They has the dumb

[KathyK]

So this afternoon after taking the Ohio Turnpike one exit, I pull up behind an SUV at the toll booth with my ticket and 50 cents ready. And I wait, and wait. And wait some more. I wait five minutes. Some guy in a uniform steps in front of the SUV and writes down the license plate. Six minutes. Some kind of paperwork gets passed back and forth between the toll booth and the SUV. Finally, the SUV pulls away, and I pull up to the toll booth. The woman in the booth says, "I'm really sorry you had to wait like that. There were three of them in the vehicle, and among all three of them, they didn't have $2.25 for the toll. Then they tried to use a credit card and it was declined."

I don't know how it was finally resolved, but can you imagine getting on a toll road when THREE of you can't come up with $2.25?

[boots-aregard]

YES! If you are new to an area where you don't know toll roads exist, I can imagine this happening easily!

(I mean, it would be very odd to be travelling in a rental car and NOT have $2.25 to your name, but it's possible to travel and completely forget your purse at the hotel or something like that. I'm embarrassed to admit I do things like that all the time, as I "streamline" for travel and utterly ferk up my normal 'systems' of storing and finding things.)

[PaulaO]

I can't imagine that 3 people did not have $2.25. There is no excuse for not knowing tolls exist--does no one preplan these days???

[KathyK]

YES! If you are new to an area where you don't know toll roads exist, I can imagine this happening easily!

But they had to stop at the toll booth and pick up the ticket when they got on the turnpike. I can't believe they didn't know it was a toll road.

[emmalou]

We don't have many toll roads around here and I rarely carry cash and occasionally only have pennies.

The last time I went to Oklahoma for work there were toll roads that only had change catchers. It was pure dumb luck I happened to have a bunch of quarters in my wallet.

[KathyK]

Are you talking about interstate turnpikes, or what I call "surprise!" tolls? I've been surprised (and peeved) by unannounced tolls with change catchers, but I think getting on an interstate turnpike where you have to take a ticket to get on is a different matter.

[PaulaO]

Don't toll roads/turnpikes show up on GPS/Google Maps/whatever app? And I'm so tired of the "I never carry cash" line. Keep $10 in your car for emergencies.

[Sue B]

No toll roads in Idaho or surrounding states, but I always have a few quarters and dollar bills stashed in my car; at least enough to buy a gallon of gas anyways. So yeah, I find it pathetic that 3 people couldn't come up with the toll.

I do admit to driving off with an empty tank and no purse though.

[khall]

We got caught going from Minneapolis to Chicago, there were so many toll roads and we ended up at the very last one to get off not having enough money. Not used to toll roads here in Ga, and was not prepared. Now on our trip around FL we went ahead and bought a pass.

[boots-aregard]

YES! If you are new to an area where you don't know toll roads exist, I can imagine this happening easily!

But they had to stop at the toll booth and pick up the ticket when they got on the turnpike. I can't believe they didn't know it was a toll road.

Ahah. More data. In Illinois, the last place I encountered toll roads I wasn't aware of, you don't "pick up a ticket". You're supposed to have a transponder or cash, and the fare is collected every so many miles or stops along the way. I was in Illionois 6 years ago and the rental car company mentioned getting a transponder, but when I went to Chicago last year I'd utterly forgotten about it and the transponder wasn't offered by the rental company, and I wound up on a toll road at about 11:30 p.m. digging madly thru my purse. There may have been a sign. I'm sure it's required to post such things... (Plus, I didn't have google maps turned on, so no helpful info from there.)

Sounds like the system where you are is different.

I'm not excusing the people ahead of you. I was just answering your question of "is this possible"? Because, yes, in my experience (and according to your own experience), it is.

[emmalou]

I don't know what they are called. There was no ticket, no notification, no indication on GPS. I was driving along and bam, unmanned toll booths where the only option for paying was change. The booths would not take dollars or credit cards.

Here, the few toll roads we have are very clearly marked with big yellow TOLL on the freeway signs.

[PaulaO]

IMHO toll roads and turnpikes are different. You pay every x number of miles on a toll road. You collect a ticket when you enter a turnpike and pay a lump sum when you get off. In Illinois we have toll roads. You can pay cash (at manned booths) or use a transponder. If you have no money and you hit an unmanned, coins only booth, you can blow through and pay online within 7 days. Signs are everywhere for the website.

[KathyK]

Yes, it was the Ohio Turnpike. We don't have "toll roads" per se here, but I have encountered them in PA, I think.

[PaulaO]

I believe PA also has turnpikes, as does NJ. Why am I so concerned about this?????? LOL

[Inamo]

I frequently have no cash at all in my purse, I can believe it would be possible. It doesn't mean they're dumb could mean they're busy folk and rarely carry cash?

