A 77-year-old toll booth operator was fired after 29 years on the job after using his own money to cover the toll of a driver that didn't have the money.
Vladislav 'Sam' Samsonov of Boca Grande was asked by his employer, the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, to scale back his work days from 5 to 2 after the infraction. Samsonov declined the suggestion and was, instead, terminated.
'In my eyes there was no crime committed, I just helped somebody out,' he said. 'I'd put the six dollars in, I got the six dollars back the next day.'
The transit authority had asked him to stop doing this, as he had been doing it for a while.
After he was fired, the community rallied around him with supportive emails, news articles and messages on social media.
The transit authority did not have a comment.