Here's What Happens When You Drive Up To A Toll Booth And Realize You Don't Have Any Money

Crossing the RFK Bridge (aka the Triborough) into Manhattan on Monday, I realized I didn't have enough cash with me to pay the $7.50 toll, and I didn't have an E-ZPass to bypass the cash lane.

So what happens when you can't pay the toll at one of the bridges or tunnels run by NYC's Metropolitan Transit Authority? There are three consequences.

When I got to the booth, I told the attendant I didn't have enough money to pay. He asked for my license and registration, and took several minutes filling out a form. Then he told me to drive over to the shoulder, so I wouldn't be blocking that booth anymore.

After another few minutes, a different attendant walked over and returned my license and registration, along with a form called a Deferred Toll Payment Request. I was expecting a penalty, but the only surcharge was a $2 mail-in service fee, which drops to $1 if you pay online.

So I lost the dollar and about ten minutes (including the time it took to pay the toll online). The third consequence was the worst: feeling like a jerk for holding up a booth during the morning commute.