EZ Pass Toll, flat tow nightmare?

[edward ericson]

So this is happening. When I dragged Bridget up to Lime Rock for Labor Day, the first toll booth I went to gave me some kind of weird sign, along the lines of “invalid tag.”

“That’s weird,” thought I. “Wonder what’s up.” The next one said “call EZ PASS.” The next one said “no balance.”

So on the next one (or the one after that) I pulled through a manned window. Again it was something like “Call EZ Pass” and so I stopped and asked the toll taker what to do. “Just drive through,” she said. And so I did, figuring it was a credit card foul-up and easily enough remedied. Called Karen the next morning to tell her what happened and ask her to fix it (the EZ Passes are all under her name). And on the way home I got all the same messages, as nothing could be fixed until the holiday was over. Karen got to it on Tuesday or Wednesday, and told me that the card was right but it had a draw limit of like $20 and so took a while to catch up (lot of heavy tolls up 95 to NYC) She said she changed the car registration or something and it seemed to like that and immediately sucked up $100…

So, all good.

Except no. Last week I got a toll ticket from New York Throughway. The toll was $3 and they dinged me an extra $5, warning it’d be $25 if I waited more than a couple weeks. I looked online for the appeal form. There is none. So I shrugged and sent the check.

Knowing that more were coming.

Yesterday those started. The first one was a mandatory $50 fine from NJ. Then another came just like it. Then I got one from MD. demanding $36 as the amount of the toll alone. No penalty (yet). I know that toll booth. It’s $3 per car. So $6 would be right.

Anyway. I don’t think I’ve seen the worst of it yet. I don’t even remember how many toll booths I go through between here and CT, but I get the idea now that I’m going to be charged for each one x10.

The normal tolls on this trip are $80 or $100, all, um, tolled.

Anyone have an idea what’s happening to me here? Anyone have a similar experience?

 

[Paul Mossberg]

First I thought it was because of the “trailer” when your account and tag are for a passenger car. But NJ’s EZ Pass web site says: 

“…the equipment in the lane is designed to identify that your vehicle is pulling a trailer and you will be charged accordingly. However, if you think this will be a regular occurrence, you should call the Customer Service Center and have them send you a tag programmed for the vehicle classification you use most frequently. You should never use your tag in a vehicle type other than the one you initially requested (i.e. Car tag in a tractor-trailer).”

If you get other violations, NJ EZ Pass allows you to go on-line, pay the missing toll, and any violation fees are waived. Not sure about other states. And not sure if this will apply in your case(s). But I would go online to your EZ Pass state and check before you send in the violation money.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by Paul Mossberg.

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[edward ericson]

Thanks, Paul. Hopefully we’ll get it sorted without paying millions.

[Author]

Posts