'I won't accept Scottish notes at McDonald's restaurant'
A FAST food owner has defended his decision to not accept Scottish bank notes at his restaurants.
McDonald's franchisee Ron Mounsey has come under fire from customers for refusing to accept the money.
Scottish tourist Jan Smith, aged 45, tried to buy a meal for her family using a £20 note from The Bank of Scotland at the outlet's restaurant in Penllergaer last week.
She said: "It's ridiculous. I have been able to use the money all across South Wales and in other McDonald's restaurants.
"I'm angry that I was turned away and made to feel like a second class citizen." But restaurant owner Mr Mounsey insisted the decision not to accept Scottish money was not discriminatory.
He said: "It is an economic decision.
"We had a problem with counterfeit Scottish notes and as a precaution we have decided not to accept the money.
"There are notices displayed at all my restaurants explaining this decision.
"I do not wish to cause any inconvenience to customers, but it is better to be safe than sorry. In the current climate I could not afford to lose £300 in business due to counterfeit notes."
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by James, Swansea
Monday, September 21 2009, 9:27PM
“Re;c.williams, swansea
Funny money for funny haircuts, sounds ok to me!”
by c.williams, swansea
Monday, September 21 2009, 8:09PM
“ooh i would not accept funny money in my hairdressing saloon”
by Mary-Jones McPherson, Swansea
Monday, September 21 2009, 7:32PM
“As far as i'm concerned I think that its ridiculous that a company as big as McDonalds would alow this to happen. Scotland is in the UK the same as Wales, the money is still in pounds sterling the same as the bank of England and the bank of Ulster, the monetery value is the same as the bank of England. The fact that the scots are getting treated like there money is from a foreign country such as the euro or the dollar is Absurd. As for some people that have commented on Scotland bleeding the UK dry from benefits is completley irrelavent to this topic, if some people want to get into that discussion then all the nations in the uk claim as much as each other.”
by Michael, Carmarthen
Monday, September 21 2009, 7:17PM
“No Wonder the english government does not want scotland to become independent, The oil in the north sea provides the so called united kingdom 1 million pounds per second, infact if scotland where independant they would become the 3rd richest country in the world. No one in scotland has to abide by the bank of england, they are not government and certainly not law. For scottish banknotes to be illegal tender in scotland is somewhat obtuse, i suppose if the scottish people want to buy anything in there own country would they be breaking the law in doing so? i think not. If scottish notes where illegal then they would not be printed (common sense prevails). I think Mr Mounsey should change the bank he does business with if he gets charged £300 for a forged note, or maybe he should learn how to run a business properly by checking these notes, if he done that in the first place then both he and McDonalds would not find themselves in such a akward position.”
by mary, swansea
Monday, September 21 2009, 6:55PM
“I think this is shocking! If only wales were lucky enough to have there own money... The bank of England saying that scottish notes are not legal tender is nonsense, I feel sorry for the scots not only are they treated like outsiders , scotland is the country that makes britian one of the worlds richest countries, so shops that dont take there notes have a damn cheeck, if it wasn't for scottish oil and welsh coal, england wouldn't have a penny.”