THE GPS Made me do it

[roadman65]

I am lately a toll collector for Florida's Turnpike Enterprise and some of you folks here need to hear the excuses that some people give for not carrying money with them to pay a toll.

The best one is "My GPS made me travel this road" and further exclaiming " Therefore I had no choice but to be here" before asking "What do I do, I did not bring any money with me."  This from tourists who just arrived from another location from OIA or "MCO" as that is the official 3 letter abbreviation for Orlando International Airport.

The next ones are:

1) There is no signs telling me its a toll road.
2) I just paid a toll going the other way, why do I need to pay this way too?
3) How are we supposed to drive this road if we have no money?  In this case well aware its a toll road, but getting on it anyway to ask that stupid question.
4) Whipping out the Visa and Mastercard, like its common.
5)I just paid a toll a few miles back (that one is good at the Beachline West in Orlando for those just exiting the Florida Turnpike which had a ramp toll just previous).

That GPS one is the best, as we all are aware that if the GPS sent them on a one way street it they would not follow the advice of the unit.  Plus I am told that you can program it to avoid tolls and the fact that FL 528 does sign the road as a "TOLL" on its shields could give one an option to ask around before getting into an embarrassing situation.

Just so you know in Florida we allow ten days to pay a toll by mail on Turnpike maintained road.  The collector files a report and issues a business card to the motorist that has all the mail in information.  We even have some that are frequent users of that one, and pull into my lane right away asking for that business card like they have done it prior to that.



Also some other interesting habits of toll patrons that I have noticed.

1) Pull about six feet away from the booth and reach out a long ways to hand over your fare.
2) Always use the far right lanes having long lines at the right lanes and short or even no lines at the left and far left lanes.
3) About 20 percent of the cars going through the plazas do not have windows that roll down.  Yes, I have to admit that many patrons have to open their doors to pay a toll.
4) Complain about the tolls in Orlando being so close (although that one is true and I have said it here before when they added the Dallas Mainline plaza in rural Orange County, but many of you shamed me into thinking that I was the only one who complained about that one).  Yes many were mad at both the Beachline West and the Airport Plaza being too close and some were furious at me and the State of Florida claiming that we "Sucker the tourists into paying the tolls coming to and from the Airport in Orlando."



I thought I would share with you what goes on at toll plazas and just how ignorant the general public is about toll roads as well as the legitimate complaints that many educated consumers have about the way we collect tolls on our highways.

[Jardine]

I'm always amazed the number of people out driving around without actual cash money on them.

I learned with my shitty 84 Mustang to always have enough cash on hand to get that piece of crap towed to wherever I was trying to go.

[Rothman]

*shrug*

For the last two tows I had, I was able to pay with a credit card.

I do have to say that I find it annoying that you can't pay with a credit card at toll booths, despite the fact that I understand that it would probably cause longer lines due to the time to process.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Last year I was in Illinois and came to the last booth on I-90 westbound before the Wisconsin border. The toll was $1.90; I had $2 in cash so I told the toll collector to keep the dime. She told me they're not allowed to do that, which I was slightly surprised to hear.

[tradephoric]

How often do you encounter people who want to pay the toll for drivers behind them?

[Pete from Boston]

I'm always amazed the number of people out driving around without actual cash money on them.

I learned with my shitty 84 Mustang to always have enough cash on hand to get that piece of crap towed to wherever I was trying to go.

I can't believe people drive without at least basic AAA.  One use a year and it more than pays for itself.

[Rothman]

I'm always amazed the number of people out driving around without actual cash money on them.

I learned with my shitty 84 Mustang to always have enough cash on hand to get that piece of crap towed to wherever I was trying to go.

I can't believe people drive without at least basic AAA.  One use a year and it more than pays for itself.

I've had AAA Plus for seven years now and have probably really used it three times. Not sure if it pays for itself, but it certainly offers a lot of peace of mind.

As an aside, I get deeper hotel discounts from my union.

[roadman65]

How often do you encounter people who want to pay the toll for drivers behind them?

It happens quite a lot. I get people paying for the car behind them often.

In fact one time a girl paid her $1 toll for herself, but this time she told the car behind her to go on through making them believe that she paid for them.  Unfortunately the dummies did as she says and now the owner of that car will have to answer to an unpaid toll notice.  I believe they were all together, though, but still "Oh the car in front of us said she paid the toll, so we went through."  The problem is, the cameras document every move inside the booth.   Every transaction is recorded, so it will not take long for big brother to review her action that she only gave me a buck and nothing more.  These guys will not only show them not paying me, but crossing the threshold to where the post toll camera takes your tag number along with me not entering a toll class and tender amount for them.  BTW, whether you pay the toll or not FDOT has a picture of every vehicle's tag number as it automatically records every vehicle pulling out of the lane!

