This town throws pennies at people. They hurt.

The Honiton Hot Pennies ceremony is the result of 800 years of tradition: from when rich people would entertain themselves by throwing scalding-hot pennies onto the poor people below. These days, it's a bit less dangerous... but only a bit.
DoP: Dave Mackie davemackie.co.uk
Camera; Jared Zwarts
Editor: Julian Domanski
Thanks to Dave Jacobs for the suggestion
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[@TomScottGo]

Turns out tiny, unpredictable, fast-moving objects are really difficult to capture on camera! They're a bit more obvious in the later locations, but hopefully the slowed-and-zoomed shots will help...

[@PersonalMaster]

Hi Tom.

[@llma]

interesting video!

[@frasermcgeough]

Hello

[@namename3130]

​@@frasermcgeoughhave you done the knaresborough bed race yet?

[@namename3130]

​@@frasermcgeoughsorry didnt realise that was a reply

[@jeremyshafer6720]

This feels like a sketch Monty Python would do to make fun of weird British town traditions.

[@tjenadonn6158]

I half expected a fish-slapping dance to break out.

[@quillmaurer6563]

Are those sketches, or documentaries?

[@blindbrad4719]

The tradition is for the peasants you see, our tradition is turning the pennies into molten slag…

[@Sam-hk6gr]

England isn't real

[@dronespace]

​@@tjenadonn6158😂😂😂😂

[@EmptyMTYT]

I absolutely love when town criers look like fictional town criers

[@iPownYouN00B]

fictional or historical

[@nedks11]

Town criers are not fictional ?

[@NoNameAtAll2]

what doed crier mean?

[@feelinghealingfrequences7179]

love it when mayors are gorgeous

[@chefpisghetti4859]

​@@NoNameAtAll2 if someone's really sad, they go to the town crier, and the town crier with cry for them. To make them less sad. 😢

[@VadersFortress]

As a resident of Honiton, I can confirm it is like a medieval Monty Python sketch. But Tom should definitely check out the FLAMING BARREL RACING ceremony they do in the town next door... That's even more crazy!

[@darineyt]

Also came here to mention Tar Barrels :D

[@btbarr16]

So they stick poor people in the barrels and make them race to water so they can put themselves out?

[@peppermint9777]

Me three!

[@MrGreatplum]

Yay, Ottery! 😆

[@firestar1413]

Ayyy! Didn't expect to see you here! Love your videos BTW

[@robertwilliams8032]

They were actually old pennies in the past, which would have had considerably more thermal inertia than the tiny new pennies they use today. Now if you were hit by an old penny it would have been quite painful as they were quite weighty.

[@thedoctor16]

Thermal inertia is a material property not affected by geometry. Copper vs copper has the same thermal inertia.

[@robertwilliams8032]

@@thedoctor16 you are correct but the greater mass of the old penny meant it held more heat so the effect of heating an old penny when compared to a new penny would be exaggerated. Thus taking longer to cool down making them hotter for longer when heated to the same temperature increasing the risk of burning substantially. More fun and opportunity for the wealthy to mock the poor, desperate and unwary. Thanks for your correction

[@thedoctor16]

@@robertwilliams8032 I get your point. However, if the pennies are the same temperature the burn potential is the same because a burn is due to temperature not heat inventory. If a pauper picked up either penny with two fingers the burn would be the same assuming the pennies were at the same temperature when picked up but the larger penny could burn for longer as you pointed out. As well it could create a larger burn if placed on a larger area of skin.

[@robertwilliams8032]

​@@thedoctor16 Not really, as heat is the total energy and temperature is the average energy. So a high temperature and low heat will cause little damage but a lower temperature and high heat can cause major damage. For example comparing a spark from static electricity and a spilled cup of boiling water. The static electricity has a considerably higher temperature. But I can see that a hot bathtub will contain much more heat than a cup of boiling water, but will not cause the same damage as spilling a single cup of boiling water. So to conclude the temperature defines the threshold but the heat does the damage. Similar to voltage and power.

[@Blakeblakeblakeblake]

@@robertwilliams8032 im with team robert

[@aprylemusic]

Only in England would people voluntarily go to a place to have pennies thrown at them by rich people.

[@TimSheehan]

Nah I'd do it, seems like something fun and unique to try at least once

[@ventedbus4917]

Well it is a tradition from 700 years ago

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

Roman empire during its many heyday periods and every Italian city-state, principality, and kingdom during its pre-unification days: Amateurs...

[@Omar_Little]

Too right. Monarchists must love it.

[@ArifRWinandar]

How many places use penny as currency?

[@wyattfowler4868]

making poor people burn themselves picking up pennies is the most aristocratic activity i can think of

[@trappedmoss1172]

Most European thing ever

[@jonasthemovie]

Disproving communism at the same time is a funny addition.

[@battmarn]

​@@jonasthemovieall it proves is that a penny isn't enough money to give to those in need

[@jonasthemovie]

@@battmarn Yet people think it’s enough to not share with other people after cooling on the ground.

