A number of years ago, during my working years, it became necessary for me to spend quite a bit of time in Philadelphia. The trips were usually short — 2 to 3 days at most. Back then it was only about a two to three hour trip so I usually drove. I also usually took a government car rather than drive my own. As you probably know, government cars have US Government license plates — it doesn’t matter what government agency, the plates are all the same — Dept. of Agriculture, FBI, IRS, State Dept,, etc. — doesn’t matter — all the plates are the same.
Anyhow, most of the trip from Washington to Philadelphia involved traveling on Interstate 95 and portions of I-95 required a toll.
I usually made these trips alone, only occasionally traveling with someone else. Two to three hours in a car alone gets a little boring, so I had this game I used to play. When I pulled up to the toll booth, I paid the toll for the car behind me — I usually did this when there was only one person in the car behind.
Invariably, I’d get a lot of entertainment out of this “act of kindness.” Usually the car would closely follow me, wondering why someone in a government car would be paying their toll. They would often creep up beside me in the passing land and stare — I would always smile at them and give them a little wave. Then they’d drop back and follow again. I don’t remember anyone ever passing me.
I told someone that I did this one day and they said it was cruel — I said I thought it was an act of kindness.
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