Last Monday (Labor Day) I picked my friend up at the airport. As we approached the toll booths to the Sumner Tunnel my friend handed me money for the toll ($3.50). This all goes without saying, but I've gone through that tunnel numerous times and I'm an experienced driver. I saw a green light which I thought meant you could pay cash in that lane. As I got closer I realized it was only a FAST LANE. I panicked and put my car in reverse, looked in the mirror, and saw a cab close behind me. There was no way out! My only option was to go through the Fast Lane. My friend said she thought I'd get a bill in the mail for the price of the toll.
Today was a perfectly fine day until I got home and saw an envelope in my mailbox that had VIOLATION NOTICE across the front. I quickly scanned the letter and in bold it read: Amount Due: $50.00
I told my walking buddy about it tonight as we walked around the track and she thought you had to appeal the violations in person in Worcester (pronounced /ˈwʊstər/). I know the way to Worcester! Fortunately there was a Toll Violation Appeal Form included which I'll be filling out asap. Where is the line for "honest mistake"?
P.S. I'm joining the Fast Lane Program. The transponder will look dashing on Bluebell's windshield.
7 comments:
I feel for you! That stinks soooo bad! I do NOT miss MA driving!
Hey Ellen. This is Heather Parry. I found your blog from someone else's and honestly, I can't remember whose it was. Anyway, I had a similar situation happen on The Pike. I pulled up to the toll booth, tossed in my change and the light just never turned green. It just stayed red and I didn't have any other change except for a few pennies. Traffic was backing up behind me as I just sat there, waiting (I'm a rule follower.) So, I finally just went on through it. The next day I called the Pike Tollbooth People (can't remember the name now - this was probably 9 years ago) and explained what had happened and they took my info and gave me a case number. The guy said that when I got a notice that I could just send it back to them with the case number written on it and all would be forgiven. And to my surprise it actually worked. However, as an epilogue to my little story, I realized about three weeks later that I had tossed in a Canadian quarter and that's why the light never changed. I was looking through my wallet for change and thought to myself, "I wonder where that unspendable, irritating Canadian quarter went that somehow got into my wallet." Yikes! I lied to the Tollbooth people. Oh well.
Hi, Ellen! I've linked to your blog from Janae (Adam's my cuz), and I just love all of your pictures, they're so beautiful! Anyway, we're heading to Boston in about a month to see Honey's sister, and I'm polling to find out folks' favorite things to do...could you list two??? Thanks!
There is LITTLE forgiveness when it comes to the "FAST LANE". My parents had two dashboard thingies (can't remember the name of those things) from when they had two cars. Well...they put the extra in their glove compartment when they went to one car and forgot about it. A year later my dad figured out that both were charging his account when he would drive through. Do you think they took mercy on him? NO, he never got reimbursed for being doubly charged.
I did this on the way to the ward campout. I was talking to Sarah R in the car blah blah blah and didn't even notice the giant EZ Pass sign above. I just saw the green light. So I pulled up and held my dollar out, and of course no one was there to take it. Nothing to do but go through. Still awaiting the form.
I'm so sorry for your fine! On the bright side it may go to help repair roads in MA (sure...)
We only have one and my husband always just drives through without it if he is in the wrong car. I've had to call in a number of times to get our fine switched over. Good luck, really, they can be nice at times.
I have good news for you. If you ever do that driving on the toll road in DC you don't get a fine. Absolutely nothing happens. We tried it several times and no, I don't feel bad I didn't pay a dime. I paid plenty of other times and it's still a rip-off.
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