New Jersey Turnpike

[NJRoadfan]

10,000 pounds gross allows 3/4 ton (like mine) and many 1 ton trucks (at least those with two wheels in  the rear, but probably not "dually" trucks with four wheels in the back).

......and today I saw a dually towing a long goose neck trailer (about the length typically seen being towed by a semi) on the GSP northbound near Exit 135. Both the truck and trailer had Texas plates, likely clueless to the weight restrictions.

Meanwhile..... detour notices were posted on the GSP northbound from around MP 75 to MP 98 advising traffic to "NW Philadelphia" that I-276 was closed and to use I-195 instead. I'd say a mere fraction of the traffic, if any, was heading to the PA Turnpike at that point!

[jeffandnicole]

GPSs have nothing to do with people not knowing it's a toll road. Collecting tolls from 2001-2004, people didn't have GPSs in their vehicles. They didn't have their money ready then either...even though they were sitting in traffic approaching the booth, and could, I would think, see the transacting of money to and from the car to the booth of those in front of them.

10,000 pounds gross allows 3/4 ton (like mine) and many 1 ton trucks (at least those with two wheels in  the rear, but probably not "dually" trucks with four wheels in the back).

......and today I saw a dually towing a long goose neck trailer (about the length typically seen being towed by a semi) on the GSP northbound near Exit 135. Both the truck and trailer had Texas plates, likely clueless to the weight restrictions.

The signs simply say "No trucks". They don't say anything as to weight. And a passenger vehicle + trailer is not a truck.

[1995hoo]

Interesting timing on your comments, cpzilliacus. A truck was stuck on Rock Creek Parkway during this morning's rush hour.

My sat-nav won't even send me on there at all because it's a fully-reversible road.

jeffandnicole, your comments remind me of how little old ladies who write checks at the grocery store invariably wait until everything is rung up before even starting to dig through their massive pocketbooks to find the checkbook, let alone filling in the check!

[jeffandnicole]

jeffandnicole, your comments remind me of how little old ladies who write checks at the grocery store invariably wait until everything is rung up before even starting to dig through their massive pocketbooks to find the checkbook, let alone filling in the check!

I enjoyed my 3.5 years there.  I've always said though...you learn a lot about the motoring public.  After just a single weekend, you find out how scary it is to be on the road with everyone else.  You truly never comprehend how dumb people are on the highways until you get a chance to talk with them.

In terms of the toll booth...I've had people, after sitting for a few miles, approach, and think it's just some sort of checkpoint and ask if they can just keep going.  Most people have no idea how to read the toll ticket they get on the NJ Turnpike.  Guaranteed, someone would approach each weekend with $2 or $3 in their hand.  On entry.  There were no signs stating to pay a toll ahead.  They just had money out ready to pay instead of taking the ticket. 

For the people that need to look around for their money...after trying to find their ones and fives and look thru their coins for the change, they eventually just hand me a $20. They could've had that ready when they got to the booth, and they and everyone else would've been thru a lot faster.

Twice, when I asked for their ticket, they gave me their speeding ticket.

Granted, I worked weekends where many people aren't used to the Turnpike.  Weekday traffic I would imagine is a bit different when regulars approach, ticket and money in hand.  On the weekends, the closest I got to that was on Race Weekends down at Dover Downs.  Those people understood the Turnpike.  They sped in, handed over the correct money, and took off. 

[cpzilliacus]

10,000 pounds gross allows 3/4 ton (like mine) and many 1 ton trucks (at least those with two wheels in  the rear, but probably not "dually" trucks with four wheels in the back).

......and today I saw a dually towing a long goose neck trailer (about the length typically seen being towed by a semi) on the GSP northbound near Exit 135. Both the truck and trailer had Texas plates, likely clueless to the weight restrictions.

I saw the NJSP with a similar truck/trailer combination stopped on the southbound GSP just south of I-78 (at the point where the trooper got the truck and trailer to stop, the right shoulder was very narrow and the trooper deliberately had his car partially blocking the right lane).

Meanwhile..... detour notices were posted on the GSP northbound from around MP 75 to MP 98 advising traffic to "NW Philadelphia" that I-276 was closed and to use I-195 instead. I'd say a mere fraction of the traffic, if any, was heading to the PA Turnpike at that point!

From a look at the highway network, I think you are correct.

[cpzilliacus]

jeffandnicole, your comments remind me of how little old ladies who write checks at the grocery store invariably wait until everything is rung up before even starting to dig through their massive pocketbooks to find the checkbook, let alone filling in the check!

