These days, when you go on long drives you will invariably encounter a few, if not several, toll booths. In most cases, you dont mind paying the tab as it ensures a better ride for the stretch. There are of course stretches which make you wonder whether you are paying for building the road or for a cross-country experience complete with obstacles! But that is the matter for another post. This post concerns amount of toll charges and a possible explanation for their being an odd combination of numerals. Ever wonder why a toll charge is Rs. 84 instead of a rounded figure like 80 or 85. So while you dont mind paying the toll, what bugs you is the exercise of hunting for the right change and waiting in the line of vehicles while the toll collectors goes through his duties. Just look at the toll charges on the Mumbai-Pune Express way (inset picture) and you wonder why would anyone keep such odd numbers as the toll charges.
I dont think a bus would mind paying Rs. 250 instead of Rs. 247 OR the state would lose much money by collecting Rs. 410 instead of Rs. 411?! So then why? I have three possible explanations:
1. The toll collecting firm is bitten by the numerology bug. So by some strange calculation, 410 would have been unlucky and the traffic from Mumbai to Pune would have dropped 20%
2. The ministry for education realised that Indians are losing their image of being mathematical geniuses, and decided to tune up our brains by ensuring we did intricate calculations to get our right change back
3. Confectionery companies found this great way to beat the slowdown. So the toll booth hand out candies and mints instead of change. Everytime there is a shortfall in the budget, they promptly increase the number of odd digits in the toll charges across the country! (Imagine the surprise on the toll collectors face as my driver handed back the same chocolate on the return journey in place of the change!)
Do write back on which of the above is the main reason, or if you have any other explanation.
