THE STANDOFF

We're on our way home from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro when we stop at a toll booth. I never would have guessed what would have happened next. No, we didn't get gunned down like Sonny Corleone in the Godfather, but it still was exciting.

In Ivory Coast little thought was given to creating its currency which is part of Central Africa's francs, based on the old French currency. There is literally no change! Few small bills and hardly any coins. 

If you pay for groceries at a supermarket with a 10,000 franc bill. The clerk tells you there's not enough small bills and coins to return change to you. The customer ends up losing as much as $2-$5 in change. It's usually best to get as close to 10,000 francs worth of groceries so you don't get stiffed.

So, we pull up to the toll booth. We owe 2,500 francs and my driver gives her 5,000 francs. The toll booth operator says she has no change and urges us to move along as a stack of cars are behind us.

"No, you owe me 2,500 francs," my driver tells her. It goes back and forth. My driver refuses to move and I urge her to sit there until we get our change. The clerk refuses; we refuse to move. Five minutes pass. I'm yelling at her in French to give us our change. No movement.

Our car has government license plates and darkened windows. I urge the driver to tell the clerk that the Minister of Transportation is in the back seat. But, she doesn't have too.

The clerk angrily hands us our change and we speed off.

The clerk, upon further thought, probably tells hundreds of drivers during her shift that she has no change. Even if you give her 3 1,000 franc bills. Even if one out of three drivers leaves angry without change, she stands to triple her daily salary.

We were planning to sit at the toll booth for a few more minutes if need be.

No way we were going to lose the standoff.