funkymonkey ) gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying :

Can someone please tell me how you actually pay for the congestion
charge? I will be visiting London soon and a friend came back from
there and says he got stung with a large fine for not paying the toll
(through his car hire company).

Some of which would be from TfL, the rest from the car hire company.

He said he never encountered any toll-booths or e-tag systems.

No, but he would have encountered umpteen shops and machines which would
allow him to pay.

Pay before 10pm and it's £8.
Pay between 10pm and midnight, and it's £10.
Miss that, and you're toast. Yes, it is a *******.

The exchange rate is bad enough

Hiho. Perhaps that's due to the Aussie Peso being A Bit ****?