In an example of how not to handle money on the mainland, a woman is US$158 out of pocket after being fined for tearing up a RMB20 bill in front of police officers to vent her dissatisfaction with a dispute over coupons.
The woman, surnamed Sun, had taken her child to play at a children’s amusement park at a shopping mall in Anhui province on Sunday and was hoping to, in fact, make some cash by redeeming some coupons.
Things didn’t go well, according to a post on the Fuyang Public Security Bureau’s Weibo which detailed the incident.
After staff insisted Sun’s coupons were not redeemable, because her child had only played at the park for half a day, she lost it, sparking a confrontation which led eventually to police being called.
In a bid to end matters, staff finally offered up a RMB20 (US$3) refund, an amount that clearly did not impress Sun, who made her feelings known by ripping up the bill in front of all involved.
“If I tear my own money it’s not breaking the law,” Sun reportedly said at the time, completely incorrectly.
Mainland regulations on the administration of Renminbi, make it illegal to damage RMB notes or hamper its circulation and police officers didn’t cut Sun any slack, taking her to the police station and issuing a RMB1,000 (US$158) fine.
Though prosecutions are rare, currency defacement is also a crime in the UK, US and Australia, among other countries.
So, if you’re insulted by a refund, please, do the right thing and obnoxiously drop it on the ground.
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