I have No Cash!
I will not lie, had I not been on the phone with Michelle, I would have cussed.
As I waited in a line of 3 or 4 cars, I dug for any and all money I could find. I checked my wallet first...12 pennies. Then I checked the bottom of my purse, but I had just switched to this smaller purse in anticipation of lots of shopping, and not needing to carry diapers and wipes with me. So, No Change. Did I search the floor of my car, you ask? No, because again, in anticipation of my wonderful trip, I had actually cleaned and vacuumed my car. Next came the change bucket, which was actually designed as a removable ash tray, but since we don't smoke, we use it for extra change. Now, 2 months ago this baby was filled to the brim with all sorts of monies...but now...not so much. See, my girls discovered it, and since then it usually only has a few coins in it. As I opened it, hoping against hope that it miraculously contained the $3.50 I needed for the toll, it's contents revealed themselves to me...
Zilch.
It was completely empty.
&%$#*%!
By this time I had gotten off the phone.
Surely they'll take a card, I mean, who doesn't take cards now?
I rolled forward to the toll booth, it was my turn.
Three dollars and fifty cents. The kindly lady stated.
And by kindly I mean, grumpy and not smiling.
Um, I just realized that I don't have any cash...do you take cards?
She rolled her eyes. She actually Rolled her Eyes!
No.
And then she just looked at me.
Um, well, I don't, I mean, I really don't...What do I do?
She stepped out of her booth and walked to the back of my car, without a word. She proceeded to write down my license plate number on a little slip of paper.
Oh my goodness, I'm going to jail.
OK, I didn't get hauled off, instead she handed me the paper, with instructions to pay up within 10 days. I drove away, shaking. I kept thinking, I know I'm not the only person who's ever done this...I mean, what about people who've never been through here before! She doesn't know that I've been through here dozens of times, and should KNOW to have cash!
I gotta tell you, I kept thinking of you, Alana, and how you'd have reacted! I mean, you're such a rule follower, and I'm not, and so if it shook me up, what would it have done to you!
So on I drove, and as the miles widened between me and the cheerful tool booth lady, I started to feel better.
I'll get some cash as soon as I get to Tulsa.
My mother called, and I related the whole crazy story to her, as I sped along...then I started to get an uneasy feeling...something didn't look right...and then I saw it...up ahead...a sign...
Pay Toll Ahead.
Oh you have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!
%$&%!
No one was in front of me this time, and I already knew I only had 12 pennies, so up I rolled to the booth, ready to receive another slip of paper.
What the...?
There was no one in the booth. Only a sign. It read...Deposit $.75 in automatic receptacle ahead.
For a brief moment I thought maybe my 12 pennies had mated and produced 63 babies...and then I realized that the automatic receptacle only accepted nickles, dimes, and quarters of which I had None, so it really didn't matter if my pennies had multiplied.
I sat alone... in the dark... somewhere in Oklahoma... lost... with no money... at a toll booth... with no operator...
cue scary music please...
to be continued...
![](http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54485/275/4F4E677930CD754662791E422E37CEE1.png)
10 comments:
you are so adorable---i laughed---you aren't only one who ever shows up w/o CASH & they roll their eyes @ me---but you gave us a cliffhanger---are you in ahem! jail?? LOL...i wanted to respond to your precious comment to me and say to you---You have such childlike faith and your faith in your beautiful God will hold you all your life. Thank you Shelley!
this is so hilarious!!!!
Lauren
Tip for the next time...
You just have to throw your hand at the machine as if you were tossing the coins in. It works, so I've been told.
Why were ya getting off at that exit?
Great story, Shelley.
Hope you don't go to jail because we have a nertz night on the calendar, you know. I would hate for you to miss out.
Creepy toll booth people.
I can't wait until tomorrow. Great story...
SHELLY! (I am yelling your name)! You are killing me with the suspense. I am so sorry for laughing. This is a great story, but if you don't finish it next post...I can't be responsible for what I will do.
Laughing laughing laughing!
A very similar experience happened to me when I went up to Chicago! I feel your pain baby!
Hey Shelley, thanks for visiting my blog! I am laughing at your story (I am sure it wasn't funny at the time....) because it sounds like something that would happen to me. I never have money! What are you supposed to do at a toll booth if you have no money anyway?
I bet you wouldn't call anyone for a couple of days if you were in jail! There are no children there!! :)
I am loving these posts!!
Again...dun, dun, dunnnnnnnnnnnnnn. You are so mean making us wait to hear the end!! And so good at writing this story, I might add. Hurry it up...I'm anxious!
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