[@D.H.1082]

​@@jonasthemovie "Ah yes, this'll show those communists" _hurls scalding hot pennies at the town peasants_ You see the idiocy? I'm against communism, btw.

[@bipbapboop1140]

Plenty of traditions have dehumanizing histories, but this one just seems so much less diluted than most. In my area something like this would have evolved into people throwing candy or small pastries out the window.

[@Gooner184]

It is still very diluted though

[@HaHaHaYouFool9439]

Mmmm pastries. Go ahead and toss em my way. I’m ready.

[@jimjamjams8237]

tradition holds history longer than washed history books. In my town, no one remembered the evil villagers kicked out the natives on the other side of the land. they dug a small drain as to draw a line between them. Now, its just a river and not many knows about the abandoned town on the other side of the village. whats left are just grave stones of the people that were once forcibly lived there.

[@Hobo_X]

After seeing them in Runescape, I can't believe town criers are not only real still but actually dress like that

[@user100-yj8xc]

​@@mrsmith9597ig not everyone lives in Britain

[@beth12svist]

​@@mrsmith9597 I suspect it has more to do with not studying the British present.

[@comradewindowsill4253]

​@@mrsmith9597 "STILL"

[@brandonnguyen6718]

@@mrsmith9597 The wording of it (are not only real "still") implies that he knew they existed, but not that they still exist.

[@idzidz833]

@@mrsmith9597 like everyone knows such niche trivia

[@R.J._Lewis]

Tom reached peak Englishman the day he was attending a medieval ceremony where the rich vindictively throw money at the poors in a village with more pubs than normal, and upon being struck, reflexively yelled "oh bloody hell!"

[@sirBrouwer]

he forgot to complain about the weather. (to hot, cold, windy, humid, dry)

[@stevepettifer4896]

Had. Had more pubs. Sadly, there are now only 6 I think, one of which is a Chavverspoons, and one of which is a total dump. The rest are nice though and one of them does excellent locally sourced food.

[@DetroitMicroSound]

But the town is small, with a single high street. @@stevepettifer4896

[@purplepedantry]

​@@stevepettifer4896 Feels like the British experience. 'Spoons just keep popping up everywhere like Spirit Halloweens do for the Yanks.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

And shouted "Come on!" upon catching one.

[@RolandTheJabberwocky]

This is like a comedically evil thing the corrupt nobles of a town in D&D would do because the DM wants to goud you into reinacting the french revolution.

[@PUDRETE919]

Make your players hate the ruling class 101, they throw boiling hot coins and kick puppies as they get on their coaches

[@dabbinghitlersmemes1762]

Yet it turned out well. What does that tell you foiks? I for one, support our comedically evil overlorsds.

[@oakenshadow6763]

I will now be keeping this in mind.

[@litapd311]

it's the kind of thing that sounds too outlandish to be real

[@Shinzon23]

*goad, reenacting

[@synthetic_creature]

+FISTFUL OF DOLLAR +ENRAGED +DISRESPECT

[@MrJTheNobody]

"It's one penny, but I'm really proud of the penny" is the cutest thing I've heard all day 🤣

[@titaochen5249]

A sadistic, dehumanizing act by the riches to the poor turned into a family friendly ceremony... I would not have believed it.

[@soundscape26]

This was quite twisted ngl.

[@josephkolodziejski6882]

Welcome to England

[@generalgrievous92]

@@josephkolodziejski6882 welcome to the human race

[@Troggie42]

That's England for you

[@porkybitz]

I understand History dilutes through time, but I agree... this seems like a horrible tradition to keep alive.

[@WillN2Go1]

It's like a Monty Python skit about a demented town: "We heat up pennies left by alcoholics and throw them at any poor bugger wishing to declare their humiliating obeisance to our proud tradition of gross inequality."

[@deathcap.]

I think that hits the peasant on the head, too accurate

[@arlin5999]

That sums it up perfectly

[@lowfuel6089]

Be quiet! I order you to be quiet!

[@N3gr0bitch]

right on the spot, top of the world, notch, scalp, what have you! @@deathcap.

[@teipi6020]

Including a mayor in a silly costume who pretends it's a normal thing for a mayor to do and a town crier who apparently still exists and has been doing this for 27 years. I know Tom Scott wouldn't do hoax videos for fun, but this would be an excellent one.

[@wedontexist369]

Who else expected to see a tsunami of pennies being thrown at them from large buckets but then quickly realised it would be impossible

[@kevinfernandez9999]

Why?

[@wedontexist369]

@@kevinfernandez9999 why would it be impossible or why did my mind think this way?

[@kevinfernandez9999]

@@wedontexist369 why impossible?

[@L.Mandrake]

We need to build a bucket-of-pennies-throwing machine

[@noesunyoutuber7680]

Not really impossible, just requires a lot of manpower - to create a consistent storm of pennies over a small area, you'd need a lot of bucket throwers and a rapidly replenished supply of buckets of change.

