Stalky Against the Machines: the Machines Fight Back

I was up at the crack of dawn the other day to catch a bus to catch a train to be at my destination at the agreed time of 7am.  A seemingly simple task that was thwarted on my arrival at the station.

At 6am I hop on a bus, try to control the inevitable sneezing fit I get when faced with a bus full of perfumed commuters, and ponder what time I’ll be able to snaffle my first cup of tea.  When the bus reaches the station, I get off the bus.  So far, so good, and all thoroughly exciting.

I head down the wooden escalator, which by the way, I still think is very weird and head round the corner to where I know the ticket machines are.  Three ticket machines.  No queue.  But the one I normally use has a big sign saying that today it’s not accepting cards.  Cash only.  I inspect the other two machines and discover that they too are both cash only.  Big sigh.  I’m not very good at carrying cash.  I remain traumatised after dropping £5 at a car boot sale.

So, three machines and not one of them will accept card.  I check my purse just to double check there are no notes floating around.  There are not.  I check my shrapnel and am excited to discover two gold coins and number of silvers.  I have exactly $3.60.  How much is my ticket?  Exactly $3.80.  Woe is Little Stalky.

Then I notice an ATM and feel relieved that I will be able to overcome this evil ticket machine hurdle.  I go to the ATM machine and am presented with options of $40, $60 and so on.  I don’t really want $40 but I guess it will have to do.  So I choose that option, at which point the machine promptly tells me that I can only select an amount in multiples of 50.  Multiples of 50!  Stupid machine.  Don’t tempt me with offers of $40 and $60 if you’re just going to change your mind and throw 50 in my face.  I grumble at this, hope I don’t look too bonkers, and grudgingly draw out $50 after grudgingly accepting the $2.50 charge the machine wants to charge me for the pleasure.

Back to the machines.  The machines that are now all happily announcing the fact that they have a maximum of $19.90 in change.  No more will be given.  And I have a feeling they mean it.  So here I am – 20c off the amount in change, $46.20 over the amount in cash and 3 machines that won’t accept card.  Not a recipe for a smooth morning.

If only I knew the station better.  If only I’d ventured further into the depths of its endless tunnels.  If only I’d gone around the corner….to where a very nice man was selling tickets from a booth.  Old school style. 

I did eventually turn the corner and find the nice man selling tickets from a booth but not before I’d gotten myself very cross.  Machines 1, Little Stalky 0.