I enjoyed my 3.5 years there.  I've always said though...you learn a lot about the motoring public.  After just a single weekend, you find out how scary it is to be on the road with everyone else.  You truly never comprehend how dumb people are on the highways until you get a chance to talk with them.

In terms of the toll booth...I've had people, after sitting for a few miles, approach, and think it's just some sort of checkpoint and ask if they can just keep going.  Most people have no idea how to read the toll ticket they get on the NJ Turnpike.  Guaranteed, someone would approach each weekend with $2 or $3 in their hand.  On entry.  There were no signs stating to pay a toll ahead.  They just had money out ready to pay instead of taking the ticket.

The excellent Looking for America on the New Jersey Turnpike has some stories from the Turnpike's toll plazas, back in the days when there was no E-ZPass.

[jeffandnicole]

Per the NJTA Regulations, actually, ALL vehicles are prohibited from the Parkway North of Exit 105!!  Then, the regulation details the exceptions of vehicles that aren't prohibited...which includes cars!

Here's the actual rule, from http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/documents/regulationsunofficialversionforWebsite.pdf, § 19:9-1.9 Limitations on use of Roadway :

(b) Use of the Parkway and entry thereon by the following, unless otherwise authorized by the Authority, is prohibited:
1. All vehicles, except cars, campers, omnibuses, attached noncommercial trailers or semitrailers are prohibited from the Parkway north of Interchange 105

Thus, as both cars and trailers are exceptions, it's pretty clear that cars towing a trailer are permitted on the Parkway North of Exit 105.

10,000 pounds gross allows 3/4 ton (like mine) and many 1 ton trucks (at least those with two wheels in  the rear, but probably not "dually" trucks with four wheels in the back).

......and today I saw a dually towing a long goose neck trailer (about the length typically seen being towed by a semi) on the GSP northbound near Exit 135. Both the truck and trailer had Texas plates, likely clueless to the weight restrictions.

I saw the NJSP with a similar truck/trailer combination stopped on the southbound GSP just south of I-78 (at the point where the trooper got the truck and trailer to stop, the right shoulder was very narrow and the trooper deliberately had his car partially blocking the right lane).

Did the cop stop them for being on the road illegally...were they speeding...or did they have a breakdown?  That's why I'm always hesitant on saying someone was stopped for one specific reason, because there's always numerous reasons why they could've been stopped.  Most people assume someone pulled over was speeding, although there's literally hundreds of reasons why someone was on the shoulder with a cop behind them.  And I would think if a cop was going to pull someone over, they would do so where safe.  They try not blocking lanes for an accident, much less a generic traffic stop.

[ixnay]

The excellent Looking for America on the New Jersey Turnpike has some stories from the Turnpike's toll plazas, back in the days when there was no E-ZPass.

Written by two Rutgers profs.  It also tells of the regulation of taking photographs or footage on the NJTP.  How long that reg has been on the books, and why it was enacted, LfAotNJTP fails to say.

ixnay

[kkt]

In terms of the toll booth...I've had people, after sitting for a few miles, approach, and think it's just some sort of checkpoint and ask if they can just keep going.  Most people have no idea how to read the toll ticket they get on the NJ Turnpike.  Guaranteed, someone would approach each weekend with $2 or $3 in their hand.  On entry.  There were no signs stating to pay a toll ahead.  They just had money out ready to pay instead of taking the ticket. 

They were probably too busy hunting for their cell phones so they could take a picture of the last living toll taker to count out their money ahead of time.

[SignBridge]

Thanks J&N for your candid comments about the drivers you experienced as a toll-collector.

Looking For America On The New Jersey Turnpike is an excellent history of the Turnpike's early days and current (as of 1989) operations. I bought the hard-cover when it was first published. Really interesting reading.

[Alps]

Per the NJTA Regulations, actually, ALL vehicles are prohibited from the Parkway North of Exit 105!!  Then, the regulation details the exceptions of vehicles that aren't prohibited...which includes cars!

Here's the actual rule, from http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/documents/regulationsunofficialversionforWebsite.pdf, § 19:9-1.9 Limitations on use of Roadway :

(b) Use of the Parkway and entry thereon by the following, unless otherwise authorized by the Authority, is prohibited:
1. All vehicles, except cars, campers, omnibuses, attached noncommercial trailers or semitrailers are prohibited from the Parkway north of Interchange 105

Thus, as both cars and trailers are exceptions, it's pretty clear that cars towing a trailer are permitted on the Parkway North of Exit 105.

Whence motorcycles?

[lepidopteran]

Thus, as both cars and trailers are exceptions, it's pretty clear that cars towing a trailer are permitted on the Parkway North of Exit 105.

