EZ-Pass

mgirardo wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
What if someone from out of state just drove through the camera and then when the bill came in the mail they just chucked it ?

It depends on the state and how strictly it is enforced. Many years ago we rented a car. We went through an EZ-Pass booth, I think in Maryland. We called the Car Rental Agency to let them know. They told us that when they get the ticket with the license plate they'll cross reference it with their rental agreements and then send us a bill. Never got a bill.

We were in Florida a few years ago and didn't have any change, rarely ever do. None of the toll booths were attended and they did not take bills, so we just drove through. It was one of the toll roads around Orlando. Never got a notice about it.

My brother and his wife live in NJ and travel into PA every so often. My brother has EZ-Pass, but for some reason my Sister-in-Law has not gotten a transponder. She goes through EZ-Pass like she has a transponder. She gets notices from EZ-Pass every time. She got 4 in one day once when she went to Hershey Park. Since they have EZ-Pass, they just put their account # on the bill and send it in. The amount is deducted from their account.

PA and NJ border each other and she is a repeat offender, which is probably why she always gets a bill. We lived in GA when we ran FL's version of EZ-Pass, but we've never run a toll before or since, so I'm guessing they either let us off the hook or there is a warrant for my arrest in Orange County, Florida.

-Michael

In a lot of counties you can check for warrants on line at the county web site. Not all of them though. Around here it varies by county to county.

Thank you for all the information. I understand how it works now.

I do know people with no credit card. So in that case they must get a bill in the mail.

CavemanCharlie wrote:
What if someone from out of state just drove through the camera and then when the bill came in the mail they just chucked it ?

It depends on the state and how strictly it is enforced. Many years ago we rented a car. We went through an EZ-Pass booth, I think in Maryland. We called the Car Rental Agency to let them know. They told us that when they get the ticket with the license plate they'll cross reference it with their rental agreements and then send us a bill. Never got a bill.

We were in Florida a few years ago and didn't have any change, rarely ever do. None of the toll booths were attended and they did not take bills, so we just drove through. It was one of the toll roads around Orlando. Never got a notice about it.

My brother and his wife live in NJ and travel into PA every so often. My brother has EZ-Pass, but for some reason my Sister-in-Law has not gotten a transponder. She goes through EZ-Pass like she has a transponder. She gets notices from EZ-Pass every time. She got 4 in one day once when she went to Hershey Park. Since they have EZ-Pass, they just put their account # on the bill and send it in. The amount is deducted from their account.

PA and NJ border each other and she is a repeat offender, which is probably why she always gets a bill. We lived in GA when we ran FL's version of EZ-Pass, but we've never run a toll before or since, so I'm guessing they either let us off the hook or there is a warrant for my arrest in Orange County, Florida.

-Michael

They generally have a light-up sign at the toll booth that shows if the transponder battery is getting weak. I think all the EZPass transponders do have a battery, though not all RFID systems (of which it is one application) require a battery; some are powered by the radio signal itself from the reader.

If the battery is dead or the transponder otherwise fails to read for some reason, it bills your account based on the license plate reader. I think if you go through too many toll booths with a nonfunctional transponder there may be a penalty or fee or something.

For the most part, EZPass just works and works pretty well and the strange odd edge cases really aren't worth worrying about. Verifying one's statement against reality is, of course, not a bad practice, just like checking one's credit card statement.

tegu69 wrote:
....
What if your in a mh and not pulling anything, but a car is three feet from your rear end. Do you get charged for towing vehicle.

I'm pretty sure that most unmanned toll booths have a red and green signal light to indicate when you can approach the sensor; everyone else stays behind so as long as you aren't tailgating or purposely trying to avoid paying the toll should be fine.

What if you get a ticket in another state and you don't pay. I think all states now have reciprocity, you get dl suspended.
What if your in a mh and not pulling anything, but a car is three feet from your rear end. Do you get charged for towing vehicle.

Tvov wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I'm from MN so this is all a big mystery to me.

When I was a kid we used to go to Illinois once and awhile. You had to keep change in the car and when you went through the booth you threw about 35 cents into a big tub. It would roll to the bottom and be automatically counted. Then the gate would rise and you could drive on.

If you didn't have exact change there were booths with people in them that could make change.

In this day and age I'm sure that is all different. From readin on here I'm guessing that E-Z pass or some other version of it lets you go through the stop easily. My question is: what happens if you don't have one ??? Do you still go through the booth and throe 35 cents into the bucket ??? What if you don't have exact change ???

Sorry to hi-jack the thread but, I have been reading you all talk about if for awhile now and I'm am just wondering how it works ?

(The next thing you are going to tell me is that you swipe your credit card for the change. What if you don't have a credit card ??? )

Up until recently, toll booths would still have one or two people to take money and give change if needed. Now a lot of toll booths have cameras to record and send a bill to vehicles that don't have an EZPass.

Once you have an EZPass account, it is actually pretty simple. It is all done over the internet. One of your credit cards is "attached" to the account, and money is taken from the credit card as needed for tolls. You are sent a monthly statement, or more common now an internet / email statement. In New Jersey an account can have up to 4 transponders (small white box, looks like a garage door opener) connected with the account - this makes it easy to just have vehicles have their own transponder instead of switching one from vehicle to vehicle. Your vehicles' license plates are listed on your account, the cameras at EZPass tolls automatically record license plates and charge your account.

