Soggy Bottom Dollars

Most training rides typically include a stop at a gas station for drink refills, snack, potty break or whatever. This past Saturday’s ride was no different.

I walked carefully around the store, not only because walking in cycling shoes is as awkward as walking in ski boots, but because I was taking careful inventory of what I wanted to eat. I decided on a turkey sandwich and proceeded to the cashier.

My total was somewhere around 3 bucks. Once I finally fumbled and bumbled my plastic baggie containing my wallet out of my jersey pockets, I heard the cashier say something to me. “Excuse me?” I replied. I couldn’t hear him through my ear warmers.

“I said, ‘Thank you, by the way.’”

I stared at him confused.

“For putting your money in a plastic baggie,” he said as he pointed at my wallet. “Usually, you cyclists come in and pull wet bills out of your jersey pockets and hand it to me. I’m sorry, but I don’t want your soiled bills. It’s gross. So, thank you for using a baggie.”

I stood there for a minute. He was absolutely right. That is very gross. When you think about it, sweat is mostly just less concentrated pee. And would you want to handle cash that someone has pee’d on? Probably not unless you have a pee fetish. And if you have a pee fetish…well, that’s a different blog.

So, my fellow cyclists, please be considerate and keep your sweaty dollars to yourself. Use a baggy and make someone’s day!

Happy riding!