I don’t really understand the point here, or the meaning of "true story". All the bloke was asking, surely, was if you had the right money. Presumably he was running short of change. What am I not understanding here?
I always have cash on me. Some local places eg caffs don't take cards. It's also a fallback option when the technology fails at parking meters etc. I take out about £200 at a time. It lasts for months.