Cash/receipts lane closed on the parkway....then what?

[Jon 264]

I hate cities...

[Anselmo 87]

No EZ Pass? Do you still have a passbook savings account?

[lunker 274]

I work in NYC, but would be happy if I never set foot there again.

[bulpup 98]

But seriously...why would you close an ez-pass lane? That's just dumb

[vjf915 456]

I don't have EZpass either, it just wouldn't pay for itself. I have enough spare change in my car to pay for more than enough tolls, and I keep the pennies out of that stash just to make it that much quicker. Once they make EZpass free (no monthly charge) then I will sign up. Until then, I'll keep the spare change in my car.

[Babaganoosh 192]

I hate cities...

 

Same here. I prefer Philly over NYC if I am going to take a trip to a city.

[Springfield1911 22]

SO Ez Pass sent you a bill for $.35 that cost them $.44 to mail out?

 

Glenn, I had this exact same thing happen to me last March. EZ Pass sent me a violation notice for $25.35, $25.00 penalty and $.35 for the toll. I called them and explained that the cash lane was closed and there were some cars blocking the exact change lane (presumably stopped while looking for change in the nether regions of their cars). They asked me if I had an EZ Pass, which I don't, and then said I could just send a check for the toll ($.35) since it was my first offense. So, I mailed them a check for $.35 - all this nonsense for them to collect $.35.

 

As far as not having an EZ Pass, I don't drive on the Parkway or Turnpike often, on the rare occasions that I go into NYC I park on this side of the Hudson and take mass transit. The main place I might use it is going into PA, and those bridges are not usually crowded when I go there.

[MedicYeti 96]

Step 1. Stop away from the tolls on the side of the road.

Step 2. Remove plates.

Step 3. Gun it!!!

Step 4. Raise middle finger out the window.

Step 5. Replace plates.

Step 6. Smile, you just got one over on the man.

 

I don't have an e-z pass either, I like to encourage employment growth, not put people out of work.

I keep a ziploc bag with quarters in my glove box, just in case I need it. I also keep tools in case I need to follow the above steps.

[Sixtytwo327 14]

Lockheed Martin developed the EZ-Pass System.

 

No point to make, just throwing some trivia out there.

 

But if you hear a drone overhead, better duck.

[Melgamatic 66]

Some of us don't like giving big brother more ways to track us or know our whereabouts.

 

I understand the feeling, but there are license plate cameras in every single lane, including cash, that can instantly read your plate and look your record. I'm seeing more and more police cars equipped with the instant plate reading equipment as well, which no longer requires the officer to type in your plate, but will inform him if any cars around him have warrants, etc.

 

Plus, you're typing on an Internet forum and feel like that? Guess what, Big Brother just saw that your worried and now your entire life is going to be under scrutiny! (<== closest emoticon to a tin foil hat I could find).

[crackaloon 15]

I noticed something disturbing. The announcement was made that cameras would be in every lane. The day this went into place, not only was there no live toll collector at the Forked River toll, but 5 trooper cars where there for morning rush hour. I don't know if they were giving toll tickets or running red light tickets, but it doesn't matter (yeah 3 cars pulled over when I went through). I have ezpass, but what about people that always pay in cash at that toll and coincidentally cameras are installed when the toll taker is on vacation? I'm not much for conspiracy theories, but when it smells like it, and looks like it, why do people have to taste it?

[halbautomatisch 60]

SO Ez Pass sent you a bill for $.35 that cost them $.44 to mail out?

Yep, and it cost me another $.44 to mail it back to them, and possibly something from my bank on a per check fee (not sure about that one). Our government at it's best. :senile:

[halbautomatisch 60]

No EZ Pass? Do you still have a passbook savings account?

No, but I wonder why we still use checks in this day and age, Europe stopped using them in the 70's.

 

As far as EZ Pass, I drive on toll roads about once every two or three months, and the bridges over the Delaware are only $1, it doesn't pay for me to bother.

[halbautomatisch 60]

I understand the feeling, but there are license plate cameras in every single lane, including cash, that can instantly read your plate and look your record. I'm seeing more and more police cars equipped with the instant plate reading equipment as well, which no longer requires the officer to type in your plate, but will inform him if any cars around him have warrants, etc.

 

Plus, you're typing on an Internet forum and feel like that? Guess what, Big Brother just saw that your worried and now your entire life is going to be under scrutiny! (<== closest emoticon to a tin foil hat I could find).

Yep, it's only a matter of time before the start mounting plate recognition cameras on poles on the side of the road, so they can track the movement of all vehicles and store it in a database for retrieval later when they feel the need to.

