panzón, motoneta and i are in our car at a toll booth with a big bridge in front of us and a long line of cars behind us. we're so used to paying for everything with plastic that it doesn't occur to us to take extra cash on our road trip. "do you accept cards?", i sweetly ask the attendant. "cash only", she responds robotically. panzón frantically empties out my wallet and his pockets, while the attendant waits surprisingly patiently, a blank expression on her face. four dollars is not a lot of money, but it sure feels like it when you've only got two one-dollar bills and a bunch of small denomination coins. of course, we come up nine cents short. so i ask the attendant, "what if we don't have enough to pay?". well, it turns out that the camera takes a picture of your license plate and a ticket, along with the bill for four dollars, comes to your home in the mail in a tidy envelope.
but i, the driver, refuse to get a ticket, especially for four measly dollars, so i hold up a finger to the attendant. search and you will find, my friends. yes, i actually find a shiny little dime, tucked into the dark and crusty limbo that is the side of the seat. i nervously try pinching it, but it's just beyond my grasp. nevertheless, with some guidance from panzón, my skinny fingers are able to slide the coin to freedom with ease.
ha! no ticket and we still have a penny left!
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