Re: Trip to Melbourne
Michael Walker (walker@hotkey.net.au)
Sun, 08 Feb 1998 00:03:19 +1100
Mike Alexander wrote:
>
> > This raises an interesting point. Under Federal law if it was human
> > selling tickets and I offered a $5 note for a $2 ride, they would be
> > legally bound to accept the $5 note tendered and give me change. They
> > could not reject the tendering of the note as unsuitable for the
> > payment.
> >
> > I wonder what position that would put a transport operator in if they
> > tried to prosecute a passenger who did not have a ticket but did have
> > the price of their fare on them in legal tender in the form of a small
> > denomination note, which the ticket issuing device was incapable of
> > accepting?
>
> Whatever the legality of it may be, I'm sure anyone who operates a parking
> meter must have it covered. So. I'm sure the same law applies.
>
> BTW, what _exactly_ is the federal law which covers this? How is it worded?
>
> Also, even if it was a human selling the tickets, and they refused to
> accept your $100 note as payment for an 80 cent ticket (as would no doubt
> happen), what would be the legality then?
>
> There has to be some sense of reasonableness.
>
> Regards,
>
> Mike Alexander
> (malex@bigfoot.com)
According to my Year 10 Commerce teacher, denominations are legal tender
up to a certain amount. According to the Commonwealth Currency Act 1965
Section 16
(http://www.austlii.edu.au/do2/disp.pl/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca1965120/s16.html?query=legal%20tende
) used to be 20c worth of copper coins (1c & 2c before they were removed
from circulation), $5 worth of silver (10c to 50c) 10 times face value
of gold ($1 and $2), $100 limit on $10 coins (not sure how this applies
to notes) and I don't think any limit on the higher notes. So applying
this aspect of the law (excepting copper coins) then a higher note
should make no difference as the law rightly or wrongly doesn't really
take into account using high notes for small purchases. Just my 5c
worth.