I was thinking of a good way to express my deep appreciation for southern hospitality and got to thinking of my different experiences going through toll booths down here vs. the tolls up north. What better ambassadors for a region than a toll taker, in many cases they are the first person that a distant traveler comes in contact with as they travel through their region.
What a contrast:
For starters the general appearance of the toll takers down here are more aesthetically pleasing, they all wear the same colorful shirts that depict the Florida landscape,like the one pictured above. Up east they look like grey drab standard uniforms. Have a nice day, thank you and a smile is what I usually get down here..up east, not so much.
One day while traveling route 95 to Boston, I had to pay a toll over a famous bridge two states down from Boston, well, I was a little confused over the lane to get in so I chose a lane that looked quicker, well, it was quicker because the toll taker had just turned the red light on indicating that the lane was closed-too late for me. So as I pull up, I get one of the best welcomes to the big city anybody could hope for. The toll taker seemed a little angry. “Did you not see the Fu*&^*% sign, I am fu&$#@# closed! Are you a fu%$#@& moron? You ass$#&% !"
Well, needless to say, I was a little stunned and gave my 50 cents and said “thank you” and sped away. It did help me get my east coast mood on and I was an angry driver for the next 4 hours.
There is something to be said about the southern hospitality, don’t get me wrong, down here they do get angry, but you wouldn’t know it. They even have a nice way of telling you off. Sir, this lane is closed but I will take your toll this time..next time please be more aware of the red/green lights above is how it would have been handled down here.
I will blog about driving comparisons soon, but thought I would leave you with this lovely photo. You see, up east it’s all about fast..who can get there first, even when it comes to paying tolls! -
OUCH!
With all my complaining about the attitudes up east, I must admit that I am one of them and do enjoy the Adrenalin rush when driving, racing for a better place in line, trying to catch a subway train, arguing about the red sox,and generally getting "pissed" on all fronts. My favorite line I used up North when the traffic light went green and the front car was slow in recognizing was "Hey! The F%$@#&% light is not gonna get any greener!" There, I feel better already Why do I miss that? :)
-G
