Paying cash on Florida toll road causes problems?

[AMonger]

[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, geneva][SIZE=+1]top headlines:[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, geneva][SIZE=-2]Tuesday, February 22, 2011[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, geneva][SIZE=+1]Florida Toll Road Sued for Holding Motorists Hostage[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, geneva]A group of motorists earlier this month filed a federal class action lawsuit against Florida's toll road system for detaining motorists who attempt to pay the tolls with cash. About 600 miles worth of toll roads and bridges are under the jurisdiction of The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which hands operational duties over to the private firm Faneuil, Inc., which is responsible for the toll collectors. The complaint charges both firms with false imprisonment and other civil rights violations.
"For approximately four years, FDOT and Faneuil have engaged in a practice of detaining motorists and their passengers on the Turnpike System until such motorists provided certain personal information in exchange for their release," attorney James C. Valenti wrote on behalf of the plaintiffs. "The motorists and passengers have been detained without their consent and without legal justification."
Under FDOT policies, motorists who pay with $50 bills, and sometimes even $5 bills, are not given permission to proceed until the toll collector fills out a "Bill Detection Report" with data about the motorist's vehicle and details from his driver's license. Those unwilling to provide personal information to the toll collector are offered no alternative because the toll collector will not open the barrier, preventing the car from moving forward. FDOT policy does not allow passengers to exit their vehicle, and backing up is illegal and usually impossible while other cars wait behind. Some of those paying in cash object to the idea of carrying the SunPass toll transponder on privacy grounds, but the use of cash is discouraged because it increases operating costs.
"The policy of detaining motorists without their consent and without legal justification extended throughout the Turnpike System and was so permanent and well settled that it constituted custom, practice or policy which has the force of law and rises to the level of deliberate indifference to plaintiff's and class members' constitutional rights," Valenti wrote. "It is believed that Defendants will continue the widespread practice of unlawful detentions and will continue to force vehicle occupants to provide personal information in exchange for their release, all in violation of plaintiffs' and class plaintiffs' Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights."
An estimated 262,800 drivers have been detained since October 2006. The lawsuit seeks an injunction prohibiting Faneuil and FDOT from further detaining motorists. Neither FDOT nor Faneuil has answered the February 8 complaint.[/FONT]

 

[ErieBigDawg]

Show me your papers...

 

[cheri1122]

I've paid cash on the FTP dozens of times over the years, as EZPass doesn't work, never had an issue. And my daughter and her husband paid cash their first year in Fl, till they got a SunPass, without any problems either.

 

[layoutshooter]

Come fish or hunt on the Detroit River. You could be stopped out there for your "papers" as well.

 

[Falligator]

Lived in florida for a year never had a problem with it

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[purgoose10]

I've paid cash on the FTP dozens of times over the years, as EZPass doesn't work, never had an issue. And my daughter and her husband paid cash their first year in Fl, till they got a SunPass, without any problems either.

I think it said paid with a $50 dollar bill or $5 and yes $20. I have been threw there but I use $1 dollar bills to pay. They do hold you up to verify if it's legal tender.

 

[Moot]

They do hold you up to verify if it's legal tender.

Can't those toll collectors read English. All of my U.S. Federal Reserve Notes clearly state: THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

 

[layoutshooter]

Can't those toll collectors read English. All of my U.S. Federal Reserve Notes clearly state: THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

I would be willing to bet that some of them cannot read English. Some of them I have seen at those toll booths don't speak English very well if at all.

Not even governments can read that. Try paying your IRS bill in legal tender. I got a ticket once in VA. Expired flares on the boat. They would not accept cash. I sent it anyway. $150.00 in loose pennies. The officer was a nasty person. I also thought it was a good idea to pay in pennies since the said I could not use U.S. currency for a public debt. Never heard anything about it.

 

[golfournut]

And your toll receipts time stamp won't match your log should the need arise. I went thru one booth, got my receipt, stop at the bug wash, while I was waiting in line I looked at the receipt. It was 75 minutes off. Got to the next booth, before I left I checked the time stamp. Sure enough 22 minutes off. I handed it back to her and ask her to print one out now. She did. I watched her put the one I gave back into a stack! Shook my head and went on my way.

 

[matlack]

Back in the mid 90's, I once paid a toll on the NY Thruway with a $100 dollar bill.
The collector actually got out of the booth and wrote down my license plate number before giving me change and a receipt.

We always carry a roll of quarters for toll roads that are automated and only accept exact change or transponders like the one east of Denver CO.


When using EZ Pass on the WV Turnpike the Class and Amount Paid will flash up on the screen for about 2 seconds just before it changes to "EZ Pass Paid".
I noticed that the amount seemed high and at the next Toll Plaza I asked the operator about it;
Turns out that the owner's truck (C two axle straight) transponder was set as a class 8 instead of a class 5, resulting in overpaying for tolls.
The Cashier was able to correct that toll which saved over $3 right then, and the PrePass / EZ Pass transponder had to be exchanged later for a correctly classified one.

