The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2004 A blemish upon greater Chicago is the tollway system. Tollbooths are stupid. They're big, they slow down traffic, they cost money, and most annoyingly, the money that the tollways bring in these days just goes to finance the tollway system, like maintaining the booths and paying the workers. God knows it doesn't go towards better paving. Anyway, for a while now we've had I-PASS, where you just pay for a year subscription and you drive through a lane and get scanned and that's that. But what bothers me about I-PASS is something that of course they've been doing that they can easily do, but the possibility of it never crossed my mind. My friend just told me the other day that her parents got a speeding ticket in the mail because I-PASS said they got to the next tollbooth in less time than going the marked limit would allow. This is going too far in law enforcement in regards to speeding. On Illinois tollways, you're a bigger hazard to traffic if you're going under 65 than you are going over 65. Much bigger. Sometimes you have to go 75 just so as not to disrupt the flow of traffic and get yourself killed. If you're just going the necessary speed and not causing any danger even if it's over 65, it's hardly a crime. This sort of surveillance doesn't belong, it's not making the tollways safer, it's just another cheap way to bring in revenue. Just like not wearing a seatbelt. Our ignorance is not the police's matter if we're not endangering anyone else. Does anyone else have similar systems on their state highways, or have been cited for this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Satanic Angel Report post Posted December 31, 2004 Actually, my mom tells a story of how her mother was traveling on Florida's turnpike and was in a big hurry. She was speeding and at the time, the tollbooths gave out tickets with a timestamp, and they'd get stamped when they got off the Turnpike, and so the attendant saw that my grandmother had been speeding and she received a ticket for it. Now this is over 30-40 years ago, so it's been going on a lot longer than you might imagine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spman 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2004 It's pretty much a known fact that most minor traffic violations that police stop people for and give tickets for like going slightly above the speed limit, rolling through a stop sign, going through a red light when you're the only person ont he raod at 3 in the morning, not wearing seatbelts, etc. are little more then just additional taxes used to fund the system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2004 Well you probably shouldn't roll through stop signs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreatWhiteNope 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2004 It's pretty much a known fact that most minor traffic violations that police stop people for and give tickets for like going slightly above the speed limit, rolling through a stop sign, going through a red light when you're the only person ont he raod at 3 in the morning, not wearing seatbelts, etc. are little more then just additional taxes used to fund the system. Yeah, those bastard cops trying to enforce traffic laws. Who do they think they are? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted December 31, 2004 God, usually. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Baron 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2004 Well you probably shouldn't roll through stop signs. It is better for your car to do a rolling stop than a complete stop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smues Report post Posted December 31, 2004 Easy solution: drive the speed limit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted December 31, 2004 He just explained that going the speed limit is often times more dangerous because it's not going with the flow of traffic. This is why I hate the turnpike system, even if it is the fastest way to cut through Florida (and specifically to get to Orlando from here). In California there are no such things as toll booths, that's something that really pissed me off when I moved here. Not only that, but the toll prices have only increased throughout the years. I'd say it's worse than the state tax I have to pay California, but thankfully Miami, and basically every city I've been through Florida, has been small enough that you can just take the streets, highways, and interstate to get to where you need to go without having to shell out cash. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2005 In 30 minutes, all tolls on the Illinois tollway system (Tri-State, Northwest, East-West, North-South, Edens Spur) will FUCKING DOUBLE Blagojevich says this will make more people get I-PASS so that they don't have to pay the higher tolls and slow down traffic. Good in theory, but it's obviously just going to piss everybody off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2005 Woah, that is a little big-brotherish. PA has EZ-Pass, which hopefully will replace all our state's toll-booth workers, who recently went on strike, partly over this issue. I don't have an EZ-Pass though, seeing how I avoid the PA Turnpike at all costs -- they ought to be paying me for driving that piece of shit road... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Baron 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2005 In Ontario, we have the 406, and there is no toll booths. Instead the moment you go on the highway, there are camera's that take a picture of your license plate, and you get a bill to you house. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted January 2, 2005 Woah, that is a little big-brotherish. PA has EZ-Pass, which hopefully will replace all our state's toll-booth workers, who recently went on strike, partly over this issue. I don't have an EZ-Pass though, seeing how I avoid the PA Turnpike at all costs -- they ought to be paying me for driving that piece of shit road... I hope they don't lie to you and tell you the turnpike is for making the roads better. Illinois Tollways were built for that reason, and weren't supposed to even last until the 70s, but you know how it is with getting rid of government-created agencies: you can't. Now we can't phase it out because the tollbooth workers would freak out, and tolls cost $1.50. Wonderful Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted January 2, 2005 Of course they tell us that. Would you expect anything less?... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest netslob Report post Posted January 2, 2005 Yeah, those bastard cops trying to enforce traffic laws. Who do they think they are? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted January 3, 2005 This is funny. My local paper just ran a feature on how the PA Turnpike is run by morons... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EricMM 0 Report post Posted January 4, 2005 Don't fucking speed. You won't disrupt traffic going 65, people aren't going to bump you. Just stay in the slower lane. Peoples is some whiney bitches when it comes to cops and tickets. Waah I have to stop at EVERY stopsign FULLY!? But it wears down my braaaaaaaaakes! If you can't drive correctly, don't drive. That one time in a thousand your lawbreaking results in someone's death, you'll wish you had. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jobber of the Week 0 Report post Posted January 4, 2005 California needs all the speeding ticket money we can get, and you still get a 10mph leeway from the CHP on most big freeways. I suggest is you have a problem driving slow enough to avoid police notice but fast enough to keep up with traffic, that you try to improve your driving skills by driving in Los Angeles. After all, there are no bad drivers in Los Angeles. They've all died. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted January 4, 2005 You LA drivers are crazy. I was there 10+ years ago and was in awe of your massive freeways. I can't imagine what it must be like now. In Ohio there are some camera that will take a picture of you if you're going too fast on the Interstate, and there are cameras at intersections. One time when I was a Middletown resident, I was at one of these intersections with a camera and "NO TURN ON RED" sign, and the douche bechind me was going crazy because I wasn't turning on read. I pointed to the sign, the camera and gave him the bird. Not sure if that should go in the road rage thread... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted January 4, 2005 Don't fucking speed. You won't disrupt traffic going 65, people aren't going to bump you. Just stay in the slower lane. I hate you for making me do this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smues Report post Posted January 4, 2005 You LA drivers are crazy. I was there 10+ years ago and was in awe of your massive freeways. I can't imagine what it must be like now. In Ohio there are some camera that will take a picture of you if you're going too fast on the Interstate, and there are cameras at intersections. One time when I was a Middletown resident, I was at one of these intersections with a camera and "NO TURN ON RED" sign, and the douche bechind me was going crazy because I wasn't turning on read. I pointed to the sign, the camera and gave him the bird. Not sure if that should go in the road rage thread... Holy shit I'm not the only person on this planet that reads the NO TURN ON RED signs? You're my hero. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted January 5, 2005 Hell yeah. I'm not getting a ticket just because some dildo wants me to break the law, no matter how petty or dumb it may be... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites