There are just no words ...

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

12 DVDs returned to the overnight book drop. All of them soaked in what smells like baby oil, and one of them cracked from hub to mid-disc.

So, that's 11 Partial Damage Fees of $2.00 each, and 1 Total Damage Fee of $26.99.

What makes it even more delicious is that this patron doesn't have to pay the usual $1 per DVD rental because she has an EBT card, and the powers that be decided a while back that all of us taxpayers should pay for home entertainment for the less fortunate. Oh well ... if she ever pays her bill, I guess we're recovering the lost rental fees, plus some.

Baby oil ... just, wow.

[bigjimaz]

Wow, baby oil huh? Just what kind of dvds were they?

[myswtghst]

You know, I don't want to know. I don't even want to think about it too much, honestly.

But better oil than cockroaches, no?

[Cthulhu]

Wait wait wait wait.....

where are you? They allow EBT cards to be used to pay for video rentals?

Did I miss something?

[Koliedrus]

See, now you've left me with just enough information to piece together pretty much any scenario my imagination decides to conjure.

Let's narrow it down a bit.

It would help to know the movie titles. Perhaps the genres would suffice instead.

12 vids and EBT seems to indicate system abuse. Feel fortunate that it "smelled like baby oil". Other types of lubrication/smells would mentally scar you for life.

At this point, I can only assume. My assumptions do not exclude European-Americans by any means.

If the disks were "Spongebob"-ish, it was probably some young mom trying to babysit her kids with a television when one of them waddled to the bag and dumped in the baby oil.

Or it could be....

Like I said. Too many variables here.

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

Ok, here's a list of the DVDs:

A Lot Like Love
Little Black Book
Selena
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo 2
Land Has Eyes
Material Girls
RV
Poseidon
Cheetah Girls 2
High School Musical
In the Mix

I'm in Hawaii, and yeah, free movie rentals with a valid EBT card. There's a limit of 10, but the patron used her child's card, too (even though that's agin the law in these here parts -- staff person's fault). They have to provide a grocery receipt that's less than 30 days old to prove that the EBT card is still valid, since the original idea of having us telephone the patron's social worker didn't go over well with the social workers. It's illegal for them to give out any information on their clients, but, of course, the bigwigs in this system didn't think that far, as they usually don't.

Oh, I've had bugs in DVD cases. The worst case yet was one that had an ant nest inside of it, baby larva included! I ran outside the back door with THAT one. I tell you, it's a good thing I clean all these DVDs after each circulation (we have over 2300), because I swear some of these patrons use them for coasters, or something.

Oh yeah, another one just came back (Apocalypto, different patron) cracked from hub to mid-disc, and THIS time the branch they returned it to didn't check the disc for damages, checked it in (it was overdue 6 days and only the 2nd circulation for that title) and the patron paid his fines and they sent it back to us. Oh, what fun I'm going to have when the patron refuses to pay for it, since "the OTHER branch checked it in and it was fine then!"

La la la

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Ah-wuh?

Free movie rentals with EBT? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought EBT was for food and diapers and stuff like that. Things you need

[Bloodsoul]

People need to be entertained, after all. In this day of attention deficiencies (i.e., the people who don't actually have ADD), simply reading a book or casual conversation just doesn't cut it anymore.

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

Yep ... it's true! I don't agree with it, but I gotta follow the rules, and this one is an Adminstrative Rule, which is something voted on by the state legislature.

So, if you have an valid EBT card, the taxpayers of Hawaii are subsidizing your home entertainment, courtesy of the library system.

[aurelemsrealm]

Using EBT to pay for movie rentals? You've got to be kidding me! I can understand using it for food and necessities, but make them use their cash for anything not essential to survival.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

We don't have anything like that here in NC . . . EBT is strictly for FOOD items.

No diapers/toilet paper/detergent/et al.

So how is it that in some states that EBT can be used for nonfood items?

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

So how is it that in some states that EBT can be used for nonfood items?

Well, it's not like we swipe the card and the movie rental cost gets deducted from the patron's EBT balance. The patrons just show us their EBT card (their names are imprinted on the front) and a grocery receipt less than 30 days old, which should prove that the card is valid. Then we check the movies out on their library card and just hand them over, instead of charging them $1.00/movie. However, overdue fines ($1.00 per day, per movie) still apply, so sometimes we get some money back.

[Dave1982]

Well (in Mass anyway) there are two different type of EBT: EBT Food Stamps and EBT Cash Benefits.

Food stamps are limited to certain pre-appoved food items (though with a much wider selection than WIC), while the cash beneifts can be used on pretty much anything. THe cash benefits are essentially an EBT debit card; you can even get cash back with it, so yeah. Pretty much anything.

In my supermarket days, I saw EBT Cash Benefits used on all manner of extravagences, including Perrier, Kobe beef, filet mingon, fresh steamed lobster, and (which REALLY pissed me off) cigarettes (though as far as I remember, this was a rare occurance).

[aurelemsrealm]

I tell you what I always resented -- seeing people use their food stamp cards to buy a bottle of soda or junk food, then blowing wads, and I mean wads of cash, on things like beer, cigarettes, or lottery tickets. I would agree that everyone deserves a small amount of extravagance every once in a while. What aggravates me, though, are those people who seem to be milking the system for everything they can get out of it rather than working for it like me.

[i4wolves]

I have a job plus go to school and I can't afford to buy anything like what some people buy with their EBT cards and welfare money. I think from now on I am going to get pregnent and sit on my but and spend the governments money. (Just kidding). I know a lot of people that use the card approperiatly, my friend is one of them, and don't abuse the system, but its people that buy non neccessaity things with our taxpayers money that gives EBT cards a bad name.