Ask enough people who work the graveyard shift and someone will tell you about the Exact Change Man. He wears a tan work jacket. He comes in at exactly 3:10 in the morning, to gas stations, toll booths, all-night grocery stores and hotel front desks. He buys one thing. He pays in exact change, in old coins, and every coin is from the same year.
The year is always the same as the year someone who worked nights at that place died.
He says one word when he puts the coins down: “Exact.” If you try to give him a receipt, he says, “Keep the receipt. You’ll need it.”
The Rules of the Night Shift
- Never hand him the receipt.
- Never count the coins while he is still standing there.
- Put his coins in the safe, not in the drawer.
- If he is a penny short, do not cover it.
Every Story About the Exact Change Man
These are the Exact Change Man files, oldest first. Each one stands on its own.
The first file is being written. Check back soon, or read a random story while you wait. Random story →
Has He Come to Your Counter?
If you work nights and a customer has ever paid you in coins that were all from the same year, tell us in the comments. More night shift horror stories are here.