Comments on: The Spanish Crown And Argentina’s Coin Problems

By: Faco

Faco — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:32:03 +0000

Ah, we were discussing this today too, during lunch with my newsroom pals. I personally have no problem because I take the train (which gives me between $0.80 and $1.50 in change, depending on how long my trip is, every time I buy a ticket) and the subway (for which I use the Monedero Card), but don’t take the bus that often. But when I do, it is indeed a pain in the ass…

Also, here’s a post about creative sollutions to this crisis
http://lacienciamaldita.blogspot.com/2008/12/la-ley-de-gresham-y-una-solucin.html

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:03:45 +0000

you better get your monedas or somehing….
This is a pais en serio.
dragno

By: Coen

Coen — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:41:00 +0000

Why would they not change the system into a card system. Just recently we were in Salta. The busses run with monedas, but also a dedicated card system that you can upgrade. This is seen all over the world. Card users would get a discount on the fare and the bus companies have the advantage of getting money upfront even for non delivered rides.

This solves the whole monedas/bus thing! Wouldn’t it?

By: Inesse

Inesse — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:01:46 +0000

Thanks for the background, Taos. I used to ask people in Argentina where all their coins were going, and one woman replied, “Well, what happens when you (in the US) run out of monedas?”
me: “We never run out of monedas!”
her: “¿¿Qué?? ¿Cómo es POSIBLE?”

I also left Buenos Aires after a dramatic all-moneda purchase in which I gave a disgruntled waiter in the EZE airport around 24 pesos worth of coins.
me: “Aren’t you happy with all these monedas?”
waiter: “Why would I be happy?”
me: “Well, now you can take the colectivo 4 times a day!”
waiter: “But where would I go?”
me: “Are you even from Buenos Aires?”
waiter: “I just moved here…”
me: “That explains it.”