PASSING THE BUCK

Originally Published the Week of July 12, 2022 in Western Outdoor Publications

I recently got tuned into a little side-hustle that I didn’t realize has been taking place for quite sometime down here in Baja.  I imagine it’s pretty much the same all over Mexico.

It’s kinda funny.  But also quite serious on another level.  In fact,   it’s a crime.

Let me set the scene.

We’ve lived down here in Baja for almost 30 years.  We have several businesses including a restaurant, two fishing fleets and a shuttle company.

American money passes through our hands as transactions are carried out.  No problem. 

We love American dollars.  We accept it as a convenience to travelers and our guests.

In fact, EVERYONE loves American dollars.  Especially here in Mexico. 

It’s a fairly stable currency.  It holds it value.  It’s easy to use.  In fact, most folks I know hoard the dollars and use pesos for daily transactions.  Yes, it’s a mighty currency.

I’ve often joked with folks that everyone loves our green paper with the old Presidents on them.  Even in countries that don’t necessarily like the U.S., they have no problem with American bucks in their banks and pockets. 

It’s the universal currency.

The one type of dollar down here that no one wants is “bad money.”  That is, dollar bills that are torn, written on, defaced and abused.

You know the ones.  Someone wrote a phone number on it.  Or drew a mustache on Ben Franklin.   Or, it’s just plain old and torn and gone through a lot of hands.

It’s easy to see why. 

Banks won’t take them down here.  In fact, no one will take them. 

If the banks won’t accept them, neither will the grocery store.  Or the taco stand. Or the t-shirt shop or the taxi driver. 

You have to wait until you get back to the states to use the bills.

Many of our friends here in Baja, like waiters or chambermaids or bellman get bills as tips.  If they are torn, they’ll come to us and we’ll give them usable U.S. dollars. 

We’ll take the torn ones back to the U.S. Or, we’ll change them with our guests headed back to the U.S. and ask us to give us “good money.”  They are usually pretty understanding.

New money and old money spend just fine back home.

Torn money is pretty much worthless down here.

In fact, in many cases, even torn pesos are not accepted.

So, here’s the deal called “musical bills.”

People surreptitiously and sneakily try to pass off their torn bills to someone else.  Like an unsuspecting waiter at a restaurant.  A taxi driver.  A busy taco stand at night. 

Basically, anyone not looking too carefully might get some bad money.

Later, that person realizes they got a bad bill.  They, in turn, will now try to pass it onto someone else.

It’s like that game “Old Maid” we played as kids.  You don’t want to to get stuck with the bad bill that no one can use!  So you keep playing “the game.”

There is a real sinister side to this, however.

There are reports of money changers giving away bad bills to tourists. These are the exchange houses where you change dollars to pesos and pesos to dollars or other currency.

You find them on streets in tourist towns; kiosks on street corners; and yes…in airports and bus stations.

Most are legit.  But you can see where this is going and how the “game” of passing on bad bills can have a serious impact.

The un-suspecting tourist arrives to exchange money.  They are “slipped” a few torn or defaced bills.  Be it pesos or dollars.

You walk away ready to do what tourists do.

However, you find out that no one will accept your money!  You’re now stuck on vacation with unusable currency. 

DING!DING! DING!  You got scammed and there’s no recourse.

So, just a heads-up.  Check our bills so you’re not stuck with worthless paper.

Or, you do what so many do.

You pass it to the water. The taxi driver.  Or the bellman at your hotel.

Who then gives it to me in exchange for good money.

And now. I’m the guy stuck with it!

That’s my story!

Jonathan

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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico http://www.tailhunter.com.

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

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Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”