[Mirabella]

Queen Elizabeth doesn't carry cash and probably no credit card - she would be SOL.

[angela9823]

I can believe it because I've been there done that myself. We have a toll booth road here that says it is a toll road. What it doesn't tell you is how MANY tolls there will be. I also have gone to Boston once and gotten turned around so many times by GPS because the buildings would block signals that I kept getting on that darn turnpike thing there (goes underground and you can't turn off or around) and kept having to go through the toll charge thing. Then there was a toll booth in Boston that was not accurately marked about which lane was cash, which was the transponder and which was credit. So I went through transponder accidentally. I would have gotten a $295 fine for going through it so I begged the toll booth operator next door to take my cash...he wouldn't (it was Boston after all). He just kept telling me to move forward and face a fine. I finally backed up and went through the credit toll after many people blowing the horn at me. And then Chicago (from airport to Itasca)...more tolls in a few miles than any other interstate I've ever known. I've gotten wise to using transponders because of that area! I really appreciate the very few tolls we have in SC.

[Racetrackreject]

We don't have many toll roads near here with the closest being about 3 hours away, so toll roads are not even on my radar when I go places. Yes, I would be the person with no change for a toll road because it never occurred to me that I would have to pay to drive on the street and I never carry cash. If people give me cash, I deposit it, and I never get change since I never pay with cash.

[KathyK]

I am talking about the Ohio Turnpike, a highway that is clearly marked to be a toll road. You do not have to get on the turnpike. But if you decide to use the turnpike, you have to stop at a ticket booth and get a ticket that clearly shows that there will be a fee for driving on the turnpike. So you cannot tell me that if you drove up to a TICKET BOOTH on an interstate TURNPIKE, took a ticket, and drove your car onto the TURNPIKE, you would be surprised that you had to pay a toll when you got off the turnpike. Or can you?

toll road.jpg (7.68 KiB) Viewed 23353 times

[angela9823]

I am talking about the Ohio Turnpike, a highway that is clearly marked to be a toll road. You do not have to get on the turnpike. But if you decide to use the turnpike, you have to stop at a ticket booth and get a ticket that clearly shows that there will be a fee for driving on the turnpike. So you cannot tell me that if you drove up to a TICKET BOOTH on an interstate TURNPIKE, took a ticket, and drove your car onto the TURNPIKE, you would be surprised that you had to pay a toll when you got off the turnpike. Or can you?

toll road.jpg

Kathy,
I know it must be frustrating dealing with those of us that just don't understand this. But they aren't posting how much the toll will be, are they? Or how you have to pay?? Many toll roads are allowing credit card payment now so I do understand people assuming there would be the option to pay by credit card. Even the airports are now having some parking lots require credit card only and you have to prepay it before you get to your car and drive out. It just isn't something drivers from other states understand.

[Marshfield]

I would have gotten a $295 fine for going through it so I begged the toll booth operator next door to take my cash...he wouldn't (it was Boston after all). He just kept telling me to move forward and face a fine. I finally backed up and went through the credit toll after many people blowing the horn at me. .

That was a)very dangerous and b) the kind of thing which makes the rest of us want to throttle tourists. Mass sucks as it's the only New England state which doesn't allow transponders in all lanes. But YOU are the one responsible for reading the signs directing you where to go before you get to the toll booth. If you're in the wrong lane, suck it up and deal with the consequences, don't try to cause an accident for the rest of us. I am so over folks getting left turn lanes because they're not paying attention and then deciding that it's they're right to move over to where I am, regardless of me and the dogs in the giant Suburban

[viscountessleftfield]

I believe PA also has turnpikes, as does NJ. Why am I so concerned about this?????? LOL

OH, PA, and NJ have turnpikes. I believe IN and IL have turnpikes, but I haven't driven that way. WV has toll roads. And, the OH turnpike is so well marked that it's a freaking toll road, you can't get on and not know. It's no shocker unless you can't read english or are legally blind!

I never, ever carry cash, but have at least two cards and a toll transponder.

What peeves me even more is when cash people get in the EZ pass lane. Really peeps?

[viscountessleftfield]

I am talking about the Ohio Turnpike, a highway that is clearly marked to be a toll road. You do not have to get on the turnpike. But if you decide to use the turnpike, you have to stop at a ticket booth and get a ticket that clearly shows that there will be a fee for driving on the turnpike. So you cannot tell me that if you drove up to a TICKET BOOTH on an interstate TURNPIKE, took a ticket, and drove your car onto the TURNPIKE, you would be surprised that you had to pay a toll when you got off the turnpike. Or can you?

toll road.jpg

Kathy,
I know it must be frustrating dealing with those of us that just don't understand this. But they aren't posting how much the toll will be, are they? Or how you have to pay?? Many toll roads are allowing credit card payment now so I do understand people assuming there would be the option to pay by credit card. Even the airports are now having some parking lots require credit card only and you have to prepay it before you get to your car and drive out. It just isn't something drivers from other states understand.

