confessions

Driving my brother-in-law's car. Cash card goes faulty at gantry. Stuck. Rain starts. Cars honking.
Call emergency. Lady says use EZ-Link cards. I have those at home.
Reverse 100 meters. Guy on PMV yelling "WHAT THE HELL?" Fair question.
Then: SCRAPE. Sleep-deprived brain ignored the wall. Perfect.
Rush home. Grab cards. 10 minutes topping up. S$50, S$20. Feeling optimistic.
Return to gantry. EZ-Link doesn't work.
Call again. Phone on Bluetooth. Can't switch speakers. Shouting through car audio to reach intercom 10 meters away. In rain.
He needs white location sticker. Panic mode. Can't find it. After 15 minutes pleading, he mentions intercom button. I knew this button existed. Panic brain forgot.
Press button. He opens gantry remotely.
Plot twist: Found brother-in-law's spare cash card in car later. Entire adventure unnecessary.
Lessons:
> Sleep is not optional
> Panic kills logic
> Check for spare cards first
It'll be funnier in 10 years. Right now, I know too much about HDB gantries.