Jim
Ringleader
I must say before I tell you this story, that we find the Portugese to be the one of the most friendly Europeans we meet. None of the indifference or chin pointing that some Spanish employ toward tourists. But one toll booth operator must have been having a bad day.
The Toll Road.
We used one section of peaje on a recent trip in Portugal but the ticket box at the entry to this section of road was out of action, there was a machine there but it had a cover on it. We had a good look around and there was nowhere to get a ticket so we preceded without one. I did note at the time there was a new gantry of cameras covering this section so I thought they must be fazing the old ticket system out and going with the new automatic transponder system.
So when 50 miles later, I saw a toll booth, expecting just a fixed fee I handed over my credit card, but the operator looked at me as if I was stupid and literally shouted "Bilheteira Bilheteira" She showed us a ticket "Bilheteira Bilheteira" as if she thought we were mega stupid or might have taken one but forgotten about it.
"No Bilheteira.... "No Ticket" I responded, palms skyward, Sian leaned across me flashing her big smile... "Bilheteira box Covered up" then miming putting a cover on a box
The toll booth lady shouted a sentence we did not understand but we were sure it was a curse, rolled her eyes, punched a button or two and up on the screen "€78 tarifa pena" She was in a stinking mood and was charging us a penalty fare
Quick as a flash, my head and shoulders are out of the window as I try to grab my card from her grasp, quicker than that, she deftly swaps it into her other hand. Ignoring my shouts of No não No. she looks me in the eye as she swipes it through her machine ... Sian trying to get through my window now and shouting "Your Bilheteira Box was covered up you stupid
22"
I slumped back in my seat, bugger, if only I'd not been so keen to hand over our card... Well we live and learn. "Calm down Sian it's only money"
She hands the card back "mau cartão" and I say "Gracias" in my best Spanish (as someone had told me earlier that speaking Spanish to Portugese winds them up) and she repeats "mau cartão - Card no good" It's then that I realise she has not charged my debit card, her machine refused it and she wants another.
The broadest smile falls upon my face as I tell her through it, that I have no other cards and no cash. She remonstrates some more and then proper fuming she stomps out of her booth and into a small office.. We wait.. she comes out after a few minutes and records our registration then goes back in. we wait some more..
She comes back to the booth and without even a look in our direction she opens the barrier. "Nos Vemos" I shout in my best Spanish and were through.
No bill at home yet...
The Toll Road.
We used one section of peaje on a recent trip in Portugal but the ticket box at the entry to this section of road was out of action, there was a machine there but it had a cover on it. We had a good look around and there was nowhere to get a ticket so we preceded without one. I did note at the time there was a new gantry of cameras covering this section so I thought they must be fazing the old ticket system out and going with the new automatic transponder system.
So when 50 miles later, I saw a toll booth, expecting just a fixed fee I handed over my credit card, but the operator looked at me as if I was stupid and literally shouted "Bilheteira Bilheteira" She showed us a ticket "Bilheteira Bilheteira" as if she thought we were mega stupid or might have taken one but forgotten about it.
"No Bilheteira.... "No Ticket" I responded, palms skyward, Sian leaned across me flashing her big smile... "Bilheteira box Covered up" then miming putting a cover on a box
The toll booth lady shouted a sentence we did not understand but we were sure it was a curse, rolled her eyes, punched a button or two and up on the screen "€78 tarifa pena" She was in a stinking mood and was charging us a penalty fareQuick as a flash, my head and shoulders are out of the window as I try to grab my card from her grasp, quicker than that, she deftly swaps it into her other hand. Ignoring my shouts of No não No. she looks me in the eye as she swipes it through her machine ... Sian trying to get through my window now and shouting "Your Bilheteira Box was covered up you stupid
22" I slumped back in my seat, bugger, if only I'd not been so keen to hand over our card... Well we live and learn. "Calm down Sian it's only money"
She hands the card back "mau cartão" and I say "Gracias" in my best Spanish (as someone had told me earlier that speaking Spanish to Portugese winds them up) and she repeats "mau cartão - Card no good" It's then that I realise she has not charged my debit card, her machine refused it and she wants another.
The broadest smile falls upon my face as I tell her through it, that I have no other cards and no cash. She remonstrates some more and then proper fuming she stomps out of her booth and into a small office.. We wait.. she comes out after a few minutes and records our registration then goes back in. we wait some more..
She comes back to the booth and without even a look in our direction she opens the barrier. "Nos Vemos" I shout in my best Spanish and were through.
No bill at home yet...
