my own remark) reminds me of an old joke — the woman who would sleep with a stranger for a million dollars has “established what kind of woman she is, now we’re just haggling over the price”. I decide to put a few zeroes on the end of my usual pricing to see if this commissioner is willing to put his money where his mouth is.

Me: “All right, if you want me to draw this, that’ll be [six-digit figure].”

Literally as I’m sending that, I realize that I’ve scaled up my price for a one-person piece, whereas the request is for a five-person scene.

Commissioner: “You can’t charge me that much!”

Me: “Actually, I forgot that you have five characters involved. That’ll be [figure times three].”

Commissioner: “Who in their right mind would pay that much for someone to draw p*rn?”

Me: “As you said, anyone will do anything for enough money. That is enough money. If you don’t like it, ask someone else.”

The commissioner responded with some colorful language I see no reason to reiterate here. I blocked him and got on with my life.

I’m staying at [Hotel] in [Small Town] for the first time, and there isn’t much information about their restaurant on their site. I do know that I don’t have breakfast included in my booking.

Late in the evening, I go to check the restaurant’s opening hours.

Night Man: “Oh, the kitchen’s closed, I think, but you can get tea right now. Here’s the hot water and everything. Help yourself.”

At that point, I don’t want tea. In the morning, I learn the kitchen’s exact opening hours at the reception, and:

Me: “So… should I pay for the tea over there?”

Receptionist #1: “Oh, no, it’s free.”

Okay, I believe that, especially since it was free at [Guest House] where I stayed the last time I visited [Small Town]. I drink that tea with my breakfast — the food I’ve bought elsewhere.

The next morning, I get to the restaurant when breakfast is already drawing to a close and [Receptionist #2] is obviously clearing everything up.

Me: “Can I still have the tea now?”

Receptionist #2: “What’s your room number?”

I tell her.

Receptionist #2: “But you don’t have breakfast included. Only the water’s free; the tea costs 50 rubles.”

Me: “Oh, I’m awfully sorry, but I was told by your colleague yesterday that it was free…”

Later that day, I come to the reception and hand over a 100. I explain everything and say it’s for the past two days’ tea.

There are two receptionists on duty, and with my terrible facial memory, I can’t be sure if I talked to either about the tea, but I’m almost certain one of them is [Receptionist #2]. Both receptionists assure me:

Receptionists: “Oh, please, [My Name], it’s all right! Keep that!”

100 rubles is just a bit over $1 in current rates, so I know it was no big loss for them to make this tea on the house, but I really appreciate their friendliness about the whole miscommunication — especially since I’m incredibly nervous around strangers and often go to pieces after making mistakes.

To avoid trouble in the future, I simply bought a box of tea bags from a supermarket. With the amount of tea I drink, it’s the most economic solution.

Every year, it’s common for employees to get a “Christmas gratification”. It’s usually not money but something like a gift basket (often with food or wine you just give away) or a “pick your own gift” gift card for specialty Christmas gratification stores. Most people know that it’s something you pay for yourself; some of your pay is being cut and goes into your “Christmas gratification” funds. It’s usually somewhere between two and five euros. You cannot opt out of it — or as far as I know, no one has been able to opt out of it. 

I work for a temp agency that holds two euros a month for the gratification, and at the end of the year, gifts something that is way cheaper than twenty-four euros, like a sports bag that rips after two uses, an umbrella with the company logo on it, or a cute tea light holder (for one tea light). I haven’t heard of anyone ever liking the gifts. 

However, last year, they decided to do things differently! 

Management: “We have decided to give back to the world! So, instead of your Christmas Gratification, we’ve decided to donate the funds to [Very Wholesome Charity]. Merry Christmas!”

We were horrified: something we worked for the whole year had just been donated to a charity without consulting us. But if we spoke up, we would be considered rude and selfish, because “Think of the [Charity]! At least you can spend your Christmas with your family!”

Also, donations are tax deductible for the company. So, the company didn’t have to think of a gift, looked good in the media, got free publicity, and could deduct it from taxes, and all the employees who worked (and paid) for it… got nothing. 

I’m very glad I was recently offered a job and could quit the temp agency — forcing them to pay out what was in my gratification fund.

CONTENT WARNING: Gross

There is a small grocery store near my house. The owner is very nice, and the prices are excellent. The only drawback is that the employees working there tend to be… interesting. The owner tries to give anyone a chance, which is admirable, but a lot of those he helps have reasons why they are struggling to find a job. This is just one example.

I was checking out and was just about to hand over the cash to pay when I realized that my cashier had a massive bloody nose.

Me: “Oh, my gosh. Are you okay?”

She tapped her lip, looked at her finger, and then wiped her finger on her shirt before snatching the cash out of my hand.

Cashier #1: “Fine.”

I was shocked as she put the cash in the register and pulled out my change while still dripping blood from her nose. However, I was shaken out of my stupor when she WIPED HER NOSE WITH THE CHANGE SHE WAS ABOUT TO HAND ME and then tried to give it to me.

Me: “Ugh! I’m not touching that.”

She immediately started tearing up and ran into the back, bloody change still in hand. At that point, the other cashier and a lady who was stocking nearby both turned toward me and started berating me. At least, I assume they were berating me, as neither of them was speaking English.

The owner came out, spotted the blood on the register, and got this really resigned look on his face. He said something to the other two and took me over to a free register. He processed everything and got me the proper change.

Owner: “I’m so, so sorry for this.”

Me: “It’s… okay. It’s not fine, but it’s not your fault.”

When I came back the next week, the woman who had been stocking was my cashier, and when she took out my change, she very deliberately blew her nose on the change and tried to hand it to me.

Me: “What the heck?!”

Cashier #2: *In a thick accent* “[Cashier #1] was a good girl. You got her fired. She can’t help her nose!”

She kept trying to shove the change at me. I ended up grabbing my groceries and then going to knock on the office door. The owner’s son was there, I explained the situation, and he got the same sort of resigned look that his dad had had the week before.

I got my change, and I did not see the angry cashier again on any future visits.