One at a Time Please

Actual Parting Gift from US Mint

As previously mentioned, I am a big guy and the world is not made for big people. Even machines have it out for big people….We were in eastern Pennsylvania a few summers ago to visit some family and go to see what we could see in Philadelphia. It was an interesting trip with many memorable moments, one of which was at the US Mint. Everyone wants to see where money is made, right? So we made the half mile trek from the hotel to the mint. The place was fortified and secure just as would be expected. To gain entrance you had to go through several security checks, fortunately no body cavity searchers. The one was a weight scale based revolving door. Now the sign on the wall clearly stated “one person at a time” so we proceeded as directed. My wife went first, no problem. I got in, and then I heard a really annoying automated voice state “one at time please, please exit the building and enter the revolving door one at a time.” So I obliged and tried it again, this time same result. I looked over at my wife who was starting to giggle. I tried things one more time, still no luck. Then I looked over and saw there was a security guard manning the front desk. He was also giggling, well laughing profusely. I heard an intercom come on and a chuckling man’s voice say “I’ll let you in, one minute.” So I finally got into the mint only to find out that we couldn’t actually see any of the money making process. There was a very cheesy, middle school science fair-like do it yourself tour, and that was it. We did get a little baggy of shredded money as a parting gift. At least I got the satisfaction of brightening the security guard’s day, though I don’t think that was the first time he had done that to someone.