[@EdmansTube2008]

In whatever other country on the world would you expect "throwing scolding hot pennies at desperate, poor peasents" become a 700+ year tradition? xD

[@3nertia]

Any capitalist nation with a long enough history? :P

[@dcarbs2979]

@@3nertia No, it sound perculiarly English.

[@laurencefraser]

@@3nertia Ehh, crop up, sure. Become a multi century tradition? not so much.

[@AngryAlfonse]

Brits: "Haha I love classism let's throw hot pennies at the poor" Also Brits: "But why are the colonies revolting!?"

[@3nertia]

@@dcarbs2979 If you say so ...

[@jakereich]

This also happens at Lincoln College, Oxford, where I did my undergrad. Students throw (no longer hot) pennies from the tower over the main gate down in to th front quad where local primary school children collect them. This happens on accession day. The pennies used to be hot, to teach the children about greed. They aren't hot anymore, so the lesson may have been reversed!

[@JeffreyWuFilm]

This is exactly what I thought a town crier and mace bearer would look like. Amazing.

[@AlmightyDoubleHelix]

I'm not sure, "our wealthy people used to heat up coins and throw them at poor people so they would burn themselves," is the kind of rich cultural history I'd want to advertise if it were my town.

[@jellybeansi]

Agreed. This would only be fun if the participants aren't actually poor. I can't see someone who is insolvent or otherwise well-off enjoying this, at all.

[@lordthor5951]

You say that but but Denmark have this whole thing with vikings where we actively went out to kill and enslave people and people seems to love them for some reason.

[@ZephrymWOW]

Because it is part of history, we don't need to white wash everything into peaches and roses. "I am not sure if kids should learn about important massacres in school, its inapropriate!!!!" They clearly don't agree with the original practice anymore.

[@debbiemcpherson2426]

Hey come to my town we're evil

[@atodaso1668]

Not everyone is as sensitive as you, some like a laugh.

[@alexgoff309]

This is my town and I was so nervous to say hello to Tom when I met him filming. Absolutely bizarre that he was there!

[@h.a.9880]

Your town has a really cool custom! But of course, I gotta ask, do you know someone with a Penny-shaped burn scar?

[@Immadeus]

He visited my town too! I wasn't able to meet him though...

[@DetroitMicroSound]

How is it bizarre that a man from England, is in England?

[@ashrunsaway1134]

​@@DetroitMicroSound England is, despite it's appearance on a map, rather large and there are 1000s (maybe even more idk) of towns he could be visiting, so it would be quite the surprise. Edit: I'm not saying it's the same size as the US, for example, just that it's not like we all live next door to each other.

[@krtirtho]

Sorry for the really bad history

[@samanthaw.861]

I’m glad how a tradition with such a dehumanizing backstory became something joyful and fun.

[@BR1GADIER]

Like Guy Fawkes!

[@oakenshadow6763]

Same. Maintaining hystory without the harm.

[@tamhuy10]

its a nice way to look at it

[@LTPottenger]

It was always joyful and fun. For some.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

​@@oakenshadow6763 unless it takes one of your eyes out

[@Jekotia]

I fell asleep watching this and it caused the most peculiar dream... I was with Tom Scott, and we were at this town. Making eye contact with me the entire time, he recites his opener until "my script ends here", which is surreal because it feels like he's making a video just for me. Then it turns into a nightmare as molten pennies are thrown at people as they try to escape the town xD

[@Blazer-bn9ev]

Damn😂😂😂

[@Henry_Jr_Watsson]

It is good to remember the suffering the masses have gone through. Not doing this will cause the citizens to outright forget it. After a long enough time, none of the citizens will ever believe such a thing has had happened nor can they imagine it. So yes, remembering this act, in a safe way, is good. We've come a long way people ;)

[@baashasucks]

Nah, we really haven't. It's just that us poor have electricity, now. Sometimes.

[@dancinglight8411]

No. This is easy to imagine. Far worse still happening every day.

[@ZaeOSWS]

@@dancinglight8411exactly like why are people commenting like this was a holocaust part 2?? Just the rich doing what the rich do in todays day; flex. I bet if it were their favorite social media people being posted they’d be quick to defend🤣

[@AdmiralWinfrey]

Did you know that we can learn about past events *without* recreating them? Also, making a fun party out of a dehumanizing ritual is messed up and trivializes peoples' suffering.

[@Kai-no9os]

@@AdmiralWinfrey You sound very american

[@morganbass3231]

Leave it to the British to turn making fun of poor people into a tradition.

[@davidioanhedges]

It's called keeping history alive, so it's not repeated ...

[@newp0rt]

@@davidioanhedges you did not just say this... lmao so we dont repeat throwing boiling hot coins at poor people? really?

[@teslatang4941]

😂

[@staticfanatic]

@@newp0rt tell me elon hasn't at least considered it

[@jessicafrost7579]

@@davidioanhedges So have you never heard of writing history down in books, or....?

