On my way out of Nazareth on Sunday I stopped to fill the tank of my rental car before returning it to Lehigh Valley International Airport. A sign on the gas tank requested me to "pay first" but I told the man who was sitting outside that I didn't know how much gas I needed. He told me to pay him when I was done.
With $12.70 worth of gas in the tank, I followed the man into the station. I pulled out my credit card - I had only $25, which I needed for the taxi in Fort Lauderdale - and he told me to swipe it. I did, then I watched as he punched a series of buttons with a concerned expression. I felt as though I was already at the airport checking in.
He told me to swipe my card again. I did. Again, he tapped his screen. Then he asked me if I could pay in cash. I told him that I had no cash. He went back to his screen with a puzzled look. And people wonder why I always leave early for the airport.
I had left the car unlocked, with my bags in the back seat. Merchandise was piled up against the front window of the station, so I had to step back a few feet every few seconds to check on the car. This was a South Florida reaction, I know, but I assumed that if I could find the one station that didn't know how to process credit cards I could also find the station frequented by the local thief.
The man now confessed that he was clueless and picked up the telephone. He began speaking in a language that sounded like Arabic but wasn't. Now I could no longer just step back and check on my car because a line of people had accumulated behind me. Finally, with complete disregard for my reputation in the Lehigh Valley as a man of truth, I pulled three $5 bills from my wallet and threw them down on the counter. I grabbed my change and tore off for the airport.
My plane in Atlanta was delayed by an hour, so I arrived in Fort Lauderdale a little after midnight. Outside I got a taxi and directed the driver to River Reach. The fare came to $17. I gave my credit card to the man, who handed it back, telling me to use the machine between the seats. In the darkness, I searched for the place to insert my card.
"It's easier," the driver said, "if you use cash."
