License Plate Scanners.

[scootr]

Next town over tried red light cameras. It was very successful and lucrative ... until somebody pointed out that the the camera company set up a short yellow light to catch more people... then the chit hit the fan and camaeras came down. No solace for those who got caught though.
Many years ago I got a toll booth fine in the mail and I said no way ! I don't drive there, well they said, we have a picture of your plate.
It can't be I said, wait that date is familiar... oh yeah, I was in surgery 100 miles away that AM.
Stuff your picture... charges dropped.

 

[Torvy]

Last year I was traveling through Texas with my truck. In a few of the Metro areas, I traveled on toll roads, but there was never a place to pay tolls. I shrugged it off and forgot about it. Last month I received a bill from Texas motor vehicle for the tolls. Apparently the transponder correctly read my license plate, but waiting nearly a year later to bill me seems like there’s a glitch somewhere in the system.

The glitch is usually between the company billing the tolls and your state DMV. (Not you specifically, the generic you).

 

[Torvy]

Texas outlawed red light cameras a few years ago. They were not solving the problem, iirc, more accidents were reported.

We have a few toll tag options. They usually are discounted versus pay-by-mail or toll booth. (Only booths remaining in DFW are at the airport, I believe). The tags also work in other states.

These are not considered 'moving violations', so the tickets go against the car owner, not the driver (like a parking ticket). I try to avoid tolls, but sometimes my time is worth the money. I have no problem paying tolls by mail. You know when you use them. If you didn't, there is a dispute process.

I do have issues with red light/speed camera stuff by mail. Too many examples of what anyone else would call fraud. We don't have those here anymore and I won't pay out of state ones.

 

[jyoutz]

The glitch is usually between the company billing the tolls and your state DMV. (Not you specifically, the generic you).

I just received a bill from Texas MVD, not my state’s. I think the glitch is the company doing the billing. No problem. I paid the $13.

 

[Oaktree]

In PA with EZ pass you have an required account, supported by 2 credit cards, when your account gets down to a predetermined level, they recharge your primary CC so they always have your money to get the toll paid.
You need to keep attention on your account to make sure your not getting screwed

Here in N.H. pre-Ezpass the state sold tokens at a discount (at one time 50%, later 35%) for toll booths. When they switched to Ezpass, they almost immediately discontinued accepting the tokens leaving anyone who'd purchased them holding the bag. No refunds.

My wife got a text a couple weeks ago saying she still owed money for toll roads in Minnesota.

There are no toll roads in Minnesota, a few express lanes, but no toll roads.

And how would the DMV have gotten her cellphone #? Scam.

 

[5030]

We have EZ Pass in all our vehicles and have never had an issue, ever.

 

[MoKelly]

Having commuted to Billy Joel's Allentown everyday in my 20's, I used to look forward to Memorial Day as the week all the cute college girls would show up in the toll booths. It was a very popular summer job for college girls, around here. Of course, if I commuted to KoP, where the wait for the toll booth could be 20+ minutes, I'd have felt very differently.

Allentown Billy Joel Allentown - Google Search

Great song.

 

[zzvyb6]

Michigan has an online vanity license plate ordering system. They can tell you that a plate is already taken and, if not, how it appears. you can print off the image and probably cover over your actual plate. They wanted one of these back. Guess which one. Sent a State Police K-9 unit to my home to remove it. Replaced with a standard one. Apologies in advance for the weak hearted.

 

[5030]

We run vanity plates on all our vehicles and pay an extra 20 bucks a year for them. Easy to remember the tag number however.

 

[ruffdog]

My wife got a text a couple weeks ago saying she still owed money for toll roads in Minnesota.

There are no toll roads in Minnesota, a few express lanes, but no toll roads.

Pretty low drama here in Wisconsin too. Just the way I like it.

 

[WinterDeere]

We run vanity plates on all our vehicles and pay an extra 20 bucks a year for them. Easy to remember the tag number however.

That’s exactly why I’ve never bought them. As one who drives with a little too much “spirit”, I don’t want to make it easier for the cops to remember or memorize my plate.

 

[5030]

I drive like the old fart I am so not an issue. I haven't been stopped for anything in at least 20 years. If I did get stopped, first thing they would do is run my plate and find out I have a CCW anyway.

 

[5030]

Pretty low drama here in Wisconsin too. Just the way I like it.

I like the Cheese state as well. Where my favorite beanery is from... Culvers.

 

[lman]

In PA with EZ pass you have an required account, supported by 2 credit cards, when your account gets down to a predetermined level, they recharge your primary CC so they always have your money to get the toll paid.
You need to keep attention on your account to make sure your not getting screwed

I had an EZ Pass on my windshield about 10 years ago and decided that I wouldn't use it for probably 10 years so I went to their office on the Toll Road and gave it back and asked for my money that was left on the account.
I wondered how many people would just forget about it and give them their money. I pay enough taxes.

 

[5030]

When I hauled steel for an outfit in Toledo, Ohio, all the trucks had EZ Pass transponders in them and they are convenient.

I see Ohio and Indiana charges for the transponders but Massachusetts don't and I got 4 of them for the vehicles for free and they even paid the postage. My account is with the Mass Turnpike authority.

 

[Eagle1]

The only toll road in MO is no more. Construction was paid for and the bridge went back to MODOT this month and is no longer a toll road.

 

[5030]

Wife and I went to Elkhart a couple weeks ago and I went out US 24 to I69 to US 20 but coming back my wife wanted to run the Indy Pike and the Ohio Pike and she drove back and she was amazed how easy the EZ pass worked plus now Ohio is like PA, you don't even slow down, keep on trucking under the receivers at 70. Problem is, those things put a lot of people out of work in toll booths.

I like using it in Illinois, especially around Chicago where the toll booth attendants are rude anyway. Been my experience that the majority of people that live in Cook County are rude anyway.

Kind of similar to New York City. People there are rude as well and the tolls there are stupid too.

 

[kenmbz]

People are not rude in NYC, they just hate other people

 

[Eagle1]

People are not rude in NYC, they just hate other people

I can relate to the hate people part but I'm only rude if one initiates that.

 

[kenmbz]

I can relate to the hate people part but I'm only rude if one initiates that.

Working in NYC for 30 years, rude is an interesting way to define this.

Most people are nice, but want to get on with their life.
I spent a lot of my childhood between western rural MA, NYC and LI NY.
I like rural and City, suburbs can be a drag.
Getting to be in both to me makes the other seem better.

Everyone says NYC is rude, but I do not find most people to be rude, more like impatient as life moves quickly there.

Both are great experiences and both have many great life lessons.