Definitely going with a cultural thing, though not limited to Ecuador. Very common in many countries with a gringo/farang/not my type tax. I can understand it in mom and pop shops even though it still sucks there. Not when you’re paying $30 for lunch! I always try to break my biggest bill whenever I can for those situations. One day I’m going to blow out o pocket from the wad of bills and change in it.

Troy, well written and hilarious post. Pertinent question too about how to handle attitudes and perceptions pertaining to your “gringo ass.” Magnify these seemingly tiny little annoyances by perhaps x20 or x100 and they are not so tiny anymore; they amount to prejuidices and stereotypes people should not be allowed to get away with. Good for you for standing up for yourself, even if it’s only to make a point (though try to stay away from the punchers if you can).

Yeah the small mom and pop shops aren’t usually where it happens for me though. Like I said, KFC come on??? That’s an international franchise and there shouldn’t be any excuse for not being able to operate 100%. I know in the US if you are short on your draw more then 3x (something like more then $2) at McDonald’s you can get fired but it also goes the other way if your over on your draw you can get fired.

Just different mentalities I guess and it’s all part of the joys and pains of traveling.

Thanks for the words but to be honest I have never made an issue of it. I just gets old after a while when your getting nickeled and dimmed to death. I'm sure if I know more Spanish I would say something more often but maybe it's a good thing I don't know enough Spanish as I just might get myself into trouble again.

So yeah, bottom line for me is that I will stop and pick a penny up. I haven't had a job since April… every penny matters when traveling on a budget!

Interesting article, and I’m not sure if you’d be happy or upset to know, this is the the norm in most south american countries. Being from Brazil myself, every where you go is the same; the change is never right, and in some cases, they give you a mint or some sort of candy to substitute for the cents they owe you…. And if you tell them you’d rather pay (in your case) 29.90 so the change would be easier, they’d get upset with you, and not to mention, they wouldn’t take the mint either . what a joy third world countries are ….

Dan- maybe your right but I’ll be honest I’ve been to Peru and Colombia for 2 months and never had this problem. So who knows!

… and don’t get my started on those mint’s! lol I swear they taste like cough-drops here and shouldn’t be aloud to call them mints because so. I just might do a separate article on this now that I think of it! lol

Yeah, my wife thought that was strange also. Halls for cough drops, that was a first.

I am the opp. I will not make a scene over a few cents to me its not worth it. I take it with a grain of salt. It always happens to me in foreign countries but i let it stand now if its a dollar or more then i raise HELL!!!!!!!!!

Dining, not 'dinning'! Also, don't be such a miserable tight-wad.

I have lived in America my entire life and have seen this happen here as well. I don't get the issue is you were going to leave a tip. So
1) Is it that you're so small minded that you truly believe it's a cultural thing
or
2) Is this really about your control issue

(Perhaps not everything can be broken down into either/or situations)

Hummm… I lived in America my whole life and have never had it happen to me on purpose. Fact is, you can get fired just as easily for being over as for being under on your drawer, so they make it a point to be accurate. Not sure where it happens to you “all” the time in the US but anytime it has I'm sure once you brought the issue up it was taken care of ASAP and not given the run-around about it. A tip where i come from is because of good service exc exc… is why i would leave a tip on-top of the requirement but service ends when you short the customer of his/her money.

I guess i should have included my over-all comparison on this, as you see it as $0.05 and i see it as $0.50. Average American makes around $3K USD per-month, Ecuadorians make around $300 USD per-month. A nickel may not be much to you, but you can actually buy stuff here for that and when you do the comparison math… well think you get the point. If not, next time your at KFC and the kid shorts you $0.50… see if you don't say “WTF!”

The same thing happens here, in Turkey, usually in (often foreign owned) supermarkets; rarely in smaller shops. It used to wind me up a little but I can't be arsed pointing out the shortfall anymore. Instead, every now and then, I pay a little less and either laugh or shrug if they want the full price.

I’ve actually also had it happen multiple times in America, where waiters assume the change is going to be part of their tip and only bring the bills. It can be annoying–like if I needed that quarter to run out and feed the meter–but it usually doesn’t bother me.

Please don’t have that principle when I visit you in Goa. I don’t want to drag you out of a store bloody and all. :p

In Indonesia, sometimes they give you candies instead of your change. And not good candies either. Drives me crazy — can I pay you with candies next time then?

Hey I like candy but I won’t lie I like money more! lol At least when they give you candy they are saying they know what was what but for whatever reason (small change) they gave you something else. Just don’t like it when they flat out just short you.

I don’t remember that when I was in Indonesia but then again I was only in Bali, which was super touristy.

t-roy this is what i will always remember  most about being your friend .04 or 400 dollors it matters