What sucks for me is that the toll at the Beachline West is 2.25 and they hand me 5.25 which any moron with a half a brain knows that you give back an even 3.  However the crappy Sealtouch computer screen we have records 5.55 when I hit 5.25 into the screen or worst yet when I hit the $5 button to give back $2.75 it tells me that I was requesting change for a ten spot thus on the screen showing that I owe the customer $7.75 back.  Our touch screen sucks and I am required to enter the right tender amount even though I know what to give back.  With that moron computer taking its time or not listening to the square I hit, if I were to do that it would take forever to get a car through that lane.  Not to mention making me look stupid as when a customer hands me $20.25 to get an even 18 in change back and I have to log it all in accordingly just to get the "THANK YOU" screen up so that they do not get a ticket for an unpaid toll violation for a toll that they paid.  In a perfect world I would just hit the ENTER key as I do for an exact amount, but my supervisor says if I get audited and they find that my bank acquired ten twenty dollar bills and only show I gave change for five twenties, I will have questions asked to me where the other five twenties came from.  Even though their computer does not know to respond well to touch, and it does not take a dummy to figure out the change needed to give, they are strict about everything.

In fact I must fill out many reports so that some do not get an unpaid toll notice in the mail for when they did because the computer was either slow to record the tender amount or unresponsive to the amount I entered to get the OK screen to allow them to pass legally.   Plus with some just handing me the money and just pulling out with confirmation from me that its okay, does not help either with that.    Heck many who have SUNPASS do not even check to see if it registers on my screen with some just flying by at highway speed as some if they are not giving me mixed coins with over 20 or so pieces are doing just that.  Its like a race to get the computer to accept what is happening.  Fortunately, for those who speed and have no active SUNPASS, at least its not my responsibility there as the one good thing about my job is I am not responsible for toll violaters.

[roadman65]

Last year I was in Illinois and came to the last booth on I-90 westbound before the Wisconsin border. The toll was $1.90; I had $2 in cash so I told the toll collector to keep the dime. She told me they're not allowed to do that, which I was slightly surprised to hear.

We are not allowed to take extra either, but at the same time we cannot even buy money like, for example, I encounter a really nice $ coin and I want to reach into my pocket and swap a dollar bill out of my wallet for it that is a big no no.  I cannot even buy money from other collectors as FDOT is so strict about every detail they make you feel like the money that is in your own pocket when you come to work is theirs.  We are asked not to keep our own money on us while we are in the booth, and that we must lock it up in the employee lockers we have.   If you accidentally pull out a quarter out of you own pocket while reaching for something else like a hanky and someone at FDOT sees it on camera, they will automatically consider you a thief and that you stole it from your bank.  Heck when we are in the deposit room, we have to literally keep the money in sight meaning if you sneeze and turn away from it for even a half a second, FDOT does not like that and will take action.   You have to hold it in front of you and while walking with it the bag or stack must be within the cone of your direct vision, and not carry with you low or under your armpit even after the bag for deposit is locked with only Brinks (the state's bank) only has the key to remove your deposit at the Brinks vault!  They treat it as a real thief can get into the locked room and has a key that Brinks only has several miles away in a guarded vault as of all of this.

[Pete from Boston]

Last year I was in Illinois and came to the last booth on I-90 westbound before the Wisconsin border. The toll was $1.90; I had $2 in cash so I told the toll collector to keep the dime. She told me they're not allowed to do that, which I was slightly surprised to hear.

We are not allowed to take extra either, but at the same time we cannot even buy money like, for example, I encounter a really nice $ coin and I want to reach into my pocket and swap a dollar bill out of my wallet for it that is a big no no.  I cannot even buy money from other collectors as FDOT is so strict about every detail they make you feel like the money that is in your own pocket when you come to work is theirs.  We are asked not to keep our own money on us while we are in the booth, and that we must lock it up in the employee lockers we have.   If you accidentally pull out a quarter out of you own pocket while reaching for something else like a hanky and someone at FDOT sees it on camera, they will automatically consider you a thief and that you stole it from your bank.  Heck when we are in the deposit room, we have to literally keep the money in sight meaning if you sneeze and turn away from it for even a half a second, FDOT does not like that and will take action.   You have to hold it in front of you and while walking with it the bag or stack must be within the cone of your direct vision, and not carry with you low or under your armpit even after the bag for deposit is locked with only Brinks (the state's bank) only has the key to remove your deposit at the Brinks vault!  They treat it as a real thief can get into the locked room and has a key that Brinks only has several miles away in a guarded vault as of all of this.

