Vending machine attendant gets more than a little spare change
By Kate Northrop
OCEAN CITY, Md. — A vending machine attendant who goes by the name "Spare Change" has just won $1 million from a scratch-off in the Maryland Lottery.
The 36-year-old man, who hails from Millsboro, Delaware, picked up his fortune in the midst of his daily routine when he purchased a scratch-off ticket from the Lottery's "100X The Cash" game for $20.
"Spare Change" stopped at the 7-Eleven convenience store on Coastal Highway in Ocean City to buy his usual rounds of tickets on his way to work, where he ensures that the amusement machines are up and running for visitors to enjoy.
"Almost every hotel has a game room, and there's bars, restaurants and boardwalk too," he explained in a news release. "If there's a crane machine, Golden Tee machine, a foosball table, air hockey or pool table, it's my job to visit them regularly, picking up the coins and restocking the machines."
His routine involves purchasing some Pick 3 and Pick 4 tickets, along with an instant game. While scratching off his ticket, he saw another customer accidentally leave money in the Lottery machine.
"Spare Change" scooped up the money with the intent of returning it to the customer who left it there. He quickly decided to buy another scratch-off ticket and caught the other player before she left the store to return her money.
He took the "100X The Cash" ticket he bought in his last-minute decision and scanned it at the prize check area of the store but was confused to see a message telling him to take the ticket to the Maryland Lottery, according to a press release.
Needing to investigate further, he took his ticket out to the car and got to scratching. What he revealed gave him the shock of a lifetime.
"I started shaking," he recalled. "My nerves were rattled, and I had trouble thinking straight for the rest of the work day."
"Spare Change" had just discovered that he won a top prize worth $1 million. Now it became clear as to why the ticket scanner told him to visit the Lottery.
When he did go to claim his prize, he collected the $1 million as an annuity, the uncommon claims option but one that would help him sensibly manage his newfound winnings.
"This will keep me from spending it all quickly, and it's like having an extra income," he remarked.
The 7-Eleven retailer earned a $1,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
The lucky winner was the very first player to take home one of the six top prizes in the game, which was released in November. Currently, there are seven of eight second prizes of $50,000 and eight of twelve third prizes of $10,000 left to claim.
Good for him! A steady income for he next 20 years!
Congrats
So 'Spare Change' lives in anonymous state and after good Karma with returning money in the lotto machine left my another customer. Then buys a winning ticket in another anonymous state! Good things happen to good people.
Funny, I've been to that 7-Eleven a few times when vacationing in Ocean City. Great win!
Wouldn't it be something if" Spare Change " is a homeless person, a panhandler who constantly asks " got any spare change? Finally SC can quit asking altogether.
His ship finally came in.
Celebrate..
People who asked for "spare change" now come up to you and ask "can you spare a dollar?"
Most of them used to use the "spare change" to buy food, but now I have noticed some use it to buy scratch off tickets.
One woman that hangs outside the store I buy my lottery tickets at won $2,700 on a scratcher. I don't know what she did with the money, but she's out there all the time with her hand out asking everyone for money.
In the late 80's some of them would ask for folding money!
He has a Job, he was Not out asking for Money.
He was at work or on his way when he Bought the winning ticket before returning the Money to the Woman who had left money in the machine before him Then he returned her Money to Her!!!
They call him Spare Change because of his JOB...
Point taken. I should have used the would " was" instead of "is, but l digress. Now if only l could find a way to stop trollers constantly following my every post & criticizing it, life would be so much easier. Purge me from your brain, it's easy- just look the other way, because walking around with a constant hard** for me is non productive.
Wow, look in the mirror buddy ole pal...you need to digress some more.
Congrats to the lucky and honest guy.
That's what I am talking about. As Bane in " The Dark knight Rises" said - : Speak of the Devil, and she will appear!"
I love you too Sully.
congrats to spare change!
The correct line of dialog from Bane is, "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."
Bane was wearing a mask and words get slurred. It's subject to interpretation.
Just below the headline and above the article it says:
"Vending machine attendant gets more than a little spare change"
By Kate Northrop
He has a full time job so he's not a homeless panhandler. If you get it right, we won't have to tell you when you are wrong. Sometimes you need to read more than just the headline. Don't take it personally.
Have a nice day!
Congrats to Spare Change!!! 3
to him!!!
Good move taking the annuity. Keep working and 20 years (or less) from now, he'll be set for life.
Right, take a lesson from the lilies in the field- in other things as well G.
You read the headline and because it said the guy had a nickname of "Spare Change," you automatically assumed he was a homeless person. Why is that? Why is that the first thing you thought of? That says more about you than anything else.
If you want to get literary, don't judge a book by it's cover.
First off: You mentioned " you automatically assumed he was a homeless person. Why is that? " Cause out in this neck of the woods- no one l know asks for " spare change" unless they are a beggar or panhandler. Second, my thinking was corrected by Indian, and l made an acknowledgment of that. " Why is that the first thing you thought of? "asked & answered.
" That says more about you than anything else.- don't judge a book by its cover." Really?
Goodnight.
You are forgetting one crucial point. It never said any where in the story that the man was homeless.
The 3rd and 4th paragraphs:
"Spare Change" stopped at the 7-Eleven convenience store on Coastal Highway in Ocean City to buy his usual rounds of tickets on his way to work, where he ensures that the amusement machines are up and running for visitors to enjoy.
"Almost every hotel has a game room, and there's bars, restaurants and boardwalk too," he explained in a news release. "If there's a crane machine, Golden Tee machine, a foosball table, air hockey or pool table, it's my job to visit them regularly, picking up the coins and restocking the machines.
You can post all the pictures you want, but in this instance you DID NOT READ the story and because the story headline said "Spare Change," you ASSUMED the man was homeless without reading the article.
You were wrong. Just admit it.
Your heartlessness knows no bounds, you would post a picture of those less fortunate right after 70 thousand American just lost their jobs in the last 2 weeks.
The cost of Insulin, epi pens, heart medication, lung medication just doubled.
The southern border has been opened to all ,and people who have not been tested for Covid are being released into the general public, we are in a pandemic!
The cost of Gasoline, heating oil, propane and electricity are to explode.
The fed printing money out of thin air is about to cause hyper-inflation and food, goods and services are about to go through the roof.
And what do you do, you rub crap in the faces of those who are hungry. Shame Shame Shame!
That comes across as a political statement there Sully, not biting girl.
It comes across as me having your number, I understand subterfuge when I see it, and that's exactly what you did with your little picture.
" having my number?" yes, in an alternate reality.
I have some "spare change" in my lil bucket next to the desk.... hmmmmm, may have to go get a ticket just for S & G