Am I a bad man?

It's not unusual for a plumber to come over to my Shop from Windsor, Ontario to buy snake parts. It's also normally not an issue in any way, shape, or form. They either bring US dollars or use a credit or debit card. No problem.

Yet there's always that one guy who simply will not cooperate, isn't there? He typically brings nothing but Canadian currency and then I have the trouble of having to either exchange it or sit on it until my next trip across the border. It's kind of a nuisance. So I finally laid down the law and told him he must bring me US money or use a card. I didn't care which; I was just tired at the inconvenience. The imposition, really.

He came over about two months ago. As he had called first I reminded him to bring me the right currency. He did, but added on a bunch of things when he got to the old barn which put him $275 US beyond the amount of US currency he exchanged at the border. "If I have to take Canadian to make up the difference, I want $400," I demanded.

"It's only about $350 Canadian for that!" he protested. He added, "And I don't want to use my credit card."

I responded, "I don't care. I told you to bring US, and now I'll have the trouble of exchanging it."

As he didn't want to forgo anything he wanted, the man relented and gave me the difference with $400 Canadian dollars.

The most convenient way for me to exchange money, I've found, is at one of the Detroit casinos. I even suggested he might do that, but he didn't want to take the time. Uh-huh, but it's okay with him if I have to. So that evening I went to a casino.

They assume you're a Canadian there to play and give a decent rate. They gave me $325 United States dollars. I was $50 ahead. But my conscience bothered me a little, so I stopped and slipped a twenty into a video poker machine. I'm already ahead, I thought, even if I lose the whole twenty.

After two modest winning hands, I had won ten bucks. I cashed out; I had done my due diligence. And I was ahead on the whole deal $60.

Am I a bad man?