[@raashidabdullah8941]

“And sometimes, I have to wing it” *Proceeds to explain everything*

[@Twitchi]

"And my script ends here!" Explains some more...

[@memethanYT]

@@ChadAusteenFound the teenager

[@solehsolehsoleh]

I love the British rhotic accent of the Town Crier. I hope more younger people in that region preserve their old accent/dialect.

[@JoeBurridge]

I lived near Honiton my whole life and never knew about this tradition. As always, thanks Tom!

[@-YELDAH]

Thanks Tom, not many risk their lives for journalism like this

[@whyamiwastingmytimeonthis]

Should’ve worn a “PRESS” vest and a helmet

[@frankie._.4167]

@@whyamiwastingmytimeonthis Imagine 😂

[@GodIsInTheTv]

Journalism like what?

[@-YELDAH]

@@GodIsInTheTv Even as a Brit myself, if it were not for Tom I wouldn't be aware of the delightful ways of which Honiton tortures the commonwealth, such a shame his cameraman got caught in the crossfire, but it was worth the risk if we are to keep these traditions alive!

[@RaelgunXIII]

Florida journalists: “…yea, ok pal”

[@dewetskywalker]

"So what are you doing today?" "Getting slightly warm pennies thrown at me"

[@theFrozenLiquid7]

This is without a doubt the most british thing anyone has ever seen

[@mbrannon]

This is the most dystopian tradition I have ever seen.

[@kairon156]

Props to any camera person who's been willing to follow Tom around on his adventures.

[@kiradotee]

​@@ryanberry1why is that disappointing?

[@gayatriunni549]

@@ryanberry1what..

[@MaxLennon]

@@ryanberry1I think it probably wasn't too hard for them to type. Keep practicing and typing will get easier for you as well!

[@TRDiscordian]

@@ryanberry1you’re somehow offended they took 0.2s out of their day to write a longer word?

[@ryanberry1]

It's the fact they bothered change the word@@TRDiscordian

[@rushi5638]

The Town Crier looks he stepped through a portal from 600 years ago.

[@I_have_some_serious_problems]

Not really, his outfit looks more like something from the late 18th century to me, 200 - 250 years ago at most.

[@kieranchurchill4194]

He's my uncle, very nice guy he is!

[@loddude5706]

@@I_have_some_serious_problems Oh come on - it's obviously from the 1826 Spring collection - dear oh dear . . . some people, honestly!

[@I_have_some_serious_problems]

@@loddude5706 Well, he is wearing a tricorn, a type of hat that quickly fell out of fashion during the 1800s, so I guess 1826 wouldn't quite fit the fashion worn here :)

[@vlim5601]

@@kieranchurchill4194 Is the outfit just for the ceremony here or is that his normal work uniform?

[@llawliet1522]

ultrakill player's paradise

[@JonahHitchens]

Been a fan of yours for years and I also grew up in Honiton! Was amazed to see this video!

[@thetimeisrite]

I had no idea what a Town Crier was, but Dave is exactly what I had pictured in my head.

[@InternetEntity]

Does what they say on the tin: yells official announcements to the people of the town. Think ringing a bell and shouting "Hear yea, hear yea!"

[@sirBrouwer]

they are a walking newsbulletin. both for news from (local) government, events, companies or even general people. very similar how a newspaper works.

[@martin0499]

imagine the guy from runescape standing outside the banks shouting about the latest updates, but in real life

[@axelanderson2030]

​@@martin0499lmao that was exactly what I was thinking of.

[@TecSanento]

It's too sad knowing that this series is going to come to an end Tom - but at least I thank you for the random stories and special places you brought us to :)

[@CarbonDioxide.]

I'm sad two

[@swiper1131]

I think when it ends... I might make a tradition to just go back starting at #1 and watch a video a week 😂

[@Peterviegal]

How do you know that? Where has he mentioned that?

[@robertveith6383]

* too sad

[@Destinesian]

​@@Peterviegalabout a month ago he released a video saying he was going to be taking a break at the end of the year and the series would bo longer be weekly

[@MaxLennon]

The balcony POV shot at 1:36 is fun, like a little game of Where's Waldo/Wally where you look for Tom's red shirt in the crowd.

[@dylansteed1270]

The mayor still does this every year at Reach Fair in Cambridgeshire as well

[@davidarthurcole]

Why am I not surprised that Tom Scott is about to get pelted with warm coins

[@myladycasagrande863]

Seriously, it like he just got bored on a Tuesday! 😂

[@RJ-vy9ch]

They are NPCs, they don’t question anything they would literally rather get pennies thrown in their face from a tall building than question what they’re doing or why. 100% all these bots are vaxxed

[@ooommm4024]

I can remember a school bully throwing quarters at me and how annoying it was. Needless to say, he was furious that I kept the $10 of quarters that he pelted me with in addition to getting detention for a few days. 😂

[@3nertia]

If only something similar would've happened to the rich people then maybe we could put evil traditions like this one behind us heh

[@Wingedmagician]

That many hits is not worth $10 tho😑

[@CptJistuce]

​@@WingedmagicianBetter than getting hit and not getting anything out of it. If you're getting pelted with quarters ANYWAYS, no sense letting the bully have them back.