Whence motorcycles?

Then again, motorcycles are permitted (I presume) in the "Cars Only" lanes on the turnpike mainline.

[NJRoadfan]

Motorcycles were originally banned from the GSP. The law was amended later. Whats funny is that some original "NO TRUCKS/BICYCLES/MOTORCYCLES/PEDS" signs still stand on on-ramps in Union County. They had "MOTORCYCLES" covered up, but most have worn off again.

https://goo.gl/maps/3vdtHRt5tp42
https://goo.gl/maps/1EHLfLSpXmT2 (this one went missing recently)

Whats funny is the standard NJDOT freeway prohibitions sign includes horses, but not these parkway ones. I guess horses are allowed on the Parkway.

[cpzilliacus]

I saw the NJSP with a similar truck/trailer combination stopped on the southbound GSP just
south of I-78 (at the point where the trooper got the truck and trailer to stop, the right shoulder was very narrow and the trooper deliberately had his car partially blocking the right lane).

Did the cop stop them for being on the road illegally...were they speeding...or did they have a breakdown?  That's why I'm always hesitant on saying someone was stopped for one specific reason, because there's always numerous reasons why they could've been stopped.  Most people assume someone pulled over was speeding, although there's literally hundreds of reasons why someone was on the shoulder with a cop behind them.  And I would think if a cop was going to pull someone over, they would do so where safe.  They try not blocking lanes for an accident, much less a generic traffic stop.

I assume that they stopped the truck and its trailer because it was too long/too wide/too heavy for the GSP, though I have no way of knowing that with certainty (if it matters, the truck had commercial markings on it, which may  have included a USDOT number). I have driven the GSP many times in my 3/4 ton truck and never even gotten a dirty look from a NJSP trooper.

It did not appear to be a breakdown (there was no evidence of any mechanical problems).

There may have been construction going on there to create the narrow shoulder, but it was a few years ago, and I am not certain about that. 

[cpzilliacus]

The excellent Looking for America on the New Jersey Turnpike has some stories from the Turnpike's toll plazas, back in the days when there was no E-ZPass.

Written by two Rutgers profs.  It also tells of the regulation of taking photographs or footage on the NJTP.  How long that reg has been on the books, and why it was enacted, LfAotNJTP fails to say.

ixnay

They discussed that case in some detail.  The guy that  was charged with violating the New Jersey  Administrative Code that dealt with  photography and filming on the Turnpike was convicted after a trial.  But he had the last word, as the section of the NJAC that forbade such activities was invalidated by a state appeals court for being too broad (and I believe too vague), and charges against the person in question were dismissed.

[GenExpwy]

Thus, as both cars and trailers are exceptions, it's pretty clear that cars towing a trailer are permitted on the Parkway North of Exit 105.

Whence motorcycles?

Then again, motorcycles are permitted (I presume) in the "Cars Only" lanes on the turnpike mainline.

http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/documents/regulationsunofficialversionforWebsite.pdf, § 19:9-1.1 Definitions

"Car" means a passenger motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, station wagons, hearses, funeral flower and funeral service vehicles for which issuance of passenger car plates is authorized, taxicabs, motorcycles, two-axle four-tire campers, panel vans, pickup trucks and similar vehicles having a gross weight not exceeding 10,000 pounds.

[jeffandnicole]

For what it's worth, the regs are slightly out of date, as they still mention the 50 mph zone on the GSP around Interchanges 9 - 11 due to the traffic lights which are now gone and is now 65 mph thru that area, and the 55 mph zone on the GSP MP 80 - 100, which is now 65 mph as well.

Thus, as both cars and trailers are exceptions, it's pretty clear that cars towing a trailer are permitted on the Parkway North of Exit 105.

Whence motorcycles?

Then again, motorcycles are permitted (I presume) in the "Cars Only" lanes on the turnpike mainline.

Technically, motorcycles (and all vehicles) are permitted in both the car and truck lanes of the NJ Turnpike.  They are clearly better suited for the car lanes though!

[roadman65]

GPSs have nothing to do with people not knowing it's a toll road. Collecting tolls from 2001-2004, people didn't have GPSs in their vehicles. They didn't have their money ready then either...even though they were sitting in traffic approaching the booth, and could, I would think, see the transacting of money to and from the car to the booth of those in front of them.

10,000 pounds gross allows 3/4 ton (like mine) and many 1 ton trucks (at least those with two wheels in  the rear, but probably not "dually" trucks with four wheels in the back).

