Image via Wikipedia As Americans I truly believe we have a natural animosity to tolls, fees, and taxes. Our independent rebellious nature makes us rebel against any organized attempt to grab small amounts of lose change when we drive on a road, buy food, or just live in a particular area. The thought of paying shipping costs turns our blood cold. Look at all the free shipping offers. Many people will pay more for a product to get FREE shipping. It must go back to Colonial times. I picture the Boston tea party as the American people’s first war against tolls when angry locals dumped the very tea they wanted to drink into the sea to avoid paying taxes on it. The amount of the tea tax was unimportant. The penalty of getting hung for tossing tea into the harbor was worth the cost. The principle of fighting against oppressive fees motivated us to get creative in our attempt to fight the toll system. Well, I think that spirit of rebellion is alive and well today. Our first story is how some creative Americans are fighting back against tolls using ILLEGAL DANGEROUS and ridiculous methods. Forget the fact that they will spend 100X the money in legal fees if they get caught trying to cheat the toll system. Forget the physical risk incurred to avoid paying that dollar. Regardless, I have an amusing story about a recent toll runner and some creative methods to avoid paying tolls. Read on and don’t try this at home…ever.
Sincerely,
Michael Saks
Editor of Haulin
A Virginia truck driver has been caught running the New York / New Jersey toll system using inventive Hollywood inspired methods to hide the license plate. The driver used a cable to retract the front license plate when going through the toll. The driver folded the corners of the rear license plate as well. Unfortunately it did not work and I don’t know how many CSA points you get for defrauding the transit system but I would imagine a lot. The CSA points are pale in comparison to the fact the driver is getting booked with criminal charges. I doubt the money saved on the toll will cover the amount of legal costs and penalties.
The story piqued my interest as to what other methods have been tried to elude tolls. Before I begin I must give this disclaimer:
PLEASE, PLEASE DON’T TRY THIS!
I scoured the internet to see just how far people are going to avoid tolls.I know that most of these methods would be impractical in the realm of specialized hauling or heavy hauls, but it is pretty entertaining to read. Here is a list of methods I discovered
- Take alternate routes
- Putting a reduced amount in the toll change pouch
- Taping an I.O.U. to the toll pouch (You are not a bank executive asking for a government bailout, you will go to jail for that)
- Taping two pictures of the rapper 50 cent in the toll pouch to pay the dollar toll (2 x .50= $1.00)
- Putting in foreign money or Chuck E. Cheese tokens( if you have kids you will need these)
- Putting oranges into the toll pouch
- Fake a hand motion of throwing change in without doing it (I saw someone do this in Virginia Beach when they still had tolls )
- Driving off road onto a walkway
- Driving between barricades…with no road
- Tape over the license plate
- Use a cd to cover the license plate
- Sending the car airborne over a barricade (this technique is also known as the ‘General Lee’ from Dukes of Hazard fame)
Many of these were inspired by this website. Go there for ‘proof’ of some of these methods http://www.zug.com/pranks/turnpike/index2.html. Just don’t do them. This person is nuts!
Original source of toll runner concept inspiration
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