[@MiishaKorvian]

While in middle school 6-7th grades (K-12) some of the kids thought it was funny that I would chase coins and pick up loose change. I made a fair amount of money off those idiots. A solid $70 in loose change in a over a few months.

[@ForeverFree2Play]

In fourth grade this kid threw a crayon at my head. I kinda knew him and probably should have reacted, but I didn't actually need to because the crayon ricocheted off my skull and went right into his eye😂 I think even the god of karma would have been impressed with how fast karma was acted out.

[@LordNatbob]

This is just round the corner from where I live - rather surreal to see Honiton on a Tom Scott video!

[@Wilfoe]

This was certainly an interesting tradition to learn about. Thanks for sharing!

[@Jayfive276]

Plot twist: The richest family in Honiton for centuries were the family that made and sold gloves.

[@dcarbs2979]

Honiton is known for lace, so while not the ideal fabric for gloves (certainly not those that would protect from heat), it's entirely possible.

[@Jayfive276]

@@dcarbs2979 I was just making with jokey-jokes, it’s nice to know there might be an element of truth in it 😁

[@nataliewhittle9299]

The town crier is a joy!

[@advanceringnewholder]

Sadly there's no pirates

[@pranavps851]

I expected some crying

[@mejhdhhicbfshihids652]

The crier, the mayor, and this whole ceremony is like every American stereotype of what rural England is like

[@matthewwalker5430]

"World War Whatever"

[@MesaperProductions]

MUTTONCHOPS OF DESTINY!

[@ZakLeek]

It's nice that they've made the tradition safer but still kept it alive, thanks for sharing this Tom! 💙

[@spyczech]

How is it all that much safer, they are warmed instead of hot?

[@bellidrael7457]

@@spyczech Going to guess you didn't even watch the video. They are 'warmed in the sun' at most, rather than literally burning hot, and they are scattered by the handfulls rather than actively thrown at people.

[@fwogyt3686]

Great video, I'll look forward to what you do in the future now.

[@zacharyparker995]

If I was told about this ceremony before witnessing it I'd have assumed this was just someone trolling me.

[@steemlenn8797]

No, it's too strange to be trolling. That's the same reason why you don't find those things in (story) books. Even if the author invented them, he would be told by the editor that no one would believe that's possible and he should put a sensible tradition in there. Like carrying a pigs head through the town, followed by a mile long sausage. Or rolling cheese wheels down a hill.

[@Tornroot]

Devon is full of weird traditions, the Ottery Saint Mary tar barrels on bonfire night is a great example. Mad, chaotic, dangerous, but ridiculously fun (in my opinion).

[@joshuataylor3550]

Plus cheese rolling

[@Alex-cw3rz]

It must be something in the water as Southerners seem to love having really weird traditions

[@adrianbaev5277]

Ottery Saint Catchpole

[@xypysvyl]

God the tar barrels are cool but so scary

[@jak0995]

tar barrels is the best fun on bonfire night. so surreal

[@jasonvo2620]

All fun and games til the blue robot nikon shows up

[@progmetalfan4270]

As Ghost sang: “In the twenties, we’ll be singing in a rain of pennies”

[@paulkurilecz4209]

I am always impressed by the regalia of local town officials in England.

[@pallaviprasad]

Ah, one of those rare places where souvenirs can be won in competition rather than buying. And also great to see people turned something awful into joyful.

[@ultraviolet7838]

Orphan crushing machine

[@gratox1730]

@@ultraviolet7838 I mean it's more like "We've decommissioned the orphan crushing machine and now have a yearly tradition where some people choose to get inside to be only mildly squished"

[@NedInYaHead]

@@gratox1730 I wanna be squished now! :3

[@cheddarsunchipsyes8144]

@@gratox1730loll

[@slashshot_yt1880]

is this true?@@gratox1730

[@aryasaktiflister_aw]

This is so fascinating, how did it take 23 years of my life, even with cable subscription and natgeo documentaries, to only find out about this now?? Truly an ambassador of interesting things you are, Tom

[@tgypoi]

I've super glued coins to the ground to watch people try to pick them up, but this is another level.

[@charliedobbie8916]

You've reminded me that back in the nineties I knew some people in banking and they confirmed that whenever there was a protest or a parade passing through the City it was definitely a thing for bankers to stand on balconies and lob pound coins at the poor people. They didn't to my knowledge heat them up though, so maybe as a society we've gained some compassion over the last 800 years.

[@LMixir]

Possibly. On the other hand, there's a lot of money to be saved by not heating the pennies... just saying.

