Highway Robbery

So I am trying to do some repairs on our van and since funds are tight, I thought I would get the parts used from a local junk-yard. Since I have never done car repair and never been to a wrecking yard, a more experienced friend took me to the junk-yard this past Sunday and showed me the ropes.

The "junk-yard" is actually an area about 1/2 mile square and consists of about 30 individually owned and operated yards separated by winding dirt and gravel roads. Most of the yards were closed on Sunday so we were only able to find one of the parts I needed. So yesterday I headed down to the yard on my own. Only . . . . I wasn't 100% on how to get there.

Lo and behold, I took a wrong turn onto the wrong freeway. One of those wrong turns where the nearest exit was about 8 miles down the highway. When I finally came to the first exit, what should greet me but a toll booth. I can't stand these fargin' things. My routine life does not generally involve toll roads. I probably encounter a toll road once every 6 months or so which means when I do, I am caught totally unawares.

For one, I almost never carry cash and that means I have no choice but to blow through without paying and get hit with a $60 fine. Luckily, I had a fiver in my wallet. The toll was $2.50 but GET THIS the machine does not make change - says so right on the sign - no change - no credits. WHERE ON EARTH DOES ANYONE REFUSE TO MAKE CHANGE?? For criminie's sake the machine is full of NOTHING BUT CHANGE.


So I had to kiss my last $5 goodbye just for the privilege of getting off the freeway and getting back on in the direction I came.

I headed over the freeway and what do my wandering eyes behold? THIS @$%#&! thing:

ANOTHER TOLL BOOTH.

Then it occurred to me - this is the first place people can turn around if they have made a wrong turn - they put these booths here on purpose to take advantage of wayward motorists. I am being intentionally screwed here.

So I head past the on-ramp to the nearest grocery store - go in and buy a can of Pringles for $2.50 and get some cash back.

I head back to the on-ramp and this time the toll to get ON the freeway is $3.00 - no change, no refunds. I slide three bucks into the no-armed bandit and head back to where I made the wrong turn.

Total cost for one wrong turn?: $10.50 and 1/2 an hour of my life I can't get back.

Moral of the story: Always carry at least of $10 in change in your car . . . or know where the heck you are going.

At least I got a can of Pringles out of the deal.