Bad toll collectors in years past

Bad toll collectors are nothing new, one toll veteran assures me. He cites the following:

- a toll collector on the Massachusetts Turnpike who had the exact same spiel "second exit, bear left, take second right, and you're there" in response to every request for directions whether the patron was attempting to get to Maine, Martha's Vineyard or the nearest McDonalds.  If a motorist should doubt the directions first time the collector would sigh in exasperation, roll his eyes, and say again but more loudly "second exit, bear left, take second right, and you're there, next please"

- a Merritt Parkway CT toll collector who had a methylated spirits heater device in his toll booth in winter that he'd use to heat up dimes before handing them in a gloved hand to the unsuspecting motorist, and a motorist who retaliated by using his car cigarette lighter for the same purpose of getting the toll collector to drop his coins with lots of undignified Ah's and Ow's

TOLLROADSnews 2010-02-24