[@ironhorse3497]

Bankers lobbed coins at poor people in the 90's? What even are you talking about?

[@Blitterbug]

Hmm... Pound coins have only been around 40 years, so I think there'd be a lot of bankers cooling their heels in police cells while assault charges are filed...

[@SophieApparently]

I really want to say “I can’t believe Britain is a real place”, but then again, small American towns have traditions just as weird. People love to pick a single bizarre thing and just do it forever

[@jayswizzle57]

What’s an American tradition that is as weird as this?

[@krashd]

@@jayswizzle57 Pick any US town with less than 10,000 population and read up on it's annual events. One town in the US has a frozen dead guy kept in a shed and once a year people come from all over to look at him and attend a feast in his honour. Small towns (anywhere in the world) will always have nutty traditions, it's human nature to find something that sets your town apart from everyone else's.

[@uzaidgurjee4798]

@@jayswizzle57if you look for it, you’ll find things 10x more stranger than this

[@AtlasJotun]

@@krashd Frozen Dead Guy Days! That festival has been going for 20+ years; I never knew my fellow Coloradans were quite _that_ weird beforehand.

[@mavlnt]

@@jayswizzle57 There's a tradition in my town where each year you can enter any non-motorized "vehicle", custom built or off the shelf, to get the fastest time possible while racing down a hill. Most of the vehicles reach AT LEAST 50-60 mph (80-100 kph), often being piloted by children no older than 10-12. It's super dangerous, and there's usually at least one serious injury or death per year, but we do it anyways. I've done it five or six times. The fastest speed I ever reached while participating was 87 mph (140 kmh), and this was in something I built using parts from the local hardware store.

[@ramstarskate]

did it when i was younger with my gran-ma, i was maybe 4 or 5 and it was amazing. there was a lot going on and its one of my fondest memory's whilst spending the week at my gran-mas

[@jade-wr9pn]

He said "can confirm" 😂😂😂

[@MartilloWorkshop]

In Denmark, we do this on the last day of school as tradition, except, it's caramel toffees. And they're sometimes frozen in order to hit harder. The graduating class will do the throwing (And they'll be dressed up in costumes, as if it's Halloween), and everyone else gather below trying to catch as much as possible. I have no clue where this started.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Ah, that tradition started in the great pinata shortage of 350 AD.

[@FunkyM217]

I am going to miss these videos, once this year is up. They've always been so very enlightening.

[@sirBrouwer]

there will still be the podcast until at least the summer of 2024. Also it's still likely that he will continue doing something online. just not every week.

[@psychologicalpotatoe]

You are probably one of my top 3 favorite youtubers rn

[@Grimmers]

I'm amazed at the lack of eye protection.

[@ImNotJoeKingBro]

imagine willingly going to a place to have coins tossed at you, its like scottish referee simulator

[@arthurcuesta6041]

LMAO

[@tjenadonn6158]

You wouldn't think words like "quaint" and "genteel" could be applied to a raging public humiliation fetish.

[@FaaaaaaaQ2]

This seems like a celebration of how sadistic human beings can be.

[@The5lacker]

That's England for you.

[@anusername8350]

@@The5lackerI “love” my country

[@Boodoo4You]

Honestly it seems extremely tame. Everybody is there of their own accord. Just a bit of fun.

[@fahrenheit2101]

No, thats the origin. If anything they're claiming it as their own, and none of the past sadism is left.

[@deeznoots6241]

@@The5lackerleast cruel English tradition

[@rosieHolliday5887]

I love old town traditions like this. I really hope they continue forever

[@Camaika1997]

This is such a quaint bit of tradition. I love it so much!

[@PiersLawsonBrown1972]

Thank you Tom for bringing this to the attention of the Heath and Safety Executive

[@dvdvnr]

I can just imagine the headline: "Heath and Safety Executive Officer Found Hanging by his Toes from a Tree just Outside Honiton!"

[@inconnu4961]

Arent they all on holiday?

[@blindbrad4719]

Brexit baby! We can do what we want now…

[@dominov]

​@@blindbrad4719so health and safety left with the EU? That's quite scary.

[@SomeoneOnlyWeKnow.]

​@@blindbrad4719 You are aware that the UK government has health and safety laws independent of the EU right? Lmao

[@chrisfroehling]

Tom: "I've only just thought of bringing something to catch the pennies and it's far too late now." *Cut to the poor dude one row behind him holding an entire family's worth of beverages.*

[@blindbrad4719]

Holding a tray of drinks is just begging to be a target… 😂

[@megasocky]

Is this what the kids are calling ultrakill

[@scareddoge9942]

It’s always Tom that finds places like these lol Where else can you get pelted with pennies?

[@ethanhayes9989]

They also do this in the town of Beaumaris in North Wales on New year's day.

[@marklastname1993]

I've seen fellas throw pennies at buses when they don't stop, maybe try that?

[@benjaminclehmann]

A bad stripclub I suppose?

