"I never thought I'd see this happen," one awed toll taker tells me.

The survey asked questions about the toll takers' duties that were to guide the development of test questions.

But that threat to the toll takers seems to have passed, at least for the present.

None of this, however, should sway a toll taker.

"Now, they can just hand you two bucks and take off," one toll taker said.

Of this contradiction, he said the toll taker had misunderstood.

We have toll takers there who have to walk by to their jobs.

"He's in that fort over on the other side of the river," the toll taker replied.

It was almost noon when they reached the bridge, and the toll taker stopped them to demand two ounces of gold.

The toll taker at the bridge waved them through, and they crossed the river in the bright spring sunshine.