 

[Turtle]

And your toll receipts time stamp won't match your log should the need arise. I went thru one booth, got my receipt, stop at the bug wash, while I was waiting in line I looked at the receipt. It was 75 minutes off. Got to the next booth, before I left I checked the time stamp. Sure enough 22 minutes off. I handed it back to her and ask her to print one out now. She did. I watched her put the one I gave back into a stack! Shook my head and went on my way.

That's because the only people who need an accurate time stamp are truckers who would use it to verify their logs. Most people could care less what day is on there, much less what time. All that matters to most is the dollar amount, and if near the end of the year, the correct year.

 

[Ragman]

Can't those toll collectors read English. All of my U.S. Federal Reserve Notes clearly state: THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

English is spoken in Florida? In the U.S. of A.?
Who would have thought!

 

[golfournut]

That's because the only people who need an accurate time stamp are truckers who would use it to verify their logs. Most people could care less what day is on there, much less what time. All that matters to most is the dollar amount, and if near the end of the year, the correct year.

Yea I know, and I can see them doing it during rush hour, but this was a Sunday night about 2000. No traffic. I think its just laziness.

 

[Falligator]

I don't know what would be worse. The toll collectors holding you up or those seni drivers that are side by side on a two lane highway for 25 miles. Lol

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[AMonger]

I think it said paid with a $50 dollar bill or $5 and yes $20. I have been threw there but I use $1 dollar bills to pay. They do hold you up to verify if it's legal tender.

Seems to me that's easily resolved. Get one of those markers that just about every cashier in the country has, use it to verify that the bill is legit. Takes 2 extra seconds.

 

[xiggi]

And your toll receipts time stamp won't match your log should the need arise. I went thru one booth, got my receipt, stop at the bug wash, while I was waiting in line I looked at the receipt. It was 75 minutes off. Got to the next booth, before I left I checked the time stamp. Sure enough 22 minutes off. I handed it back to her and ask her to print one out now. She did. I watched her put the one I gave back into a stack! Shook my head and went on my way.

I just heard this exact thing talked about on a road dog show on sirrius the other day. It is legal to self correct the time on toll receipts if you are given one with the wrong time stamp on it. All you need to do is line out the incorrect time and write in the correct one. If questioned by dot about it fuel receipts and other toll receipts should show the time you edited as correct.

 

[golfournut]

I just heard this exact thing talked about on a road dog show on sirrius the other day. It is legal to self correct the time on toll receipts if you are given one with the wrong time stamp on it. All you need to do is line out the incorrect time and write in the correct one. If questioned by dot about it fuel receipts and other toll receipts should show the time you edited as correct.

That's good to know.

 

[nightcreacher]

Use to be,only 2 states that times were legal on toll road receipts, were, PA and OH.I've had IN. receipts that were off.

 

[bobwg]

Dont take it out on the toll collectors they are probably following instructions from the supervisors I guess some of you never consider the fact that there are people passing out fake money and by some accounts really good fake money how many complain when a store, a Mcdonalds , etc refuse to take large bills???? I have fun the Florida turnpike and never had a problem using cash so you give them a $50 or $100 bill and they want to get your Lic plate number and other info bunch of cry babies dont use the toll road. if you have a business that deals with alot of cash and someone passes fake money to your business guess what you lose money from your profits the govt will take a report , take the fake money and thats it they will not replace your loss

 

[AMonger]

Ah, I knew the fascists would arrive at some point. It doesn't matter whose boots you lick, just so you're tasting boot, does it?

Dont take it out on the toll collectors they are probably following instructions from the supervisors

There's the "I vas chust following ze ordnung" line. Had to come out at some point. If they unlawfully detain me, it's the individual collector who's more at fault than the supervisor.

I guess some of you never consider the fact that there are people passing out fake money and by some accounts really good fake money how many complain when a store, a Mcdonalds , etc refuse to take large bills????

As I pointed out, virtually every cashier in the country has one of those validation markers, and there are other means of verifying currency as well.

I have fun the Florida turnpike and never had a problem using cash so you give them a $50 or $100 bill and they want to get your Lic plate number and other info bunch of cry babies dont use the toll road.

I have no objection to them taking down my plate number. In fact, if they're not going to take common sense measures like the marker, that would be the thing to do--the license plate that's in plain sight, of which you have no reasonable expectation of privacy. My name, driver's license or other ID--they can kiss my @$$ before they'll get that.

As for big bills, I'd have no objection to them not taking bills larger than a $20, as long as it's posted conspicuously before the entrance to the turnpike.

dont use the toll road.

But do use punctuation. Please.

if you have a business that deals with alot of cash and someone passes fake money to your business guess what you lose money from your profits the govt will take a report , take the fake money and thats it they will not replace your loss

If they take the measures I've outlined, they can protect themselves without resorting to false detention. Every toll taker that does this should be placed under arrest.