[@Nadia1989]

Trump tower?

[@SamAronow]

The Stratford Festival during the start of the school year, according to _Slings & Arrows._

[@prfit]

Tom, I know you're retiring but I would love if you would still occasionally do these videos on all the weird British town customs that still exist.

[@imnotamechanic3491]

I don't think he 'retiring', just this series, in its current format (EVERY week), is coming to an end. He wont stop entirely. But I agree, a series on british town customs would be awesome!

[@Simple_City]

Jesus the guy said he's going to take a break from this ONE thing he does and people think he's retiring lmao. There is a very good chance that he will start making these videos again a few years down the road, or even sooner! Just not every single week, because there is an insane amount of work that goes into these short videos.

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

@@Simple_City Wait, what? Jesus is involved? Well I'll be darned.

[@Mackinstyle]

I love and cherish this. It's just the most Tom Scott video title ever. You'd swear it was just randomly generated, but no, our species is just this wacky.

[@AlexDaeling]

tom i love when you use your matter of fact presentation to deliver a hilarious deadpan title

[@drivethru6155]

I don't think much can beat that cheese wheel chase event down a hill, but this is certainly making it interesting!

[@alexbaker4051]

A celebration of the historical cruelty of the rich, made safe(r) as a tradition. It is interesting

[@RadeticDaniel]

Good side of keeping it alive is we don't forget history. Good side of safety improvements and staying with the penny is tgat no one will hurt from catching it or risk too much to get it

[@perpetual_bias]

safer until a penny takes your eye out. this is the stupidest thing i've seen from tom

[@zeropoint703]

@@perpetual_bias agreed. i did not expect him to cover something like this /negative

[@themetalhead1463]

@@perpetual_biasStop being a baby. That’s why we were given two eyes. “Boo hoo, my eye.” Oh the horror of it! Get a life

[@MrLego3160]

@exoo-2801 ...yes. it's clearly a joke. good job on noticing.

[@jaybehkay2438]

This is such a weird tradition and I love it

[@jimlong8077]

My friend who worked at Chuck E Cheese's said he ran game tokens through the pizza oven and tossed them on the ground for kids to find. Hes an out of work construction worker now.

[@antimonyaggregator9869]

1 penny was a full day's pay for a sailor in the year 1189ce... So it's a bit more like throwing £100 notes than £1 coins! Love your work Tom, just couldn't resist bringing out one of my mediaeval sailing facts from the Rolls of the Exchequer!

[@SmokingLaddy]

According to the Bank of England when Hot Pennies started in 1221 a penny would have been equivalent to £12.30 today.

[@haltendehand1]

Really depends on how you measure it - inflation probably isn't a good measure because people were MUCH poorer than today. Your average labourer earned around 400 pence (!) a year. So it would be around 1/400th of annual income - the equivalent, for today's minimum wage earner, of maybe £80

[@joshuaharper372]

It is difficult to "translate" the value into today's money. The rate of pay is one valid comparison, but so is purchasing power. 700 years ago a much greater proportion of a peasant's income went to buy food than is true today for the average worker. So I would believe that depending on the benchmark, a penny in the 1300s might be estimated both around £12.50 and £100.

[@SmokingLaddy]

@@joshuaharper372 It is difficult hence why I looked at information provided by academics. No single price index exists hence the ONS use price data linked together from several different published sources with the statistics used being made using the cost of living index created by Professor Greg Clark, B.A. in economics and philosophy at King's College, Cambridge and a PhD at Harvard University. Inflation is also accounted for.

[@hermand]

​@SmokingLaddy What a snarky response, given you've clearly misinterpreted his point. Nobody is disputing your calculation, the point is pure purchasing power (inflation) is only one way of looking at the equivalence. Comparison with incomes is also a valid way to view it.

[@MellowGaming]

I used to live there. What I remember as a kid was we'd have floats going down the road with buckets and troughs on the side and everyone would be throwing coins into them rather than at the people. There was always people throwing them from the balconies though. I knew of the hot pennies part of the tradition and my friends these days think I'm making it up. It is the most British thing ever though. A tradition built around rich people getting a laugh out of hurting the poor.

[@ReticularTunic7]

ULTRAKILL Marksman in a nutshell

[@RoxanneClimber]

+fistful of dollar

[@CreepersNeedHugs]

1:12 the way this man dresses says he thinks he’s waaaaaay more important than he really is

[@KC-rd3gw]

Why do you have to make such great videos? There's a part of me that doesn't want to watch them because they sound boring but they absolutely never are

[@ironhorse3497]

??????

[@herpderpy9445]

You should appreciate and watch as much as you can now since he's taking a break soon

[@BD-lq4id]

what a quaint story of the rich mocking and physically branding/scarring the poor with hot metal. such a lovely tradition to keep!

[@plica06]

I'm sure there were injuries but I presume the poor used gloves, socks etc on their hands to protect themselves. Probably injuries were always superficial and rare.

