Ira Will Get A Kick Out Of This One...

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

On a recent trip down to the bay area with Kevin, we pulled up to a toll booth after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge at about 6:00am to find out we were in the wrong line. There was a man in the toll booth on Kevin's side of the truck, so Kev tried to hand him the money, but he wouldn't take it. He told us to continue on our way... I was ready to pull over and go back and pay the toll, but figured what the hey... Off we went!
I just got a notice in the mail from FastTrak Violations Department...
The toll was five bucks, but now has a twenty-five dollar penalty added to it. Oh... It also has a nice little picture of the back of my truck, with my license plate.
This was the first time I've crossed the bridge since FastTrak was put into place. It sure would've been nice to know beforehand that we needed to be in the far right lanes to pay with cash and I would've been fine with pulling over and walking back to pay it, but the toll keeper told us to continue on our way...
There is a form on the back of this nasty looking toll evasion notice, which allows me to contest this matter, but it makes no mention of further fees and or penalties if they rule against me.
My hunch is it would be best to just pay the thirty bucks now and be done with it...
Maybe I could get Ira to act as my attorney...

[Miriam C.]

you should never "just pay". Truth is if you tell the story others will have done the same thing. It shows the state they have a personnel problem. You might still have to pay the whole $30 but I doubt they can charge you for contesting it. Is there someone you can call?

[Ira]

That's ridiculous--you shouldn't have to pay.

But if you remember about MY favorite toll booth that didn't charge me and gave me a green light when a guy NEXT to me went through with the pass, everyone here told me I would get into all SORTS of trouble.

But two years later, and nothing ever happened.

God Bless Florida, and the hell with Jeb Bush.

Now that Crist is Governor, maybe I'll behave myself.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

I noticed a phone # at the bottom in real small print...
I'll called, but it was a non ending loop of prerecorded prompts that didn't apply to me, except further instructions on how to pay by mail or online.
HAWRUMPHHHH!

What bugs me the most about this, is what this matter is doing to my feelings about the bridge itself...
I was one lucky guy and was given the opportuntity to go to the top of the North tower of the bridge to take pictrures during a job shooting a Cup race at nearby Sears Point for a magazine many moons ago...
Got some incredible shots from the top of that bridge and it has always been one of my favorite places...
My kids and I have walked across it on more than one occasion too.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

I called that phone # again and on a whim... punched zero this time to see if that would make a human being pick up the phone on the other end.
It worked!
I explained my story to the man and he told me that they would remove the penalty as a "One Time Courtesy"... paid my five buck toll right there on the phone and all is well!!!

[halfdome, Danny]

Good you called . We will face a $49 fine from Fast Track when the second Tacoma Narrows opens this year. They expect 1,800 cars to slip through each day, boy they must be excited at all the money the state will make off this bridge. I won't go on it until it proves safe, remember Galloping Gertie? The old bridge right next to it was that infamous span. Danny

[Elumia]

Which bridge was it? All of the Fast Trak only lanes are marked above the lane, some are painted on the road. The problem is most of the approaches have curves so you are never quite sure which lane you are in til the last minute.

I'm not a fan fast trak. They say it is "free", however, you pony up money to have a transponder, I think like $50. When your balance gets down to about $10, they charge you back up to the $50. So imagine there are 1,000,000 fast trak "customers" Caltrans now has $10,000,000 minimum in operating balance and doesn't have to pay for as many toll takers. Also, there are receivers around the bay highways that track your speed "anonymously" from the fast trak transponder.

Glad you were able to get your fine reduced.

Mark

[asianflava]

I was one lucky guy and was given the opportuntity to go to the top of the North tower of the bridge to take pictrures during a job shooting a Cup race at nearby Sears Point for a magazine many moons ago...
Got some incredible shots from the top of that bridge and it has always been one of my favorite places...
My kids and I have walked across it on more than one occasion too.

Yikes! Me and heights don't get along well. There is no way you can get me on top of that tower. Mainly because you probably have to walk on the bridge to get there. Maybe I'd walk the bridge if I can walk on that painted line on the middle of the road.

I have the equivelant "TXTag" so I can drive thru the toll booths. I've driven thru and gotten a red light a few times. They didn't fine me because they knew it was their fault. I have a valid tag AND my account is setup and funded properly.

What I've been doing recently, is checking to see how fast I can blow thru the booth. So far it still picks me up at 60mph.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Yikes! Me and heights don't get along well. There is no way you can get me on top of that tower. Mainly because you probably have to walk on the bridge to get there. Maybe I'd walk the bridge if I can walk on that painted line on the middle of the road.

Oh Rocky... That is funny!!!
I had to sign release waivers first and then we basically rode in a golf cart on the sidewalk area to the base of the tower. We then crammed ourselves onto a 2' x 2' platform and took what seemed to be about a ten minute ride inside the columne support to the top. The last few feet, we climbed a steel ladder, which led to a hatch. As I climbed through the hatch, a huge gust of wind hit me. It ripped a pair of Oakley eye shades off of my face, leaving the ear pieces and neck cord dangling around my neck. I watched that $100 eyewear disapear in thin air... Mighta landed on Angel Island, I dunno...
You can probably relate to this... Now I've never been afraid of heights before, but the gusting wind made me want to hunker down as low as my feet were, but once I got behind the lens of my cameras I was fine... Hanging off the catwalks to get that just "right" shot.
The ride back down only took a couple of minutes. That was a cool experience... The sounds made that bridge seem like it was alive. I guess it was a once in a lifetime experience, 'cause 911 ended any chance of being given another chance to do it again.

What I've been doing recently, is checking to see how fast I can blow thru the booth. So far it still picks me up at 60mph.

With how many inches to spare between each booth???

[Bobgorilla]

Here in Florida, we have sunpass. The speed limit is supposed to be 25 mph and they used to have an arm that came down in between cars . I don't know if they gave up replacing them or came to their senses and removed them. Most people travel at least 45 thru the booth area on these lanes

[doug hodder]

Danny as a kid in Seattle in the 50's and 60's we used to go over the Narrows bridge all the time...I always heard that story about the original one every time we crossed...never saw footage of it till I was in physics class...I think it was a sine wave with a twist....cool footage. Doug

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxTZ446tbzE

[halfdome, Danny]

Doug, Legend has it the last guy on the old bridge left his dog in that car. The Tacoma Narrows bridges are wimpy looking compared to the majestic Golden Gate. Since the current (#2) bridge is a historical landmark they weren't allowed to make an exact copy for the new one. Danny

New Bridge

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Danny,
The dog's name was Tubby...
http://www.ketchum.org/tacomacollapse.html

[doug hodder]

I won't even read that story...anyone that left their dog in that car should have gone down with the bridge.... Doug

[halfdome, Danny]

During the early 40's (war years) my Mom would follow my dad around since he was in the Navy. She was on the train that runs just below that bridge and saw it collapse. The next year she was in Pear Harbor and saw that. The year after that she was in Florida during a hurricane. I'm happy she moved back to San Diego no disasters there, until I was Born. Danny