Change, money or coins, that is

Nobody ever has any. Banks like to hand out big bills. Small businesses can’t afford to keep enough change on hand to break large bills. Typically, if you present a 100 peso bill at the wrong moment, someone will have to run out to a larger business and get change. The flip side is that they do have change but it’s all in 1 to 5 peso coins. The weight ends up wearing a whole in your pocket. You get a restaurant check for 65 pesos (tip s/b 6 or 7 pesos.) You don’t have any small change and give the waitress a 100 peso note. She comes back with 3 – 10 peso coins and 1 – 5 peso coin. The service was no more than acceptable. You have a choice, leave 5 pesos or 10 pesos. I’ll leave the decision to you.

But what happened:
- She did it on purpose hoping you’d leave 10.
- The restaurant didn’t have any 1 peso coins.
- She wasn’t thinking about her tip.

In the US, I’d have guessed the first.
In Mexico, especially here in the Provinces, any of the 3 is an equal possibility.