The Note Is Real, But So Is There Unreasonableness

(On the Euro notes, there is a raised edge that we run our finger along to check if it is real or not. After a while it becomes a complete habit to just run your finger along it. I have just finished ringing a woman up at the till, told her the amount, and she hands me a €50 note along with the rest of the change. Out of habit I check the raised part on the note.)

Woman: “What are you doing?”

Me: “Sorry?”

Woman: “Why are you doing that with my money? Is there something wrong with it?”

Me: “Oh, no, sorry; it’s a complete habit of mine and my employees to run a finger along this part of the note.” *I show her where it rises* “There is nothing wrong with your note.”

Woman: “There is no need to check my money. That is very wrong of you to assume I would give you a fake note and it really annoys me that you would do that.”

Me: “I apologize again; I did not do it intentionally.”

Woman: “That was very immoral of you. I would never do such a thing to a customer of mine. You should really think about how your actions affect others.”

(When she left I tell my coworker what happened. She laughs.)

Coworker: “Well, you should have taken out the marker that turns the notes black when they’re fake. What would happen then? If she called the manager over, you would have done nothing wrong in their eyes.”