Got stuck in a tiny town in Portugal with no cash and a dead card reader
Last fall, I was in a small village near Porto trying to buy a bus ticket back to the city. The machine only took cash, and my card wouldn't work at the one ATM because the strip was worn out. I had about 5 euros in coins. I walked to the only open cafe, bought a cheap espresso for 1 euro, and asked the owner in my bad Portuguese if he could give me cash back if I paid for a larger item with my card. He let me buy a 20 euro bag of local coffee beans with my card and gave me the cash difference. It got me home. Has anyone else had to get creative with a payment problem in a place with few options?