Just yesterday, I opened my credit card statement with bated breath and my blood pressure skyrocketed when I saw the amount of toll charges I'd racked up in a single billing cycle. There were five--yes, I said FIVE--$40 charges on my statement. For those of you who are mathematically challenged (like myself), that equates to $200...in a single month! Those fees from the NTTA are really starting to take a toll (pun intended) on my budget...and they're about to go up in July.
Is it just me, or does anyone else find the concept of toll charges ridiculous and unnecessary? I'm sorry, but I thought that's what my taxes paid for. Why then must I dig deep into my pockets to finance additional fees just to allow me access to a city highway? Keep in mind this doesn't include the cost of gas to make my one-hour commute each way to work everyday.
Lately, I've been experimenting with different routes in order to save a little bit of money where I can. Unfortunately, what I save in tolls, I more than make up for in time and gas. So most days, I just suck it up and take the expensive route to work. I find myself cringing each time I breeze past a toll booth.
I'm reminded of the children's story Billy Goats Gruff. All I want to do is make my way down the George Bush Turnpike, unaccosted by the evil, toll-charging troll who lives under the bridge. Though he hides in an unmanned toll booth, he makes an unwelcome appearance on my monthly Discover card bill.
I don't remember the moral of the story, but I do recall the billy goat outsmarting the evil troll. Unfortunately, until I can find a circuitous route that doesn't add a half hour to my commute, I'm just going to have to pay the evil troll's toll charges. Perhaps that means I'll have to eat more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Ramen noodles than I care to, but I'll be damned if I let that nasty troll cut into my monthly shoe budget! I'm all for saving money, but come on--a girl's gotta have her standards.
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