Tokens as Legal Tender

I was approached at Eastern Market today while purchasing apples by a
woman who wanted me to give her my singles in exchange for some
gold colored tokens she had, said she was just trying to get money for the bus and that the tokens were legal tender. This was a new one on me, and
I handed my money over to the apple peddler instead and asked her what the tokens were and she hadn't any idea. I suspect this was a scam, but am asked if any of you know anything about this type of "token" being handed out as legal tender. If the apple vender didn't have any idea, I'm sure I would not have been able to purchase the apples with these tokens either.

I think that if you have a bridge card, you can get tokens at Eastern Market, which are like food stamps you can exchange for fresh fruit and vegetables.

So you can now possibly use [[food stamp) card to get "tokens" to trade for cash at Eastern Market, then buy crack... I mean, wait two hours for a bus. ;)

The actual token program:

http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com/page.php?p=1&s=48

I still wouldn't pay anybody for the tokens... seems like you're just inviting them to do this even more.

I have no answer but why does this remind me of my favorite childhood story? ;)

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On his way to the market to sell his mother's cow Jack met a stranger.

"I will give you five magic beans for your cow," the stranger offered.

Jack was unsure and hesitated for a while but then, enticed by the idea of such an extraordinary deal, he decided to accept.

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Food stamp tokens.

Always with the fucking bus...

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Originally Posted by jtf1972

So you can now possibly use [[food stamp) card to get "tokens" to trade for cash at Eastern Market, then buy crack... I mean, wait two hours for a bus. ;)

The actual token program:

http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com/page.php?p=1&s=48


I still wouldn't pay anybody for the tokens... seems like you're just inviting them to do this even more.

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Why is it that people immediately assume people are going to buy drugs when they try to do something like this. You can't buy everything with a Bridge card. People with Bridge cards still need toilet paper, soap, deoderant, toothpaste and other non-food essentials. A little empathy goes a long way...try it.

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Originally Posted by MidTownMs

Why is it that people immediately assume people are going to buy drugs when they try to do something like this. You can't buy everything with a Bridge card. People with Bridge cards still need toilet paper, soap, deoderant, toothpaste and other non-food essentials. A little empathy goes a long way...try it.

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Perhaps a Bridge card was not designed to buy non-food essentials. There is a reason that the Bridge card is designed as it is and that they just don't hand out cash to people. Perhaps this lady was trying to get money together to take the bus. Perhaps she was trying to get money together to buy a bar of soap & roll of toilet paper. Perhaps she is trying to get money together to go to Fedex Office & print additional copies of her resume for the next job fair. Whatever she is doing, it is subsidized by taxpayers who are paying for people to have a Bridge card to be able to eat. That, she is not doing.

I can empathize with people in need... I need a job myself. I will not however apply for a Bridge card & use it for anything other than its intent. I will also not bother you, nor anybody else for "bus fare."

I'm glad that there are kind souls like you who would obviously tell this lady to use her tokens for food, then give her a couple $20 bills so she can get her non-food essentials and have money for transportation. Hope you're ready for the line of people who need empathy.

PS. I was a lot more empathetic before living in NYC. When you see the same couple on the train for several years, pleading for assistance to help bury their child that died in a fire... See a guy in a wheelchair crying about how hungry he is, then throw the food people gave him under a seat, watch a guy begging for money for food, then sit down & pull out a wad of cash & count it [[almost $200)... you tend to lose a bit of faith in mankind & realize how many people are out there hustling you, taking advantage of kindness and empathy. If you want to do something to battle the problems of society, giving money to someone who is trying to beat the system is probably not the answer.

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Originally Posted by jtf1972

Perhaps a Bridge card was not designed to buy non-food essentials. There is a reason that the Bridge card is designed as it is and that they just don't hand out cash to people. Perhaps this lady was trying to get money together to take the bus. Perhaps she was trying to get money together to buy a bar of soap & roll of toilet paper. Perhaps she is trying to get money together to go to Fedex Office & print additional copies of her resume for the next job fair. Whatever she is doing, it is subsidized by taxpayers who are paying for people to have a Bridge card to be able to eat. That, she is not doing.

