A Curious Case of Change
RAY: This was sent in by Milton Mercinger. You ready? Pay attention.
The other day, I was third in line at my neighborhood convenience store waiting to pay for my items. The first person in line bought something that cost $3.75. She handed the clerk a $5 bill and received a dollar and a quarter in change.
Customer #2 bought two items that totaled $4.99. He paid with a $10 bill, and he received a $5 bill and one cent in change, or $5.01.
Finally, it was my turn. I placed my items on the counter, you know, the usual: hair nets, a copy of the National Enquirer, and an extra large tube of soothing hemorrhoid relief gel. My total was $17.95. I handed over a $20 bill. The cashier started to hand me my change, and then stopped, and asked if it was okay if she gave me a $2 bill and a nickel instead of two ones and a nickel, because my change was going to be $2.05.
"Would I mind?" I said, "Not at all! In fact, I was hoping to get one - a two dollar bill, that is - with my change."
So I received $2.05 as change. And the people in front of me received $5.01 and $1.25 respectively. The question is what was unique about the change each of us received?
Think you know? Drop Ray a note!
[ Car Talk Puzzler ]
