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Unrelated, but this reminds me of one of my favourite Mitch Hedberg bits. “I bought a doughnut and they gave me a receipt for the doughtnut... I don't need a r

Unrelated, but this reminds me of one of my favourite Mitch Hedberg bits. “I bought a doughnut and they gave me a receipt for the doughtnut... I don't need a receipt for the doughnut. I give you money and you give me the doughnut, end of transaction. We don't need to bring ink and paper into this. I can't imagine a scenario that I would have to prove that I bought a doughnut. To some skeptical friend, 'Don't even act like I didn't get that doughnut, I've got the documentation right here... It's in my file at home. ...Under "D".' Really funny when you think about how this joke aged in this era of rampant privacy abuse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWx6uA5aCrE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWx6uA5aCrE

duxup 8y ago
I've expensed doughnuts while on trips for business. Still I get your point, but there are times I'd want a receipt.
claviola 8y ago
That's simply for taxes, though.
delinka 8y ago
I don’t need to be accused, while stepping out on the street still eating the doughnut, of having stolen the doughnut. Especially while on holiday outside my home country.
- mivanchev 8y ago
  I think the receipt is a proof that the store recorded the transaction and is not evading taxes.
  - delinka 8y ago
    I see a receipt come out of every till for every transaction. Afterward, they ask if I want it. If I don't, they drop it in the bin. I don't see how the receipt is proof that the store isn't evading taxes - someone would need to collect them all and compare them to their tax filings.
chimeracoder 8y ago
> I can't imagine a scenario that I would have to prove that I bought a doughnut. Well, if you go to sit down and then an employee accuses you of not buying anything (or of stealing something, or whatever) and threatens to call the cops. I'm not being facetious, and it's not just the recent news; a lot of people have been trained to keep receipts at establishments for this exact reason.
- nkrisc 8y ago
  It's sad commentary when such an accusation alone is bad enough that we require such documentation to prove our innocence. It's an unfortunate reality.
mivanchev 8y ago
Haha, good one, I'm completely sharing that perspective. However, I sometimes buy largish Dunkin' Donuts boxes for my colleagues or for our clients and throw the receipt away. One time a manager wanted to pay me back, because it was clearly a business expense and reimbursable. I argued "heck, I don't care, people have good times, done". "NONONONO, next time make sure you get the receipt!!!"
- swerveonem 8y ago
  Your employer probably loves you, would you work an hour for free?
cheez 8y ago
Another comedian's take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxpIv4FoD2A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxpIv4FoD2A
jocoda 8y ago
It's also to prevent fraud by the cashier. Any transaction without a paper trail showing proof of purchase makes it easy for staff to simply pocket the cash.
- amorphid 8y ago
  > It's also to prevent fraud by the cashier Example: - cashier says you owe $X - you pay in cash - cashier gives you receipt - after you leave, cashier voids the transaction & pockets the cash There are plenty of ways the cashier can get caught, but catching then be a non-trivial exercise. It depends on the products being sold, quality of systems to prevent fraud, etc.
  - pixl97 8y ago
    Voiding a transaction leaves a paper trail. Many registers require manager keys to void. Not producing a receipt requires no paper trail.
    - AdamM12 8y ago
      Worked at a popular teen retailer in HS. Friend of mine would have his friends (not including me) come in and return items. He'd simply give them the item back, pocket the cash/gift card. Got caught by fraud prevention due to high return count.
pasbesoin 8y ago
More like, proving I didn't buy the (a) doughnut. To an insurer who is ready to ding my rates if I did. (Or, if I can't prove I didn't, as things may end up going...)
trentmb 8y ago
Patrice O'Neal had an amusing bit about receipts as well.
raverbashing 8y ago
I'm sure the government would love having no record of (taxable) sales
born2web 8y ago
I guess a receipt could also be useful in the event of food poisoning or similar... also, i can imagine a few other edge cases where the info on a typical receipt (name of server/cashier, date and time of purchase, item/batch number of purchased product etc.) could be useful later on ...

duxup 8y ago

I've expensed doughnuts while on trips for business. Still I get your point, but there are times I'd want a receipt.

claviola 8y ago

That's simply for taxes, though.

delinka 8y ago

I don’t need to be accused, while stepping out on the street still eating the doughnut, of having stolen the doughnut. Especially while on holiday outside my home country.

mivanchev 8y ago
I think the receipt is a proof that the store recorded the transaction and is not evading taxes.
- delinka 8y ago
  I see a receipt come out of every till for every transaction. Afterward, they ask if I want it. If I don't, they drop it in the bin. I don't see how the receipt is proof that the store isn't evading taxes - someone would need to collect them all and compare them to their tax filings.

chimeracoder 8y ago

> I can't imagine a scenario that I would have to prove that I bought a doughnut. Well, if you go to sit down and then an employee accuses you of not buying anything (or of stealing something, or whatever) and threatens to call the cops. I'm not being facetious, and it's not just the recent news; a lot of people have been trained to keep receipts at establishments for this exact reason.

nkrisc 8y ago
It's sad commentary when such an accusation alone is bad enough that we require such documentation to prove our innocence. It's an unfortunate reality.

mivanchev 8y ago

Haha, good one, I'm completely sharing that perspective. However, I sometimes buy largish Dunkin' Donuts boxes for my colleagues or for our clients and throw the receipt away. One time a manager wanted to pay me back, because it was clearly a business expense and reimbursable. I argued "heck, I don't care, people have good times, done". "NONONONO, next time make sure you get the receipt!!!"

swerveonem 8y ago
Your employer probably loves you, would you work an hour for free?

cheez 8y ago

Another comedian's take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxpIv4FoD2A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxpIv4FoD2A

jocoda 8y ago

It's also to prevent fraud by the cashier. Any transaction without a paper trail showing proof of purchase makes it easy for staff to simply pocket the cash.

amorphid 8y ago
> It's also to prevent fraud by the cashier Example: - cashier says you owe $X - you pay in cash - cashier gives you receipt - after you leave, cashier voids the transaction & pockets the cash There are plenty of ways the cashier can get caught, but catching then be a non-trivial exercise. It depends on the products being sold, quality of systems to prevent fraud, etc.
- pixl97 8y ago
  Voiding a transaction leaves a paper trail. Many registers require manager keys to void. Not producing a receipt requires no paper trail.
  - AdamM12 8y ago
    Worked at a popular teen retailer in HS. Friend of mine would have his friends (not including me) come in and return items. He'd simply give them the item back, pocket the cash/gift card. Got caught by fraud prevention due to high return count.

pasbesoin 8y ago

More like, proving I didn't buy the (a) doughnut. To an insurer who is ready to ding my rates if I did. (Or, if I can't prove I didn't, as things may end up going...)

trentmb 8y ago

Patrice O'Neal had an amusing bit about receipts as well.

raverbashing 8y ago

I'm sure the government would love having no record of (taxable) sales

born2web 8y ago

I guess a receipt could also be useful in the event of food poisoning or similar... also, i can imagine a few other edge cases where the info on a typical receipt (name of server/cashier, date and time of purchase, item/batch number of purchased product etc.) could be useful later on ...