[@Blitterbug]

Yes. Yes, it is.

[@Krytern]

​@@plica06Like they could afford to burn their socks if they had to pick up scolding hot pennies for money

[@kkobayashi1]

​@@Kryternthey probably couldn't afford to injure their hands either.

[@soundscape26]

It's a bit bizarre yes.

[@SharpblueCreative]

Been there when they do that. Love the town. Used to spend a lot of time in that part of Devon.

[@WyvernYT]

I've read of this. Apparently the tradition in Oxford was to heat HALF of the pennies (over a fire, so really "proper hot"), then watch the children scramble for them. It was said to illustrate the struggle between greed and caution.

[@chrisbelos2834]

the brits truly love their social classes.

[@Boodoo4You]

Unlike every other country who all live in classless utopias.

[@tazhienunurbusinezz1703]

What are you on about? There are people in the US sending a self proclaimed billionaire money for the costs of his lawyer that he only needs cuz he's always been a conman (well known by the wealthy in NYC for decades). This is hardly unique to the Brits. It's like that everywhere. Some people apparently need or like to have someone to rule over them or to look up to. There are brits that loathe the social class system & there are Americans who can't wait to lick whatever boots that are put in front of them.

[@Arkantos117]

As opposed to...?

[@aidanbrumsickle]

​@@Arkantos117as in, they love the class structure itself, not that they love people of all classes

[@Arkantos117]

@@aidanbrumsickle Who doesn't?

[@allecio]

These people definitely look like they toss pennies at people.

[@bbbnuy3945]

thats why they are called tossers

[@N3gr0bitch]

Well, it's because its on video.

[@Thraiel]

Ultrakill fans when someone slightly inconveniences them:

[@ljphoenix4341]

Jared Zwarts is a great camera operator, for the fact that he was willing to stand in a crowd filming Tom try to catch pennies

[@ESB2109]

A Tom Scott video where I already knew the fact…. I’ve been waiting for this day my whole life

[@charlottelanvin7095]

Pennies in pre-decimalisation days were larger coins than today: 31mm diameter and 9 grammes of Bronze. New pennies are 20mm and 3.6 grammes. It might have been more fun to throw halfpennies at the yokels: they were 1" in diameter (25.5mm) but lighter at nearly 6 grammes.

[@williamstrachan]

They probably fly quite nice with a bit of spin

[@blindbrad4719]

Let me give you this hot frisbee peasant!

[@munjee2]

It's seems like the middle denominations coins tend to be larger than the largest one, when it's always proportional to the value with notes, I wonder if it's because they were the ones not likely to be used so they are the easiest to take out

[@poisonpotato1]

Rich: we'll make scramble and hurt yourselves for a few pennies just for our entertainment. People: jokes on you, I'm into that

[@TheDrexxus]

The UK is such a bizarre place that doesn't seem like it could or should be real.

[@tonywilliams9966]

Maybe a series of videos about bizarre traditions in UK towns? I've lived in a town where buns are thrown from the top of the town hall on important occasions and another that weighs the mayor at the start and end of their year in office. I'm sure there are plenty more odd traditions.

[@panda4247]

I am more surprised that the function of Town Crier still exists (what is the purpose these days? apart from organizing this traditional event) than by the fact that people were throwing hot coins at poor people and watched them burn their hands. Also, the Crier's beard and costume look like he could be a character from a movie like Stardust. Also also, I am surprised how many (vast majority of) people were there without any eye-protection

[@elio7610]

It is just tradition, no practical purpose.

[@Cyberguy42]

I was also surprised by the lack of safety googles, especially by Tom.

[@throughrockmetal6935]

Areas that still employ town criers will do it only part time, for certain historical events and for ceremonial purposes.

[@johnd6487]

Doesn't Chester still have a regular town crier? I remember going somewhere to watch him as 'tourist attraction' being part of a day trip there when I was a kid.. but then I guess that would be around 40 years ago now 😂

[@sirBrouwer]

@@throughrockmetal6935 in addition to that. Also for tourists. they stick out so people seeing them might go to them if they want to know where to find X. or the likes. they are both a (minor) attraction themselves as a bit of a guide.

[@schwarzerritter5724]

0:32 Getting hit by a one pound coin is definitely going to hurt.

[@future057]

I have lived in Devon no more than an hour from Honiton nearly all my life and never knew about this!

[@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV]

Thanks to Terry Pratchett I knew it was done somewhere. But I thought it was just like, one guy who did it in history. So interesting to see it still survives to this very day!

[@Macristodiundio]

I was so flabbergasted to learn that the exagerated part in Pratchett's Snuff wasn't the heating of the pennies, but the fact the Ramkin were more generous in their currency/projectile of choice 😂

[@susanfarley1332]

I thought of Terry Pratchett when I started watching this video. I think the hot penny or coin incident was talked about in his book "Snuff".

[@RICDirector]

Yup, same here. Good to know Im not the only fan. 🥰🥰👍😁