I'm not all that surprised. A big bureaucracy that handles that much cash has to be vigilant. When we still had subway tokens here, the MBTA counting room was somewhat legendary for its money "leaks."  I'm not sure if or how this has changed with the advent of electronic fare collection, but I suspect there is much less cash in the system, and hopefully they have locked it down a little better.

[hbelkins]

I'm always amazed the number of people out driving around without actual cash money on them.

I learned with my shitty 84 Mustang to always have enough cash on hand to get that piece of crap towed to wherever I was trying to go.

I can't believe people drive without at least basic AAA.  One use a year and it more than pays for itself.

I've had AAA Plus for seven years now and have probably really used it three times. Not sure if it pays for itself, but it certainly offers a lot of peace of mind.

As an aside, I get deeper hotel discounts from my union.

Had AAA (originally basic and later plus) for more than 25 years. Had to give it up last year due to my personal financial situation. It came in handy more times than I care to count over the years. Now I live in fear of a mechanical breakdown, as I couldn't even afford the tow these days.

[US 41]

I'm always amazed the number of people out driving around without actual cash money on them.

I learned with my shitty 84 Mustang to always have enough cash on hand to get that piece of crap towed to wherever I was trying to go.

I can't believe people drive without at least basic AAA.  One use a year and it more than pays for itself.

I've had AAA Plus for seven years now and have probably really used it three times. Not sure if it pays for itself, but it certainly offers a lot of peace of mind.

As an aside, I get deeper hotel discounts from my union.

Had AAA (originally basic and later plus) for more than 25 years. Had to give it up last year due to my personal financial situation. It came in handy more times than I care to count over the years. Now I live in fear of a mechanical breakdown, as I couldn't even afford the tow these days.

I have roadside / towing and it only costs me like $4 for 6 months and I can use it anywhere in the US and Canada. It even covers me if I run out of gas! They'll have someone bring me gas for free (well kind of I still have to pay for the gas of course).

I always carry cash on me. It helps me limit my spending. Swiping a card seems to easy to me which is why I don't have a debit card. Plus I don't like the idea of someone being able to just take money out of my bank account.

[Rothman]

I always carry cash on me. It helps me limit my spending. Swiping a card seems to easy to me which is why I don't have a debit card. Plus I don't like the idea of someone being able to just take money out of my bank account.

I only use my debit card at the ATM.  Dealing with stolen credit card numbers is infinitely easier than if someone gets into your bank account.  Heck, I just had my credit card number stolen a few weeks ago and it really was only a minor inconvenience (stay away from the Denny's in Lake Station, IN ).

[Scott5114]

Last year I was in Illinois and came to the last booth on I-90 westbound before the Wisconsin border. The toll was $1.90; I had $2 in cash so I told the toll collector to keep the dime. She told me they're not allowed to do that, which I was slightly surprised to hear.

We are not allowed to take extra either, but at the same time we cannot even buy money like, for example, I encounter a really nice $ coin and I want to reach into my pocket and swap a dollar bill out of my wallet for it that is a big no no.  I cannot even buy money from other collectors as FDOT is so strict about every detail they make you feel like the money that is in your own pocket when you come to work is theirs.  We are asked not to keep our own money on us while we are in the booth, and that we must lock it up in the employee lockers we have.   If you accidentally pull out a quarter out of you own pocket while reaching for something else like a hanky and someone at FDOT sees it on camera, they will automatically consider you a thief and that you stole it from your bank.  Heck when we are in the deposit room, we have to literally keep the money in sight meaning if you sneeze and turn away from it for even a half a second, FDOT does not like that and will take action.   You have to hold it in front of you and while walking with it the bag or stack must be within the cone of your direct vision, and not carry with you low or under your armpit even after the bag for deposit is locked with only Brinks (the state's bank) only has the key to remove your deposit at the Brinks vault!  They treat it as a real thief can get into the locked room and has a key that Brinks only has several miles away in a guarded vault as of all of this.

I work in a casino with a $70,000 starting bank some days, and somehow it's less strict than FDOT. Wow.

[bzakharin]

I keep cash on me mostly to pay less for gas, though if the price is the same I'll use a credit card. If I accidentally enter a toll road somehow, it more than likely accepts E-ZPass. The last time this happened though was at the Margate bridge, which does not accept E-ZPass. Luckily, I wasn't behind the wheel, so the driver paid cash for the toll. The last time I didn't have cash on me when I needed it was when I walked to an ice cream place with only $3 on me (I left my wallet at home) and the ice cream I bought was $3 plus tax. They let me not pay the tax.