Space Money Invented For Space Tourists

An anonymous reader writes "The foreign exchange company Travelex has invented a unit of currency designed to be used in space commerce, the Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination (QUID). The QUID is made of a space-qualified plastic, with round edges to prevent injuries in zero gravity. One QUID is equivalent to about 6.25 pounds, 12.50 dollars or 8.68 Euros. Of course, space currencies are already a staple of science fiction, with 'credits' being the most popular."

Problem?

[le0p]

Solution: Problem, where are you?

local slang

[User 956]

One QUID is equivalent to about 6.25 pounds

So it's 6 quid per QUID? That sounds confusing.

Bah.

[Anonymous Coward]

Everyone knows the only true space money is the Interstellar Kredit. Go go ISK!

Re:Money is a sign of poverty.

[User 956]

The presence of currency means the scarcity problem hasn't been solved by the civilisation, which means they are poor primitives not worth the bother of Contacting.

And they probably don't have cool matching jumpsuits, either.

Quatloos

[basketcase]

I want my quatloos!

Re:Round edges....

[Anonymous Crowhead]

My question is: how do you fight counterfeiters with plastic money? Seems like it would be relatively easy to fake, compared to metal or newer paper currencies?

Just wait. In a few months, there will be an article about how there are RFIDs in each QUID and the Slashbots will go apeshit.

Credits

[east coast]

I sold some slaves to the Lesti system not too long ago for 98.2 credits per tonne. I'm now rated as a fugative and your QUIDs are worthless to me since they're only good in the Sol system.

Re:Money is a sign of poverty.

[Applekid]

So, in other words...

1) Solve scarcity
2) ???
3) Not profit?

I'm unsettled by this. Excuse me while go have my lobes stroked.

Anyone for a wager?

[Sporkinum]

I'll wager 15 quatloos that that QUID will never fly.

Monetary Units: None

[hitchhacker]

In fact there are three freely convertible currencies in the Galaxy, but none of them count. The Altarian Dollar has recently collapsed, the Flainian Pobble Bead is only exchangeable for other Flainian Pobble Beads, and the Triganic Pu has its own very special problems. It exchange rate of eight Ningis to one Pu is simple enough, but since Ningi is a triangular rubber coin six thousand eight hundred miles along each side, no one has ever collected enough to own one Pu. Nigis are not negotiable currency, because Galactibanks refuse to deal in fiddling small change. From this basic premise it is very simple to prove that the Galactibanks are also the product of a deranged imagination.

-metric

Re:Round edges....

[rubycodez]

the main problem with the space wire transfers is that every three to four days the wires get all wound up around the equator and if someone forgets to unwind and untangle them and fling the slack back out sometimes they'll even yank out the other end at the space stations. But there's another invention in the pipe called "space wireless" that'll help alot, traffic congestion can be avoided as long as everyone remembers to not just leave the defaults at "space lynksys" and "galactic channel 6".

Re:Digital

[instagib]

1. Float in space - 300,000 $
2. Land on planet - 30,000,000 $
3. Your oxygen is running out, but your AmEx is not accepted at the nearby refill station - Priceless.

I was hoping it was going to be...

[kjkeefe]

I was always partial to "Space Bucks"...

PIZZA THE HUT!

Stupid Tags

[pembo13]

Can we remove the tagging system? Or moderate the people who put the idiotic tags?

Re:Tracking the currency

[Culture20]

Where was QUID 52379A478B7907E87FEB39C98 today? Earth
Where was QUID 52379A478B7907E87FEB39C98 yesterday? Earth
Where was QUID 52379A478B7907E87FEB39C98 the day before? Earth
.
.
.

Re:Goddamnit

[BobGregg]

>>Why not "credit"?!?

Because it isn't a cool acronym. Cool acronyms always make things cooler. Just look at what "AJAX" did for - uh, AJAX.

Easily remedied though:

CALCULATED
RATE of
EXCHANGE
DENOMINATION for
INTERPLANETARY
TRAVELERS

There - CREDIT. That oughtta just about do it. Lot better than QUID, to be sure...

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

The Future Is Still Money?!

[kitsunewarlock]

Psh. I was hoping we could exchange goods and services with things like youtube external links, myspace mass friend invites and wikipedia article additions...

While I'm at it:

Spacesuits: $1,200 each.
Oxygen recharge: $3.22 per gallon.
Farting in your space suit while you and your cheap-ass buddy share an airtank; priceless.

There's somethings your national currency can't buy. For everything else, there's QUIDS.

Oblig. HHGTTG Reference

[Sentry21]

Monetary Units: None. In fact there are three freely convertible currencies in the Galaxy, but none of them count. The Altairian Dollar has recently collapsed, the Flainian Pobble Bead is only exchangable for other Flainian Pobble Beads, and the Trigantic Pu has its own very special problems. Its exchange rate of eight Nighis to one Pu is simple enough, but since a Ningi is a triangular rubber coin six thousand eight hundred miles along each side, no one has ever collected enough to own one Pu. Ningis are not negotiable currencies, because the Galactibanks refuse to deal in fiddling small change. From this basic premise it is very simple that Glactibanks are also the products of a deranged imagination.

Pleased to meet you, Solution.

[grahamd0]

Hi, I'm the fact your $20M trip to space only costs one lump sum of $20M. I'm wishing that, in addition, you would be charged in some way for each of your vacuum-sealed meals and packets of Tang. I'm wishing that different modules in the space station and future space hotels would charge admission. I'm wishing there was a way for these goals to be achieved that would cost you outrageous sums of money that you could never get back, even if you didn't use them, yet still seemed to be value-added products and services. Could you help me out?

Re:Money is a sign of poverty.

[hcdejong]

I'll see your Star Trek-induced optimism, and raise you Greed is eternal

Re:Goddamnit

[Krupuk]

A science fiction term needs the word "space" somewhere in there.

