Here at Consuming Interests we focus on businesses --- or scammers posing as businesses --- that have earned the title of "Naughty Business of the Week".

But I've heard a couple of recent examples of Customers Gone Wild that I had to share and discuss.

First there was the tale of the Utah man who was charged with disorderly conduct after paying a medical bill in pennies. But if you read the full account, authorities said he dumped the pennies on the counter and floor and told staff to count them. That counts as belligerant in their book --- not necessarily in mine. However, this definitely doesn't sound like a pleasant exchange.

Then there's Jay Hancock's descriptions from restauranteurs of diners using Groupons to save money on a meal. Some waited until right before the expiration date to redeem them, others didn't tip and in one case even asking for a calculator to remain with the limits of the voucher.

Finally, I watched via Consumerist the not-safe-for-work transcript of a phone message left by a customer who had been ejected from a Texas movie theater for texting during a film.

Personally, I am a big fan of using spare change as the valid currency that it is, and I hate stories like that of the Utah man that vilify coin-spending. Frankly, it sounds like that exchange had evolved into an argument, which is a problem. Firm but calm should be the rule of thumb.

When taking advantage of a discount --- whether it's a Groupon voucher or some other deal --- I strive to be a model customer in order to combat the terrible stereotypes that plague coupon users. In restaurants, servers work for tips, and the expectation is that customers will tip on the full value of a meal. If you can't afford the tip in addition to the price of the food, then you can't afford the meal. Of course, if you experience bad service, you're not obligated to leave a large tip.

And if you're trying to stay within the value of the voucher, you should be able to do that arithmatic on your own --- or bring your own calculator to use discreetly.

As for the movie texter, I think it's fair for a theater to set standards and customer expections in order to ensure a pleasant viewing experience for everyone. As long as you make reasonable efforts to inform people of said standards, I think theaters and other establishments are within their rights to enforce them.

What do you think of the examples above? What do you think are reasonable expectations for consumer behavior? And if you have ever paid for something in a large amount of change (other than vending machines) --- or been on the receiving end of such a transaction, punitive or otherwise --- please tell us about your experience.