| Among all seven bridges across San Francisco Bay, San Mateo Bridge is the longest one. People always get excited when they talk about Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge for these two “celebrities" secure the best view spots and attract all the tourists and flashlights. Let’s say even Dumbaron Bridge in South Bay gets a couple of lovely wild birds most of time. But when it comes to San Mateo Bridge, I bet your mind goes blank. Our “low key" San Mateo Bridge can offer no view, no magnificent structure, no nothing: It is simply very very long. It is so long that you are almost convinced that you will never get to the other end. Its design is totally functional with that gray cement look and embraced by gray bay where you can hardly find anything exciting enough to be distracted- I guess it must have the lowest accident rate.
However, our Mr. San Mateo Bridge does transports thousands of local vehicles, which have no other choice to cross the Bay, 24 hours daily including all holidays. Along with the exclusive noise from wheels running on the bridge, sometimes I have the hallucination that all the vehicles gradually turn gray when they are crossing this Bridge. One thing I like about San Mateo Bridge is they don’t charge you more for being long. The toll is the same as others: $2.00. Stopping at the toll plaza and handing that $2.00 to the tollkeeper is the only moment reminding me that this Bridge is desinged for human beings. Three weeks ago, I was coming back from Oakland and ready to cross the Bridge. Ten meters before the toll plaza, I reached my bag and tried to grab my wallet. My right hand was there searching for the cold smooth touch of leather surface but it soon sent a clear message to my brain: peng peng left her wallet at home. It is that kind of moment you wish you could just wake up and find out it’s a nightmare. It is almost like a near-death experience that a lot of memories came across my mind within that 2 seconds before I actually stopped at the gate. I recalled the similar experience on Caltrain last year when I courageously confessed to the conductor I left my wallet at home. He gave me a very understanding grandpa kind of smile and told me not to worry in a very low murmuring volume as if he didn’t want to embarrass me more by having other passengers hear it. He let me stay on the train. Unfortunately, I did not get away so easily this time. Rolling down the window, I told the lady what happened.
“Are you saying you have no money at all?" she looked at me as if I was a thief. “Ha—-," I kept looking at all the possible areas where might have luck and then found A quarter (25 cents) in the glove box. It was too late to realize it’s even worse to show her I had a quarter. She wrote down my license no. and asked me to drive to the parking lot on the very left end of the plaza. For the safety concern, she had to ask all other tollkeepers to close the gate in order to let me drive there. They probably all know it is a ceremony for another stupid guy who cannot pay $2.00. I guess, this time, my blue Altima turned red instead of gray. Then I walked into a kind of police station(?) and a lady from the other side of the window spoke in full volume: “Are you the person with NO MONEY?" Wow, I hope IRS (tax bureau) can hear that. “Yes." I learned not to mention the quarter from the previous experience. “No Check?" “No." Not even credit card. No nothing. Then, to avoid that 100 dollar ticket, I timidly asked if she could just let me turn back (there is no reason to ask for 100 dollars fine if a person couldn’t afford a ticket for the movie before he or she enters the theater.) She was sort of understanding and graciously granted my request. So the rest of my day was heading back to the East Bay, with no ATM card, no check, no credit card (and a quarter) which means I can cross NO bridges. The only option-I was so glad to be able to have “the option"- is to join the eastbound traffic( usually I pay so much sympathy to the drivers from the other direction), take 880 south, get on 237, and 101 north. Quite a detour but I still feel nice to be able to get home. On the long way home, I meditated on this $2 junk story. I used to think $2 can’t really buy me anything, not even a decent cappuccino but, without that $2, you can certainly get into a big trouble. There is no point to deliver a message in a junk story but I still hope you find it helpful. Never never cross a bridge, even a low key one, as a person with NO MONEY.
peng peng
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Cash Chou's Blog 