Hillbilly memorial coin

On the way to the sunshine state we passed through the iron city from the mistake on the lake and on into the ridge runner state.  Pleasant scenic ride over undulating terrain on interstate 77 and eventually onto US19.  Most certainly a Robert Byrd pork project given that the highway bears his name.  Every 10 miles there's a gully hamlet with a reduced speed zone at the bottom of a 10% grade hill with a porkie at the bottom with his radar gun filling the local coffers. 

Eventually a toll ahead warning sign appears.  We've been this way before and knew this was there.  But we couldn't remember the amount needed.  Probably 25 cents or maybe a buck.  We speed ahead with the toll gates coming up fast.  What's the amount?  No signs anywhere.  Cars and trucks on all sides churning up road spray.  There are 3 booths, 2 exact change and 1 manned.  We pull into the plaza at 50mph not 100 feet from having to decide which lane to get into and there it is.  Cars 40 cents.  Now a mad scamble.  First of all 40 cents means a minimum of 3 coins to make it exact.  We have 3 seconds to find a quarter, a dime and a nickel or 4 dimes, or 3 dimes and 2 nickels.......  Lets not even think about the penny permutations.  Too late. I have to merge into the manned gate where all the other cars and trucks happened to be.  I wonder why.  Not a single vehicle in the exact change lanes.  I pull up and hand the attendent a 1 dollar bill that I just untwisted from my pants pocket after frantically unsnapping the tight seat belt. The diamond stud in the nose, middle aged lady hands me back 2 quarters and 2 nickels.  Or was it 1 quarter, 2 dimes and 3 nickels.

Ok. We're back upto speed.  Heart rate has returned to normal, finger nails have receeded from the steering wheel leather and my butt unclenches. It's time for some hillbilly contemplation.  I reckon the local road toll rate commission consisting of Darrell, Darrell and their brother Darrell had a meeting.  The ridge-runner brain trust needs to raise the toll rate.  A buck would be way too much and they're told the exact change machines wouldn't work.  Fifty cents also seems like a stretch and soaking the pass through snowbirds just wouldn't be neighborly.   Let's make it an even 40 cents.  Oh and let's save a few $ and not put a sign. 

Perhaps they originally recommended 38 cents but the attendant was confounded by the heavy arithematic.