What happens if you get to a toll booth and have no cash

Jennifer and I got to Columbia, SC around 3:30pm yesterday and got to hang out with our teammate Amanda for a couple of hours before I had to drive back to Atlanta.

We went to Rockaway's for linner (lunch/dinner) which is this awesome hamburger place right by Amanda's house. We walked there, actually. They have a pamento cheese burger there that was incredible. Apparently George W spoke at the USC graduation a few years back and asked where in Columbia he should eat and Rockaway's was the recommendation and that burger is what he ate. So I like to think I ate a piece of greatness, somehow. I certainly was in the presence of greatness (don't gag Amanda and Jennifer =).

Anyway, I used the rest of my cash to pay for dinner and on the way out it started POURING. We decided to wait a few minutes in the lobby to see if it would stop. As we were waiting we got into a conversation with a man in his 30's who was also waiting in the lobby. He had quite a story about his life and how he was in need of money. It seemed like the right thing to do so we gave him a few dollars and I gave him the rest of my change.

Fast forward about 3 hours. I'm driving on I-385 about to merge onto I-185 and I notice (and remember from the drive up to Columbia which was a mere 3 days earlier) that I-185 is a toll road. Of course, just as I merged, the scene from dinner replayed in my head and realization sunk in that I would soon be screwed when I got to the toll booth.

I tried to comfort myself with the hope in a possible chance to exit before the booth. But of course, going this way on that highway back to Atlanta afforded no such opportunity. "Maybe they take debit cards" was my final fleeting thought.

I approached the booth; first car in line. I told the lady that I had "zero cash." She looked at me for a minute (seemed like 5), and then explained I'd have to fill out this form completely and as legibly as possible with all my identifying information. I also had to pull off to do this which I was super thankful for because by this point as about 4 cars were waiting behind me.

So I pull over and fill everything out, dodge the traffic stopping to pay the toll, and get to her window and hand in the form. Fortunately this form ended up not only getting me through this booth but also was my pass for the next and final one.

I now have 30 days to send in my $2.00 which is what I owe the state of South Carolina for unpaid tolls.