The tolls are on the back of the ticket you take prior to getting on the turnpike (I lived about fifteen minutes from Kathy ). Ohio Turnpike does take cards as does PA turnpike, but she said their cards were declined.

[angela9823]

I would have gotten a $295 fine for going through it so I begged the toll booth operator next door to take my cash...he wouldn't (it was Boston after all). He just kept telling me to move forward and face a fine. I finally backed up and went through the credit toll after many people blowing the horn at me. .

That was a)very dangerous and b) the kind of thing which makes the rest of us want to throttle tourists. Mass sucks as it's the only New England state which doesn't allow transponders in all lanes. But YOU are the one responsible for reading the signs directing you where to go before you get to the toll booth. If you're in the wrong lane, suck it up and deal with the consequences, don't try to cause an accident for the rest of us. I am so over folks getting left turn lanes because they're not paying attention and then deciding that it's they're right to move over to where I am, regardless of me and the dogs in the giant Suburban

I was in the right lane. It wasn't marked. NONE of the lights were working that day (Easter Sunday 2010) to say even which ones were open. I'd have no issue whatsoever if the lanes were marked but how are we supposed to know that the left is a transponder lane sometimes and then other times it is the right hand lane? And if you would like to check history, 2010 was when Boston had all the flooding and bad weather. Half their city was still under major construction from all the damage. So you want to get angry at those of us from other states that can't mind read the signs that were not working??

[angela9823]

The tolls are on the back of the ticket you take prior to getting on the turnpike (I lived about fifteen minutes from Kathy ). Ohio Turnpike does take cards as does PA turnpike, but she said their cards were declined.

Yes she said a card was declined. At this point I think many of us would assume this person was probably traveling. And it is quite possible that the person was even from another country. Not sure how many of you have had issues with EMV cards being declined at older terminals but it could be quite possible this person had a declined card for that reason.

I get that it is frustrating. I NOW understand that you take a ticket to get on the Ohio turnpike. I've been to the one in Boston and the one in NJ and neither required me to take a ticket prior to getting on them. But there could be really valid reasons or mistake made and others are just sharing that it has happened to them.

[angela9823]

By the way, how far away from the airport is this turnpike? Sorry for my ignorance in advance. But if a traveler just picked up a vehicle after traveling on a plane, it is very possible they didn't have change simply because having change and going through security is a pain. Also many credit card companies will decline cards if they don't know the person is traveling and then all of a sudden uses it in a new place. Been through that myself and I have to call the company up. I've now taken to using my credit card all along the way, get gas near the airport. Get coffee at the airport, get coffee or something else at the next airport, etc etc. That way the credit card company knows you are traveling...and yes I was advised to do this by my credit card company.

[boots-aregard]

I am talking about the Ohio Turnpike, a highway that is clearly marked to be a toll road. You do not have to get on the turnpike. But if you decide to use the turnpike, you have to stop at a ticket booth and get a ticket that clearly shows that there will be a fee for driving on the turnpike. So you cannot tell me that if you drove up to a TICKET BOOTH on an interstate TURNPIKE, took a ticket, and drove your car onto the TURNPIKE, you would be surprised that you had to pay a toll when you got off the turnpike. Or can you?

toll road.jpg

I'd say, no you can't be surprised you had to pay a toll. You still COULD be surprised to find you didn't have enough cash on you. You could also proceed happily and then be VERY surprised that your credit card was turned down.

I bought birthday cards at a Walgreens today and TWO!!!!!! of my completely valid credit cards were denied, probably because of the ERI#@$*&Y%(*%&)#( %&#$ darned embedded chip technology crap that has slowed our checkout lines to a crawl.

[angela9823]

I bought birthday cards at a Walgreens today and TWO!!!!!! of my completely valid credit cards were denied, probably because of the ERI#@$*&Y%(*%&)#( %&#$ darned embedded chip technology crap that has slowed our checkout lines to a crawl.

And THIS is why we didn't roll out EMV before the holidays to our customers. I'm on the merchant acquiring side. We sent letters to our merchants saying we did not want to interrupt their business during the holidays for something that wasn't tried and true in the US. Our older terminals were already declining Canadian cards because some Canadian issuers were requiring any swiped EMV card must be EMV read. Then there are American issuers that had the same issue. They turned on a prompt that required any swiped card must be EMV read or hand keyed into the system as card not present. We had to call many card issuers (especially those issued by a credit union) to get them to correct their cards so they could be read at merchants that were not yet using EMV. There was so little knowledge of these kinds of issues that it is quite possible for this kind of thing to continue for a while.

