Could the Surplus be Vacuumed Away?

January 21, 2002 5:59 AM

Could the Surplus be Vacuumed Away? A US Treasury official, who must have regretted picking up the phone that day is engaged about the macroeconomic effect of change ending up in vacuum cleaners...
posted by brucec (17 comments total)

Notice that the official never discounts the possiblity of this happening......
posted by brucec at 6:00 AM on January 21, 2002

Who the hell vacuums their couch twice a week?
posted by xiffix at 6:15 AM on January 21, 2002

Once a week. But I have cats.
posted by rocketpup at 6:19 AM on January 21, 2002

Vacuum ?

What ? =)
posted by XiBe at 6:34 AM on January 21, 2002

remember when KLF done this
posted by monkeyJuice at 6:59 AM on January 21, 2002

I don't see a big difference between the quarters being lost in the couch and being lost in a vacuum bag in a landfill somewhere. I guess the piece was supposed to be humerous though.
posted by howa2396 at 8:59 AM on January 21, 2002

I wonder how big of a vacuum the defense department has?
posted by MaddCutty at 9:04 AM on January 21, 2002

I don't see a big difference between the quarters being lost in the couch and being lost in a vacuum bag in a landfill somewhere

Hmmm. Good point. One could assume, I suppose, that the quarters merely in the couch may be picked out later and used. .

I think Mr. Abbate's villains are those who suck up the quarters without regard for the strength of our money.

But once its in the vacuum bag, or the landfill., its out of the economy.
posted by brucec at 9:07 AM on January 21, 2002

Also, the article may be underestimating the damage possible from vacuuming.

Just thinking about 250 million people does not account for the fact that people may have more than one couch in which to lose money in.

It also does not account for couches that may be in commercial use (waiting rooms, offices, bars and restaurants, airports.) This would add to the potential money stealing couches far above the mere 250 million marker. An individual could suck up a quarter at home, and lose a quarter in one of those fancy bars with fireplaces and couches later at night.
posted by brucec at 9:11 AM on January 21, 2002

It's not a big deal, folks. The money lost by being vacuumed up out of the couch is replaced by the Mint, which we then pump back into the economy by buying new socks after one out of each pair disappears from the washing machine. It all balances out.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 9:27 AM on January 21, 2002

Got to give a plug to CoinStar!
posted by Carol Anne at 9:36 AM on January 21, 2002

Huge Coin Star fan.
posted by brucec at 9:48 AM on January 21, 2002

The funny thing about CoinStar is that most non-supermarket bank branches have a similar machine, will usually give it to you in cash or deposit to your account without asking any questions, and don't charge a percentage fee.
posted by SpecialK at 10:29 AM on January 21, 2002

Special K,

I could be wrong, but in NJ I've never seen a machine in a bank. Most banks have made it exhausting to bring in coins (need to be rolled, they will deposit when they get around to it, etc.) However, if there was a machine as you describe, I would become a huge fan of it instead of Coin Star.

Then again, as a member of the ATM generation, I guess I don't go inside the bank that much.

The percentage fee has been the subject of many arguments I've had with old cranky men who like to roll coins all day. But if time=money, then the 7 cents on the buck is no problem for a machine that you can just dump a coffee can of coins (and paperclips, slugs and guitar pics) into and have it seperate the good stuff from the bad stuff.
posted by brucec at 11:31 AM on January 21, 2002

Am I the only one poor enough on MeFi that I comb through my couch weekly searching for change? Damn!
posted by gloege at 11:37 AM on January 21, 2002

Think of the micro-impact of the damage done to vacuums by the loose change? Your vacuum may need to be replace THAT much sooner!

Seems like a slow news day article.
posted by Nauip at 1:23 PM on January 21, 2002

Seems like a slow news day article.

Uh, this is McSweeney's -- home of the heartbreaking (or staggering, depending on your point of view) David Eggers, vaguely humorous satire, and vaguely inexplicable po-mo fiction. CNN it ain't.

more's the pity
posted by ook at 1:53 PM on January 21, 2002