Keeping My Last $2

April 16th, 2008

I spent last Saturday catching up with some friends from the past, over bakery, then pizza. Afterwards, when I was grabbing the Brown Line from the Loop back to Lincoln Park, the ticket-vending machine wouldn’t take my dollar bills–the last two I had in my wallet. Frustrated, I went to see the little man in the booth to my left.

“I need to put money on my card,” I gestured with my money and my CTA pass.

He stared at me blankly.

“The machine’s not working. Can I pay you instead?”

His hands flew up, pushing me away. “Fine. Just go through,” he told me. “I don’t have time to deal with this.”

I know he was angry because a group of teenagers had just gone through before me, all because of the broken machine. I know he was frustrated that it was cold outside and he was working amongst people like me.

But what can I say? I walked through the gate blissfully, glad to keep my last $2 in my pocket.

free pass = happy me.