[PaulaO]

Illinois does not have turnpikes, only toll roads.

[heddylamar]

I drove through a toll in NJ with an ezpass. All lanes were "exact change only" and none accepted ezpass. It's been several years, and no nasty grams have shown up yet.

[Ike]

IMHO toll roads and turnpikes are different. You pay every x number of miles on a toll road. You collect a ticket when you enter a turnpike and pay a lump sum when you get off. In Illinois we have toll roads. You can pay cash (at manned booths) or use a transponder. If you have no money and you hit an unmanned, coins only booth, you can blow through and pay online within 7 days. Signs are everywhere for the website.

In Oklahoma we have turnpikes. You do not collect a ticket at the beginning. You go through a booth (some are manned during certain hours - no credit cards - some are just a basket to throw coins in with no change machine) and pay now and then or at certain exits. You could easily get on an interstate that turns into turnpike and not know it until it's time to pay. I now have a pike pass, but I've been caught without change and had to blow the toll booth before. There is no option to pay online later. You just have to hope you don't get caught.

Minor inconvenience waiting for someone who had an issue. Take a deep breath.

[Chisamba]

I did one get stuck at a toll booth in a rental car in a foreign country with only American currency. I had not taken the time to use the currency exchange at the airport.

After a couple of sarcastic comments by the man in the booth, about dollars not being universal currency, he took a couple of dollars and threw in one of his own euros and let me through.

[Tabby]

Perhaps they didn't know there was a problem with their credit card. As a Canadian living near the border, I often find myself on American toll roads and turnpikes. It's rare that I have any American change on me (and those change buckets know the difference between Canadian and US quarters). Though it has never happened to me at a toll booth, I have had my card declined at a gas station before because Visa thought there was unusual activity on it when we were travelling in Canada. In fact, it happened at the same gas station twice, 2 years apart (gas station in Moncton NB - over 2000 km from our home). Travelling can trigger Visa/mastercard to freeze your card.

[emmalou]

Note to self - keep my driving in the West where we don't have these crazy turnpikes.

[KathyK]

I don't know where you live, but there are 23 toll roads in TX, 10 in CA, 4 in CO, 10 in OK. And one in Ohio.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_t ... ted_States

[viscountessleftfield]

CA toll roads the tolls seem to be optional. I haven't seen roads where everyone pays.

[Woost2]

But YOU are the one responsible for reading the signs directing you where to go before you get to the toll booth. If you're in the wrong lane, suck it up and deal with the consequences, don't try to cause an accident for the rest of us.

Except when it is rush hour traffic and there is little warning of which lane is the cash lane until you are within spitting distance of the tolls. That would be me on the San Rafael bridge last year. Since most of the eastern turnpikes/toll roads take the Chicago IPass, I just hoped California did too because there was no way at all to get across three lanes of traffic. Turns out not.

Boston must have some kind of great signage. I've been on many a limited access road which gives no warning at all about what lane you need to be in. It is so effing frustrating. The one exception was Baltimore which had huge lovely graphics of exactly what was happening ahead in every lane.

[angela9823]

Boston must have some kind of great signage. I've been on many a limited access road which gives no warning at all about what lane you need to be in. It is so effing frustrating. The one exception was Baltimore which had huge lovely graphics of exactly what was happening ahead in every lane.

I gave Boston a pass in 2010 because of all the construction from the flood in March that year. They had it bad and there were still many places under water when we went at first of April. There were a lot of detours (poorly marked) and a lot of sign outages. So the final straw was the toll booth operator being nasty when there was no signage. We ended up leaving and just staying in New Hampshire and Maine the rest of the visit. This was after encountering many testy people in Boston. Asking for a breakfast sandwich to not have egg on it was such a big deal a guy was still yelling at me when I walked away from his place (without the sandwich!). I expected at any minute that he was going to yell it wasn't Burger King and I couldn't have it my way.

[periastra]

Since I don"t smoke, I use my car ash tray for change and an emergency $5.00. I don't have to drive on toll roads, but I have to deal with parking fees sometimes.

[kande50]

I stopped at one of those toll booths that spits out a ticket, and couldn't find the ticket. Finally pulled over to the side so that the cars behind me could go through, and got out of my car and walked back over to the booth. Turns out that I was looking at the edge of the ticket from where I sat in my car, so couldn't see it, but as soon as I stood up there it was. I was just lucky that I was in the right lane so could pull over and walk back, because otherwise I would have had to go without a ticket and pay the max toll.

I'm sure that those in the cars behind me thought I was dumber than a post.

[KathyK]

At least you pulled to the side!