[tbtrout 141]

Really? How can you not have a damn ezpass? I just don't understand how people don't have ez-pass'. It saves so much time rather than sitting in the cash lane.

I do not have it either, but the amout of times I use toll roads is minimal. I am shocked that they have not started mailing tickets because you went from A to B too quickly, but give it time.

[reloaderguy 30]

Some of us don't like giving big brother more ways to track us or know our whereabouts. Besides, I don't use the Parkway that much. I live 5 miles from work.

 

 

Thank you. Another person with a keen train of thought. Too bad most people don't see this.

[reloaderguy 30]

Does anyone actually think the government or anyone else gives a rats a** about yourself?

 

If you have something to hide or worry about, sure, but if you dont... why live in a paranoid state the rest of your life?

 

if you are worried about big brother, and ezpass, better rip out the gps/onstar/black boxes out of your car, get rid of your cell phone, disconnect your internet/cable/phone.

 

Do I wish we had more privacy, absolutely, but why worry about stuff you have no control or influence over?

 

 

So next time you get stopped by the police and they want to search your car for no reason I assume you tell them no problem? Me I tell them NO, Get A Search Warrant and I don't have anything to hide.

[Maksim 1,504]

So next time you get stopped by the police and they want to search your car for no reason I assume you tell them no problem? Me I tell them NO, Get A Search Warrant and I don't have anything to hide.

 

If I get pulled over, the last thing I want to do is become memorable....

 

ie...

 

The guy in a dropped, loud, tinted Z28 on 315's next to another 97 Z28 SS, behind a 69 drop top Camaro.

 

(lots of tickets, and more hassle than its worth).

 

Instead I opt for the polite, I will take a warning in my bland Mazda 6 or "just another princeton yuppie BMW" and be on my way.

 

My take on it, I treat people with the same respect and professionalism that I want to be treated with. I have many clients either in the military, or law enforcement and they are for the most part very good people, just like the tons of LEO on this very forum. They are people.

 

Are there bad LEO that let their position get to them? Sure. For the same as people who are so stubborn to be "right."

 

Next time I get pulled over and if for some wacked out reason the LEO asks to look in my car, and I have nothing to hide, I will tell them as so, and be on my merry way. I would rather be "effective" than right.

 

If you give them a reason to search your car, they will search it, whether under probable cause, or make you waste an hour of your life sitting on the side of the road waiting for a warrant. Then you still wind up with tickets, you still have to go to court, and are now the "douchebag" the department is talking about during lunch break at the PD.

 

But hey, you were "right" to stick to your guns and demand a warrant.

 

If I was doing something wrong, and had something to hide, I would absolutely demand a warrant, etc. But if I have nothing to hide, I just want to get on my merry way.

 

... and that is why I love my EZ Pass. I don't have to wait for 15 mins behind some douchebag in the cash lanes who needs to pay with a $100 bill for a $1 toll, or who forgot his wallet or cash to pay it.

[M4BGRINGO 139]

I do not have it either, but the amout of times I use toll roads is minimal. I am shocked that they have not started mailing tickets because you went from A to B too quickly, but give it time.

 

How true. Years ago I hit the 2 mile warning sign on the NJTP going 120 and put the car in nuetral to see if we could coast to the toll booth, didn't make it. I did pass a cop still doing 100mph but making no noise, he didn't even look-up.

 

This was back in the day where we got the little cards when we got on the toll road.

 

Now with EZ Pass if they actually looked at where we got on and off and how long it took to do so, there would be a LOT of tickets issued......

[KpdPipes 388]

If I get pulled over, the last thing I want to do is become memorable....

 

ie...

 

The guy in a dropped, loud, tinted Z28 on 315's next to another 97 Z28 SS, behind a 69 drop top Camaro.

 

(lots of tickets, and more hassle than its worth).

 

Instead I opt for the polite, I will take a warning in my bland Mazda 6 or "just another princeton yuppie BMW" and be on my way.

 

My take on it, I treat people with the same respect and professionalism that I want to be treated with. I have many clients either in the military, or law enforcement and they are for the most part very good people, just like the tons of LEO on this very forum. They are people.

 

Are there bad LEO that let their position get to them? Sure. For the same as people who are so stubborn to be "right."

 

Next time I get pulled over and if for some wacked out reason the LEO asks to look in my car, and I have nothing to hide, I will tell them as so, and be on my merry way. I would rather be "effective" than right.