I can empathize with people in need... I need a job myself. I will not however apply for a Bridge card & use it for anything other than its intent. I will also not bother you, nor anybody else for "bus fare."

I'm glad that there are kind souls like you who would obviously tell this lady to use her tokens for food, then give her a couple $20 bills so she can get her non-food essentials and have money for transportation. Hope you're ready for the line of people who need empathy.

PS. I was a lot more empathetic before living in NYC. When you see the same couple on the train for several years, pleading for assistance to help bury their child that died in a fire... See a guy in a wheelchair crying about how hungry he is, then throw the food people gave him under a seat, watch a guy begging for money for food, then sit down & pull out a wad of cash & count it [[almost $200)... you tend to lose a bit of faith in mankind & realize how many people are out there hustling you, taking advantage of kindness and empathy. If you want to do something to battle the problems of society, giving money to someone who is trying to beat the system is probably not the answer.

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You're right I am kind. However, I do not give money away because like many people in this city I am probably a few meals away from a Bridge card myself.. There are many other ways to help people in need.

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Originally Posted by DetroitPole

Always with the fucking bus...

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Years ago I was walking Westbound on Grand Blvd. I passed a woman who begged me for a few dollars. I told her I didn't have any&wished her a good day.She grabbed my arm[[not in an agressive way;more like 'pleading')and told me she was trying to get home.She'd been stranded in Detroit for a few hours&wanted to get home.She lived with her elderly parents in Pontiac. I again told her I couldn't help her.She smiled&wished me a good day.As I walked away I heard her comment about how people never want to help anyone in need anymore. Fast forward 20-30 mins I'm coming out of New Center One&I see the same woman. She smiled and said hello.I thought she'd remembered me from before on the Blvd. No!She broke out in a sob story about how she'd been stranded in the New Center with no money&how she wanted to get home.This time around she lived downtown Detroit,alone. I laughed&reminded her 30 mins earlier she lived in Pontiac with her parents. She looked at me and let out a "Oh sh&t!" and walked away.
Sorry this story has nothing to do[[directly at least)with the tokens OP spoke of.

If you're going to get worked up about the "hustlers", direct your ire to the suits on Wall Street who have fleeced you for far more money than any panhandler in Detroit ever got.

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Originally Posted by Novine

If you're going to get worked up about the "hustlers", direct your ire to the suits on Wall Street who have fleeced you for far more money than any panhandler in Detroit ever got.

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It will be difficult to top that post. :[[

:D

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Originally Posted by Jimaz

It will be difficult to top that post. :[[

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I wouldn't even try....:D

The apple vendor should know what the tokens are for. I run the Lincoln Park Farmers Market and am licensed by the USDA for our market to accept Bridge Card. Like Eastern Market, we accept Bridge Card and also participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program which doubles a Bridge Card recipients dollars, up to $20, for free Michigan produce. We have a wooden $1 token for our Bridge Card token. I think Eastern Market's Bridge Card token is a gold token. The Double Up Food Bucks token is a $2 silver token. The apple vendor should have known that the token was Bridge Card or Double Up Food Bucks because for both programs at every single farmers market in Michigan the vendor is required to sign an agreement. The agreement spells out what kind of foods can be accepted with the tokens, etc.

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Why is it that people immediately assume people are going to buy drugs when they try to do something like this. You can't buy everything with a Bridge card. Why is it that people immediately assume people are going to buy drugs when they try to do something like this. You can't buy everything with a Bridge card. People with Bridge cards still need toilet paper, soap, deoderant, toothpaste and other non-food essentials. A little empathy goes a long way...try it.

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You can't even get the basics with a bridge card. If their are people out there doing something else with a card, shame on them.

Thanks for the info on tokens. I had not ever heard of them. To be fair to the apple vendor, the worker that waited on me was not the vendor. She was hired to help out. I don't know how the workings go at the market, but, I do know that many of the workers are just day
help.

Unfortunately, the larger vendors don't often educate their hired help on the tokens.

Yeah, have some empathy! Just like that poor copper removal engineer in Palmer Park who probably just needed to pay for textbooks!