There are variations on how the EZPass account is setup from state to state, but they are all similar. Once you get an EZPass from any participating state, all participating states recognize it - you can drive through any participating state's tolls using it.

Best thing about EZPass is that toll booths no longer cause traffic jams. The latest EZPass "booths" are just cameras, and you travel 65mph under them - you don't slow down. EZPass lanes at older toll booths just require you to slow down to around 10mph while going through them.

Worst thing about EZPass is that the cost of tolls is kind of "hidden" from you... you see the amounts on a monthly statement, but it is different than having to physically hand over money.

I think that covers most of it, I probably forgot something. As I said, it is easier than this description probably makes it out to be!

Thank You.

What if someone from out of state just drove through the camera and then when the bill came in the mail they just chucked it ?

In fact, what makes anyone pay the bill ? Obviously if you live in that state and you don't pay they are going to yank your license. Some people wouldn't care and just drive without a license. Your odds of getting caught going down a busy interstate without a license are actually kinda slim. I'm not recommending it, I'm just trying to figure out how the system works. It seems like something that is easy to fool. Stolen plate, Tape on the plate, Something to blind the camera, etc.

On the other hand. What if your small white box has a dead battery or goes bad ? You are driving down the road one day, the cop pulls you over, and says you didn't pay and now are driving without a license. Off to jail you go for at least a day, maybe 2. Car towed, got to go to court, criminal record, credit score goes bad, etc. Seems like there are a lot of ways things could go bad.

Sorry I am asking so many questions. I never get far from home and all of this stuff is a big mystery to me.

Irrelevant, Trov beat me to it ^^^^

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I'm from MN so this is all a big mystery to me.

When I was a kid we used to go to Illinois once and awhile. You had to keep change in the car and when you went through the booth you threw about 35 cents into a big tub. It would roll to the bottom and be automatically counted. Then the gate would rise and you could drive on.

If you didn't have exact change there were booths with people in them that could make change.

In this day and age I'm sure that is all different. From readin on here I'm guessing that E-Z pass or some other version of it lets you go through the stop easily. My question is: what happens if you don't have one ??? Do you still go through the booth and throe 35 cents into the bucket ??? What if you don't have exact change ???

Sorry to hi-jack the thread but, I have been reading you all talk about if for awhile now and I'm am just wondering how it works ?

(The next thing you are going to tell me is that you swipe your credit card for the change. What if you don't have a credit card ??? )

Up until recently, toll booths would still have one or two people to take money and give change if needed. Now a lot of toll booths have cameras to record and send a bill to vehicles that don't have an EZPass.

Once you have an EZPass account, it is actually pretty simple. It is all done over the internet. One of your credit cards is "attached" to the account, and money is taken from the credit card as needed for tolls. You are sent a monthly statement, or more common now an internet / email statement. In New Jersey an account can have up to 4 transponders (small white box, looks like a garage door opener) connected with the account - this makes it easy to just have vehicles have their own transponder instead of switching one from vehicle to vehicle. Your vehicles' license plates are listed on your account, the cameras at EZPass tolls automatically record license plates and charge your account.

There are variations on how the EZPass account is setup from state to state, but they are all similar. Once you get an EZPass from any participating state, all participating states recognize it - you can drive through any participating state's tolls using it.

Best thing about EZPass is that toll booths no longer cause traffic jams. The latest EZPass "booths" are just cameras, and you travel 65mph under them - you don't slow down. EZPass lanes at older toll booths just require you to slow down to around 10mph while going through them.

Worst thing about EZPass is that the cost of tolls is kind of "hidden" from you... you see the amounts on a monthly statement, but it is different than having to physically hand over money.

I think that covers most of it, I probably forgot something. As I said, it is easier than this description probably makes it out to be!

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I'm from MN so this is all a big mystery to me.

When I was a kid we used to go to Illinois once and awhile. You had to keep change in the car and when you went through the booth you threw about 35 cents into a big tub. It would roll to the bottom and be automatically counted. Then the gate would rise and you could drive on.

If you didn't have exact change there were booths with people in them that could make change.

In this day and age I'm sure that is all different. From readin on here I'm guessing that E-Z pass or some other version of it lets you go through the stop easily. My question is: what happens if you don't have one ??? Do you still go through the booth and throe 35 cents into the bucket ??? What if you don't have exact change ???

Sorry to hi-jack the thread but, I have been reading you all talk about if for awhile now and I'm am just wondering how it works ?

(The next thing you are going to tell me is that you swipe your credit card for the change. What if you don't have a credit card ??? )

I grew up with the IL system as well but in a different state and even my grandfather's Cadillac (black of course as befitting an Episcopalian priest's mode of transportation; we were aghast when he retired and bought a dark green version) had a built in change well.

How it works? You have a magnetic strip type thingie attached to your vehicle(s) and a sensor reads it. Much like the strip on your debit/credit card. Don't have a magnetic strip in the form of a transponder? A special CCTV camera will read your license plate and bill you back home.