......and today I saw a dually towing a long goose neck trailer (about the length typically seen being towed by a semi) on the GSP northbound near Exit 135. Both the truck and trailer had Texas plates, likely clueless to the weight restrictions.

The signs simply say "No trucks". They don't say anything as to weight. And a passenger vehicle + trailer is not a truck.

No people do not comprehend road signs anymore.  Heck even if you are a stranger to an area where you would figure you would be paying attention to the road signs so you know what you are doing and where you are going, many are not reading and comprehending, and also not orientating themselves with the surroundings.

We have both the FL 417 Greeneway and the FL 528 Beachline running between the I Drive/ Disney area and the Orlando Airport.  The former has two mainline plazas charging the cars $1.50 and the latter has one $2.25 toll booth.  The GPS sends a driver to the airport on 417, but sends them back via FL 528 and of course after shelling out twice a buck fifty and coming into the other booths, they assume the rates are different both ways.   Heck one motorists accused one of my fellow collectors of trying to pocket 75 cents, all because all toll plazas look the same.

You are so right as it is scary to know what is on the mind of other motorists as you see it in the toll booths.  I like the one where some drivers think that the Pre Paid Tolls mentioned on the ORT lanes for Sun Pass is referring to the fact that they paid at another area toll booth already that particular day.   Then the ones who exit the road at Exit 8 heading west on FL 528 because the top of the exit guide sign says "CASH TOLL $1.25" and being the plaza for that ramp is alongside the main freeway on a distributor ramp, some pay the toll thinking that is a mainline plaza and the through lanes are express Sun Pass lanes.  Even with the traffic signal that is on the ramp leading back to FL 528 does not even tell the driver that he left the toll road proper, as Exit 8 leads to the parallel service road McCoy Road with an on ramp to FL 528 west right after the merge.

I even get people asking me if they can get back on the freeway after the toll booths, thinking that the toll lanes departing the express lanes is an exit to someplace.  At first I did not understand what each person meant, but then a lady explained to me in detail if the road she is on merges back to the road to the left her (meaning the express lanes.) Then many ask, also, what is the name or route number of the road they are on.   

I think modern people are disoriented and losing touch with reality.  It amazes me that questions that a doofus would normally ask that are considered to be "Duh" are asked by reputable people without the "Duh, where have you been."

[bzakharin]

Tolls aren't that intuitive to people who have never encountered one before at all or of that type. You've got main line tolls vs exit tolls, paying at each plaza or getting a ticket, what E-ZPass is, different meanings of "express". Even if you do research before travelling on one, you might be unprepared for on of the above situations.

[jeffandnicole]

Tolls aren't that intuitive to people who have never encountered one before at all or of that type. You've got main line tolls vs exit tolls, paying at each plaza or getting a ticket, what E-ZPass is, different meanings of "express". Even if you do research before travelling on one, you might be unprepared for on of the above situations.

When giving directions (ie: Stay Left), I've had a few people hold up their hands, then sticking up their index fingers with their thumbs out.  The left land forms an L.  That's how they know which side is their Left.

I've had people ask what state they're in.

I've had people that just went two hours out of their way because they went from I-80 East to I-95 South.  They really wanted I-95 North. They didn't question anything for nearly two hours...like, why haven't I gotten into New York yet, or seen a sign for New York for the past 100 miles.

People may be unfamiliar with toll roads, but some of the questions you get and some of the things you see have nothing to do with tolls.  Now, imagine situations like this on every road everywhere all the time.  You honestly have no clue what the guy next to you is doing or thinking.  I always thought there's probably an incredible amount of gas wasted by people simply going the wrong way.

Working a toll booth, you hear this stuff multiple times a day.  Asking how many miles it is to a city is one thing.  Asking how many miles it is to a city in the opposite direction is something totally different!

[kphoger]

......and today I saw a dually towing a long goose neck trailer (about the length typically seen being towed by a semi) on the GSP northbound near Exit 135. Both the truck and trailer had Texas plates, likely clueless to the weight restrictions.

The signs simply say "No trucks". They don't say anything as to weight. And a passenger vehicle + trailer is not a truck.

No people do not comprehend road signs anymore.

While that may be true, the point remains that a sign that only says "No trucks" doesn't do much to deter someone whose vehicle/combination is not considered a truck in his home state.  Weight restrictions vary by state, and I think it's a failure that restrictive signs can make no mention of that state's weight threshold.

Heck even if you are a stranger to an area where you would figure you would be paying attention to the road signs so you know what you are doing and where you are going, many are not reading and comprehending, and also not orientating themselves with the surroundings.

...