 

If you give them a reason to search your car, they will search it, whether under probable cause, or make you waste an hour of your life sitting on the side of the road waiting for a warrant. Then you still wind up with tickets, you still have to go to court, and are now the "douchebag" the department is talking Laughing about during lunch break at the PD.

 

But hey, you were "right" to stick to your guns and demand a warrant.

 

If I was doing something wrong, and had something to hide, I would absolutely demand a warrant, etc. But if I have nothing to hide, I just want to get on my merry way.

 

... and that is why I love my EZ Pass. I don't have to wait for 15 mins behind some douchebag in the cash lanes who needs to pay with a $100 bill for a $1 toll, or who forgot his wallet or cash to pay it.

 

Despite the desperate attempts to portray things otherwise by some..VERY few guys get all butthurt over stuff like that.

[Anselmo 87]

I don't have EZpass either, it just wouldn't pay for itself. I have enough spare change in my car to pay for more than enough tolls, and I keep the pennies out of that stash just to make it that much quicker. Once they make EZpass free (no monthly charge) then I will sign up. Until then, I'll keep the spare change in my car.

 

It's not the cost issues, it's the convenience of zipping through EZ Pass instead of waiting to pay. The time to pay cash for tolls can get quite long at rush hour.

[Maksim 1,504]

Heh?

[Springfield1911 22]

Its not a matter of time. Its already been going on for YEARS. You can bet there is plate recognition cameras at every bridge in and out of NYC.

 

Yep, it's only a matter of time before the start mounting plate recognition cameras on poles on the side of the road, so they can track the movement of all vehicles and store it in a database for retrieval later when they feel the need to.

[XDJohnTact 49]

I don't have EZpass either, it just wouldn't pay for itself. I have enough spare change in my car to pay for more than enough tolls, and I keep the pennies out of that stash just to make it that much quicker. Once they make EZpass free (no monthly charge) then I will sign up. Until then, I'll keep the spare change in my car.

Actually, If I remember correctly, EZ Pass was free for the first couple of years. The whole system was supposed to pay for itself with the fines they would collect for toll violators. When that didn't happen, they initiated fees. By that time, people were so used to the convenience, they just kept it and paid the $12.00 a year. It was like they suckered you in and then you were hooked.

[DirtyDigz 1,812]

Back on the original subject:

 

If the cash lane is closed and you don't have exact change then go through the exact change lane anyway.

 

EZ Pass lanes *ALWAYS* have cameras on them. Exact change lanes may or may not and are much less regulated.

 

Fact - uhhh, "several months ago" I took the GSP North up to the Glen Ridge area in the early morning. I didn't have EZ-pass or change in the car I was driving and at the exit the cash/receipt booth was closed, leaving only the EZ Pass and exact change lanes open. So I went through the exact change lane without putting anything in the basket.

 

On my return trip, same problem at my exit, and again I blew through the exact change lane.

 

I never heard *anything* from the GSP, no warnings, tickets, nada.

[Krdshrk 3,877]

That was several months ago - they are cracking down like crazy now.

[MikeL417 33]

Using phone while car is in drive and "blocking traffic" leave it to the PO

[XDJohnTact 49]

How true. Years ago I hit the 2 mile warning sign on the NJTP going 120 and put the car in nuetral to see if we could coast to the toll booth, didn't make it. I did pass a cop still doing 100mph but making no noise, he didn't even look-up.

 

This was back in the day where we got the little cards when we got on the toll road.

 

Now with EZ Pass if they actually looked at where we got on and off and how long it took to do so, there would be a LOT of tickets issued......

 

That's why I love the NJTP (well, north of Exit 9 anyway), one of the only roads in NJ where you can really open it up. Once I was stopped on the NJTP for doing 90+ in the rain and when the trooper asked me what's the hurry, I told him my son was racing at the Meadowlands and I was late (HTG true story!). He gave me a ticket for hanging sh!t on my rear view mirror and told me to slow down. Must have been the gold PBA sticker on my windshield?

[NFRs2000NYC 7]

You have great evidence BUT, I wouldn't be surprised if these idiots don't say "you should have pulled over, gone over to the offices, and handled it that way." Either way, I hope you beat it.

[NFRs2000NYC 7]

Actually, If I remember correctly, EZ Pass was free for the first couple of years. The whole system was supposed to pay for itself with the fines they would collect for toll violators. When that didn't happen, they initiated fees. By that time, people were so used to the convenience, they just kept it and paid the $12.00 a year. It was like they suckered you in and then you were hooked.

 

 

I believe it is still free if you have it pegged to a credit card. I just checked my statement and don't see any kind of fees on it.