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EZ Fail pass

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
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So I don't have an EZ pass in my car, but on a recent road trip I had my buddy bring his along so we didn't have to sit in traffic. EZ ass didn't like that and sent me a bunch of fines for the tolls we went through. Is there any way to beat these things? I don't mind paying one, but ****ty MA wants me to pay 50 bucks a pop, plus the toll, times four. F that. The thing was in the car, I don't know why it wasn't charged. My car isn't on his account yet...can I add it, and get these dismissed?
 
I JUST went through this with EZPass in NJ. We were on a trip from CT to MD and one of the tolls did not register. It was my pass but my friend's car. They no longer car who's car the pass is in (I know they used to). I just sent them a letter explaining where we were going and a copy of all the tolls that did register (from my account at ezpass.com) and said I did not know how it would not have registered etc etc.

I checked my account this am and they added the tolls only to my ezpass account so they must have waived the penalty.

It's a pita but probably easily solved.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
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So I don't have an EZ pass in my car, but on a recent road trip I had my buddy bring his along so we didn't have to sit in traffic. EZ ass didn't like that and sent me a bunch of fines for the tolls we went through. Is there any way to beat these things? I don't mind paying one, but ****ty MA wants me to pay 50 bucks a pop, plus the toll, times four. F that. The thing was in the car, I don't know why it wasn't charged. My car isn't on his account yet...can I add it, and get these dismissed?
I believe they used RFID, and as such have no battery and therefore no charging. If you had it in a glovebox or something that may be the culprit. My understanding is that they need direct line of site to properly function.

Edit: they do in fact have a battery, but are still based on RFID functionality.

Edit 2: Some vehicles have windshields that interfere/block the signal apparently.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-ZPass
 
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dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
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looking for classic NE singletrack
When I got my new car I started holding the ez pass up to the winshield instead of physically attaching it. Forgot at one toll plaza, and since the new car (different plates) wasn't on the account I got a bill. Called them up with the acct number and they straightened it out (just deducted the $.50 instead of the fine).

If the transponder hasn't been used in a while the batter inside of it could be dead. I got stuck at the Throgs Neck Bridge once (they have the barriers that don't go up till you've paid the toll) and ended up having to call them to get a new transponder. Think mine lasted...6-7 years before it died.
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
I believe they used RFID, and as such have no battery and therefore no charging. If you had it in a glovebox or something that may be the culprit. My understanding is that they need direct line of site to properly function.

Edit: they do in fact have a battery, but are still loosely based on RFID functionality.
Nope. Not only do they in fact have a battery, the line of sight thing is wrong as well. I had our spare packed in our PODS when we moved and the damn thing read at each toll from NY to here. :rant:
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
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Nope. Not only do they in fact have a battery, the line of sight thing is wrong as well. I had our spare packed in our PODS when we moved and the damn thing read at each toll from NY to here. :rant:
Really? Interesting. It must be material interference then. Because I once had mine inside the center console of the vehicle I was driving at the time. The windshield has just been replaced and I had not yet re-adhered the tag back onto the windshield. I went through the toll and the damn thing didn't register.

Edit: just some background: my only experience with RFID was in college when I was helping a professor with a research study in regards to feasibility for packaging applications. We were working solely with passive RFID, and having direct line of site substantially increased the functional range.
 
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Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
Nope. Not only do they in fact have a battery, the line of sight thing is wrong as well. I had our spare packed in our PODS when we moved and the damn thing read at each toll from NY to here. :rant:
that's why they give you that anti-static looking bag in which the tag should be placed when you don't want it to be read
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
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Alright, a few long calls have helped me discover that I can write an appeal, pay just the toll part of the NY violation, and suffer through the indignity of a $5 admin fee with each MA violation (better than the $50 they wanted to charge me). I hate giving MA money.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,860
4,154
Copenhagen, Denmark
I used to have in a inside box on the top of the dash board where the navigation would be placed and it would read without a problem.
 

CrabJoe StretchPants

Reincarnated Crab Walking Head Spinning Bruce Dick
Nov 30, 2003
14,163
2,484
Groton, MA
T2 rack that covers plate + EZ Pass lane + no EZ Pass = No picture of plate = win


I've accidentally gone through EZ Pass lanes before (got off an exit and was stuck in EZ Pass lane with no way to get over to cash lane), and I'm pretty sure the T2 is what prevented my plate from getting snapshotted.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
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T2 rack that covers plate + EZ Pass lane + no EZ Pass = No picture of plate = win


I've accidentally gone through EZ Pass lanes before (got off an exit and was stuck in EZ Pass lane with no way to get over to cash lane), and I'm pretty sure the T2 is what prevented my plate from getting snapshotted.
I only got one fine in NYS, and four in MA, but went through two NYS toll booths. Either NYS is way better than MA (FREAKING DUH) and only charged me one fee for the two screwups, or they didn't get a snap of my second violation.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
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T2 rack that covers plate + EZ Pass lane + no EZ Pass = No picture of plate = win


I've accidentally gone through EZ Pass lanes before (got off an exit and was stuck in EZ Pass lane with no way to get over to cash lane), and I'm pretty sure the T2 is what prevented my plate from getting snapshotted.
Only works for vehicles registered in states that don't mandate front and rear plates.
 

psychodad

Chimp
Jun 24, 2008
46
0
New York
How about shipping a car on a car hauler from Florida to NY with your EZ Pass and getting fines, tolls and charges the whole way up.