I even get people asking me if they can get back on the freeway after the toll booths, thinking that the toll lanes departing the express lanes is an exit to someplace.  At first I did not understand what each person meant, but then a lady explained to me in detail if the road she is on merges back to the road to the left her (meaning the express lanes.) Then many ask, also, what is the name or route number of the road they are on.   

I think modern people are disoriented and losing touch with reality.  It amazes me that questions that a doofus would normally ask that are considered to be "Duh" are asked by reputable people without the "Duh, where have you been."

I sometimes wonder how people have managed to get anywhere at all, but then I remember that a lot of people don't really travel very far from home.  A long-distance driving trip is normal to us, but not to a lot of people.

[kphoger]

I've had people that just went two hours out of their way because they went from I-80 East to I-95 South.  They really wanted I-95 North. They didn't question anything for nearly two hours...like, why haven't I gotten into New York yet, or seen a sign for New York for the past 100 miles.

I used to be good friends with a man from Bolivia.  He was a coworker, and a roommate for a while.  Anyway, when he first moved to the USA, he lived in Birmingham (AL), then later moved to the Chicago suburbs (where I knew him).  He told me he once set out to drive from Chicago to Birmingham but ended up in Saint Louis before realizing he had gotten on the wrong highway.  This is laughable to people like us who have a working knowledge of the road network and geography of our nation, but said knowledge is not universal.  My own sister-in-law still gets confused as to whether a particular location is a city or a state, and driving long-distance for her can be a challenging thing.

[PHLBOS]

I've had people ask what state they're in.

And did you answer... Confusion ? 

[bzakharin]

I've had people ask what state they're in.

And did you answer... Confusion ? 

If you were working where I think based on your post (Southbound Exit 1), this one isn't all that bad. If you zoned out you might not remember whether you've already paid the Turnpike toll and are in Delaware. If it were Northbound you've got people accidentally taking 295 instead of 95 trying to get to PA and realizing it early enough to get back on track easily.

[jeffandnicole]

I've had people ask what state they're in.

And did you answer... Confusion ? 

If you were working where I think based on your post (Southbound Exit 1), this one isn't all that bad. If you zoned out you might not remember whether you've already paid the Turnpike toll and are in Delaware. If it were Northbound you've got people accidentally taking 295 instead of 95 trying to get to PA and realizing it early enough to get back on track easily.

Yep...I worked at the old Interchange 1, along with Interchange 3.  On a rare OT shift I worked 4 and 7A.  But 1 and 3 were my base interchanges.  3 was quite dead on my weekend overnight shifts.  1 was quiet, especially after about 1am.  But holiday weekends, such as Thanksgiving, we would have traffic already backed up at 6am at that old plaza!

I left the Turnpike just 2 months or so after new Interchange 1 toll plaza opened.  While the 23 toll lanes were needed back then, it's massively overbuilt for today's typical Turnpike traveler, as most people use EZ Pass.  Actually, the original design didn't include any express EZ Pass lanes.  A minor design change took out 3 traditional toll lanes each direction and replaced them with the 2 Express lanes.

In regards to zoning out...if they're heading south, you could be correct.  But if they were heading north, they managed to ignore the 95/295 split in Delaware, then the 295/NJ Turnpike split in NJ if they got to me.  Of course, between the 95/295 split, there's numerous references to New Jersey, along with 'NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE' posted right above their heads as they approached the toll plaza.  I used "You're on the NEW JERSEY Turnpike" sometimes.  For a few people, that didn't mean anything to them...they still wanted to know the state they were in.  And that big Delaware Memorial Bridge they just crossed...it meant nothing to them.  Some people didn't even know they crossed a bridge!  Now, at the old Interchange 1 plaza, if they were going the wrong way and wanted to go back south, we were allowed to inform them to take the employee entrance out to Rt. 40 to try again...although it required them to cut in front of a live EZ Pass lane (the 15 mph type travelled at 30 mph).  If traffic was busier, or they didn't want to get off right away, they had to take a toll ticket and had to go to Interchange 2.  I don't think they were too happy when they got up there as it was 11 miles away!

There was a fair amount of confusion of people going south, thinking they were still on 95.  That is understandable...even if they haven't seen a I-95 sign for many miles (there were a few in the median saying 'To 95', but they were extremely rare).  And if they were heading to Delaware and points south, it wasn't really a big deal.  But if were going to, say, Philadelphia, they were a bit upset when I told them they passed it a half-hour ago!  (Interchanges 4 & 3 were signed for Philly at the time, but they figured they were on 95 and would simply run directly into the city.)