Geeky Answers Some Common Questions
Why does my cellphone get such good reception in the underground PATH downtown, but not in the subway?
Telus, Rogers and Bell have installed a special network of antennas throughout the city’s downtown underground network. The underground system uses small ceiling-mounted antennas every 150 metres or so. The TTC hasn’t installed antennas on their system yet. But now that Washington and Montreal subway stations have installed the mini-antennas on their systems, it looks like the TTC will follow suit. We may be able to chat while waiting on the subway platforms.
Is writing on money illegal?
Contrary to popular belief, defacing currency is not illegal in Canada. The law states that scratching, marking or otherwise defacing coins such that it is unrecognizable, is illegal. So it is okay to save money by not buying a gift card and just write the message right on the bank note. For example on Pumpkin’s birthday I give her $20 and on the bill I write the following: To Pumpkin with love. Buy yourself some kibbles. Love mommy.
If you don’t have a thermometer handy, can you still tell what is the temperature?
Yes you can! Use cricket chirps to calculate the temperature in celsius. Here’s how: count the number of chirps in 25 seconds. Divide by 3. Add 4.
May 8th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
When I was a young teenage reprobate, a friend and I would take some hammers and nickels and pound them out on the concrete sidewalk. We found that if you did this they would work in the pinball machines at the bowling alley which you would normally need a quarter to play. Technically, the nickels were still recognizable as you could still see the beaver on the back. Was this illegal?
May 14th, 2008 at 6:51 am
Well Bertie, I think you would get into trouble using a nickle where a quarter is required. Have you been blacklisted from all bowling alleys?
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
If the sign says .25 cents then one must be honest and pay .25 cents. I think Bertoh should return and pay the added .20 cents. To me, honesty is paramount. One must always see the other side of the coin….and that is, in this case, if it was your pinball machine then would YOU want nickles instead of quarters? Bad boy.
Interesting Cricket science…..anybody try it yet?
I, too, always thought defacing money was a crime, a punishable crime.
I wish this world would run on the no money scheme and only the barter system…..