What about "Space Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination"?

Re:local slang

[Greyfox]

Yes, but you have to remember that in space a pound has no weight, only mass. So even though it's 6 quid per QUID, it still won't be a pound, much less six. It may still mass 3 kilos, however...

Re:Pleased to meet you, Solution.

[no_pets]

No kidding. It's only a matter of time before there are free trips to space -- with an (even more) expensive return ticket in addition to all of the nickel and dime (QUID?) expenses along the way. I bet an "I went to outer space and all I got was this T-shirt" novelty tee would get a cool million.

Urgent Space Request

[neapolitan]

Dear Sir:

Greetings from the Highest General of the Counsel of Intergalactic Planetary Commerce Exchange. I am Sir Zaphod Centauri, esteemed chairman of the Counsel of Planets. I have a business proposal for you that may be of most benefit to both of us. Forgive me for contacting you over subspace, but Colonel Zimrohn expressed you will be reliable, and I ask you to hold this in utmost confidence.

On Stardate 92714.3, the King of the United Saturnalia perished unexpectedly in a teleportation tragedy. He left in our accounts sum of NINETY-TWO TRILLION SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHT BILLION Quasi Universal Intergalactic Demoniations (QUID) which can not be accessed except by a native of the Milky Way. As of now this money sits unclaimed in our starbank.

I would like you to act as Earth fiduciary for this money. Please send your STARBANK number via encrypted link to me so that I may transfer this QUID to you. As agent for this transaction you will receive 10% of QUID in your account.

Please contact me at your most urgent communication, only over encrypted subspace link.

Yours sincerely,

Zaphod Centauri

Re:Urgent Space Request

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd love to help. Can you break a ningi?

Re:Round edges....

[Red Flayer]

Or is their some country where they do have sharp-edged coins.

Well, I always file down the edges of my dimes so that they are razor-sharp.

This is to "reward" the shoddy customer service I sometimes get at the checkout lane.

It has the added benefit of putting the offending cashier on disability for a while, so that I don't have to deal with them again for a few weeks until they heal.

Re:Urgent Space Request

[Anonymous Coward]

UNSUBSPACESCRIBE

Re:Problem?

[Chris Burke]

Yeah, no kidding. And besides, I had to read the title like 5 times before I stopped parsing it as "Space MONKEY invented for Space Tourists", and while I didn't know how one "invents" a monkey, I did think this would be a great thing that space tourists would greatly appreciate.

But just some money? Sounds more like gift shop tokens. If you can't use QUIDs to buy a Space Monkey, then I predict they will fail.

Re:Round edges....

[DonnieD701]

You have to have some sort of currency to slip in the green strippers G-string. It's not like you can swipe your ATM card in her buttcrack.... Zero-G lap dances.... That will be cool.....

Re:Urgent Space Request

[Mr. Underbridge]

Don't have an account myself, but I know an Englishman who might find your offer interesting. Name's Arthur - good chap but a little daft. Haven't seen him for ages myself; living in a cave last I saw. Not sure what his liquidity situation is.

Regards,
Ford

Re:Credits

[Alioth]

Hi. I'm Officer Murgatroyd of Lave High. Your ship is carrying contraband. Pay a CR600 fine by midnight or your ship will be confiscated.

[ ] Pay fine
[ ] CR25 bribe
[ ] CR50 bribe
[ ] CR100 bribe
[x] CR250 bribe

I like space monkeys

[Anonymous Coward]

The space pet store was selling them for five QUID a piece. I thought that odd since they were normally a couple thousand each. I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. I bought 200. I like space monkeys.

I took my 200 space monkeys home. I have a big shuttle. I let one drive. His name was Sigmund. He was retarded. In fact, none of them were really bright. They kept punching themselves in their genitals. I laughed. Then they punched my genitals. I stopped laughing.

I herded them into my room. They didn't adapt very well to their new environment. They would screech, hurl themselves off of the couch at high speeds and slam into the wall. Although humorous at first, the spectacle lost its novelty halfway into its third hour.

Two hours later I found out why all the space monkeys were so inexpensive: they all died. No apparent reason. They all just sorta' dropped dead. Kinda' like when you buy a goldfish and it dies five hours later. Damn cheap space monkeys.

I didn't know what to do. There were 200 dead space monkeys lying all over my room, on the bed, in the dresser, hanging from my bookcase. It looked like I had 200 throw rugs.

I tried to flush one down the toilet. It didn't work. It got stuck. Then I had one dead, wet space monkey and 199 dead, dry space monkeys.

I tried pretending that they were just stuffed animals. That worked for a while, that is until they began to decompose. It started to smell real bad.

I had to pee but there was a dead space monkey in the toilet and I didn't want to call the plumber. I was embarrassed.

I tried to slow down the decomposition by freezing them. Unfortunately there was only enough room for two space monkeys at a time so I had to change them every 30 seconds. I also had to eat all the food in the freezer so it didn't all go bad.

I tried burning them. Little did I know my bed was flammable. I had to extinguish the fire.

Then I had one dead, wet space monkey in my toilet, two dead, frozen space monkeys in my freezer, and 197 dead, charred space monkeys in a pile on my bed. The odor wasn't improving.

I became agitated at my inability to dispose of my space monkeys and to use the bathroom. I severely beat one of my space monkeys. I felt better.

I tried throwing them way but the garbage man said that the city wasn't allowed to dispose of charred primates. I told him that I had a wet one. He couldn't take that one either. I didn't bother asking about the frozen ones.

I finally arrived at a solution. I gave them out as Christmas gifts. My friends didn't know quite what to say. They pretended that they like them but I could tell they were lying. Ingrates. So I punched them in the genitals.

I like space monkeys.