Phil Pitchford
Toll lane cheating -- it's not just for Florida
Apparently there are plenty of people right here in Southern California who do all sorts of wacky things to avoid paying the toll on the 91 Express Lanes. After I blogged earlier about how scofflaws are avoiding payment in Florida, an alert reader tipped to this little nugget, which shows that the problem is pretty universal.
Comments
I'm a regular tollway user and have not witnessed any obvious attempts to disguise the rear plates in my travels on the 91 toll lanes.
I have seen people cutting throught the barriers after the toll plaza. I'm thinking that a number of people may rationalize their toll evasions by the fact that we have voted on at least several bills that were supposed to widen the 91 and reduce traffic. We are only now beginning to see that happen. I think some folks are fed up with the traffic and take a step they think is justified given their disgust with things. I'm not condoning their actions and I have been tempted to cut into the toll lanes after I misjudged the backup in the regular lanes.
As far as hardware that is available - There are pictures on the Internet of flip down license plates for motorcycles and cars. I think the proliferation of these devices is an indication that many drivers think that traffic fines are no longer to encourage safety but a new approaches at taxation.
The red light cameras at an intersection near me have acheived the opposite of the intended effect. People approaching the Tyler and Magnolia intersection floor the gas as they cross the intersection to be sure they are not caught in the intersection too late. I'd like to see the accident stats after a few months to see if an improvement in safety has been achieved.
Posted by: Richard Lewis | August 14, 2007 11:29 AM