A morality quiz for you--but do you have any also?

[Boodro]

And finally...I have to admit...I did it again yesterday.

HELP ME BEFORE I DRIVE FOR FREE AGAIN!!!!


Hey Ira , maybe you should checkout Cheaters Anonymus?? ( just kidding)

Hi , my name is Ira , & I cheat on tolls. Please help me!

Ya;ll be cool!

[purplepickup]

I've got to agree with those that have said that integrity and honorable behavior say a lot about a person. Personally I feel that our society is severly lacking in moral character and we are paying a huge price for it.

I know what qualities I want in my friends and neighbors and it isn't people who are only out for what benefits themselves.

Pay the damn tolls and get on with life. If someone was scamming a way to not pay you for some service you provided you'd be all over them.

[wilbour]

I get the impression that this post is not to be taken too seriously. I said that if you have to ask the question then you know the answer. I did not think I had to expand on that but I guess I do. Most people would rather pay their fair share and not think twice. Some cheat the system and beat themselves up over it again and again. Others still cheat and don't look back. Of the three groups, which one would you rather spend time with?

Dave

[brad vk2qq]

I can't believe the whole thread is about 75 cents!

Most of the tolls around here are about $3.30 for each bit of road or tunnel. Crossing town, or making a return trip can be pretty expensive. The toll transponders are used everywhere.

I did notice one car with a new approach the other day. He straddled the white line between two toll lanes and squeezed through without a photo being taken. No boom arms on these lanes.

[Grandadeo]

Just a few thoughts and I'll keep quiet:

When I drive south to Lauderdale I can drive for free on I-95 or pay the toll on the Florida Turnpike which runs right along side it. I gladly pay the toll, I have a much better chance of getting home alive based on the volume of traffic and the rudeness of the drivers on 95. But at least I have a choice, I know for some of you the toll road is the only game in town.

I got thinking about the argument that tolls should be removed when the initial construction bonds are paid for and that sounds good. However, I sure would like to buy a new car and when I make the last payment never have to pay for maintenance on it again. It just doesn't work that way.

Ira, it's OK if you don't believe in God, He still believes in you. And if you have kids I hope they're not sitting next to you when you beat the toll.

[Normspeed]

And if you have kids I hope they're not sitting next to you when you beat the toll.[/quote]

Road Trip, that's when you point to the right and say, "Hey, look over there kids, there's Mickey Mouse!"
Jeez.

[Woody]

I can only imagine the topic of his new thread on this when Ira finally gets caught and gets fined, Oh Boy. All this to justify .50 to .75 cent savings or what ever the savings is at his favorite toll booth. Considering the fine will definately pale the savings in comparision. The state will get their money one way or another. I guess the money for his build and Bud has to come from somewhere I guess. Have fun while your luck lasts

[TomS]

I got thinking about the argument that tolls should be removed when the initial construction bonds are paid for and that sounds good. However, I sure would like to buy a new car and when I make the last payment never have to pay for maintenance on it again. It just doesn't work that way.

Here's how it works here in Massachusetts. The Mass. Turnpike is run by an independent authority, totally separate from MassHighway, the agency responsible for all other state highways. The Authority is well-known as a haven for politically connected hacks. And then there are the inflated salaries. Toll collectors make more than most college-educated professionals. While it is true that some of that toll goes to pay for maintenance. A good portion of it pays for redundancy and inefficiency. When you look at maintenenece costs in a per-mile basis, the Mass. Turnpike is one of the most expensive highways in the country.

[IraRat]

This was a fun ride. I got a kick out of some of the answers, and respected most of them--although I didn't always agree.

I paid yesterday, from the simple fear of getting caught--but NOT because of ethics. As I stated, I wouldn't do something that would personally hurt someone in particular, and I still maintain that's not really the case here.

Also, I don't know if it's really porportionate to measure someone's complete integrity by one circumstance, a really small one to boot. Some of us are scrupulously clean with the small stuff--because it's no big deal to do, no big whoop--but when it comes to issues that REALLY matter, that's often another story.

Don't want to appear like I'm jumping on a soapbox here (too late, so I'm sorry), but I think that when it comes to government authority, from time to time, you have to skirt the issue a little.

I would just LOVE to see some of your tax returns!

I got nailed once for an honest mistake, a deduction that millions of Americans claim, but it was disallowed for no good reason, so now I claim very little. Not because of ethics, just fear of penalty and aggravation.

And again, I refuse to believe that God (who most people believe in) gives a crap about 75 cents. (Buddah, Mohammed and Jesus might be upset with me, but not God.) I think he would be more pissed about my city not letting me park my TD on the side of the house, causing me to pay 75 BUCKS a month for storage. (Don't want to make any connection between the two to justify what I did, but the analogy works here.)

Anyway, thanks for the posts! It was cool to at least see TDs pop up in some of them from time to time!

[madjack]

a note from the adMADinator, I think enough has been said on this topic and to continue it, will turn it INTO an argument on religion or poitics. Ira started this thread and his last post finishes it.

THIS THREAD IS NOW LOCKED