Small ethical/practical dilemma

Hello chaps and chapesses,

I did not have the best start to the day today. At my local newsagent I popped in to buy a paper; I didn't have change (already an irritation as I was running late), so had to hand over a £20 note, apologizing as I did for the lack of change.

The woman behind the counter held up the note (I'm thinking, please don't tell me this is a fake, I'm in a hurry) and calls over her colleague, who says that yes, it is indeed not a proper £20. He then proceeds to rip the note twice, as if to prove that the fabric is not authentic. I look on in astonishment, disbelief and outrage, pointing out that while the note may very well be a forgery, I got it from a cash machine, it represents my money and this is very much not on (matters not helped by their very poor English). They say, this has happened several times this week and insist that a cash machine would not issue such a note; furthermore, that they are asked NOT to return such notes to customers. Eventually, the man returns the note – in three pieces – and within a few seconds I have stormed out, albeit not before he has asked me to give him the note again (in my words "what?? so you can rip it up some more??").

I visit this shop almost daily.

Do I

a) suck up the fact that this is illegal money and do nothing further?

b) take the mutilated note to the bank, whether my own or a branch of the one whose ATM issued it, explaining the situation and asking for a replacement?

c) stick the note back together and attempt to use it subsequently in some context where I will not be challenged?

>b) take the mutilated note to the bank, whether my own or a branch of the one whose ATM issued it, explaining the situation and asking for a replacement?
I know you can do this with real money, but I doubt it will work with a fake.

I say option C. Shops will accept crummy, worn-down banknotes if you shove it in their face and pretend you're in a rush. Ideally, buy something that exactly comes to £20 (or a little less and tell them to keep the change).

B

It'll probably be the most time consuming, but you lose less in doing this.

C has the chance of a store employee being a huge inconvenience.

Might as well nip it in the bud, get your money straightened out, and be done with it to buy your newspaper.

I dream of cocks drifting across the blue sky

>>4
Nigger.