
New York State to Eliminate Cash Option for Paying Tolls - davidf18
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/nyregion/new-york-to-eliminate-cash-option-for-paying-tolls.html
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ArkyBeagle
The greater Houston area recently expanded its offering of toll roads. The
effect is dramatic - it just feels like it's now possible to zip anywhere
that's covered. I can only imagine the effect on carbon emissions - it has to
be quite positive ( check the EPA estimates for city v. highway - there's a
difference ).

However, I still see ( in cases the majority ) pulling over to hit the cash
lane.

Are there that many people with credit bad enough to not be eligible for a
TXDOT pass? Surely not the majority. Is it because people feel like they're
being tracked? Is it some variation on a frugality exercise - sort of Dave
Ramsay's "envelope" system? Maybe it's some grumpy expression of discontent
with toll roads? So you're gonna sit in line to pay more, cash?

I don't get it.

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shwash
It's a combination of education/credit card access/disposition against toll
(EZPass guesses the numbers to pre-fill for you, people on tight budgets can't
have $50 randomly disappear from their debit cards). Some people are driving
cars they don't own.

There's other stuff that's less acceptable - suspended licenses/old
registrations/out of state drivers can't keep their EZ pass up to date.
There's also a decent amount of Americans living a cash-mostly lifestyle. Many
many americans blackballed from ever having a bank account because they let
one go too deep in the red.

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languagewars
Hm, they've been caught before for trying to do something illegal; they are
not allowed to give any form of discounts as a turnpike on the federal highway
system. (To prevent perverting the cost structures to in-state user's
advantage.)

Are they not going to charge fees for these paper bills when paid on time? Can
one pay one in cash and without needing a stamp? Even if they've sorted those
two out, a third of people not paying and that being made up in fines makes it
sound onerous which is against the spirit of the rules.

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gumby
They aren't kidding: whenever these systems are deployed the agencies choose
privacy-destroying versions. They could just as easily have a refillable
stored-value version, but instead they have one that reports its subscriber
number and is tied to a user's account. Resulting in a data stream that can be
subpoenaed or simply inspected.

I guess people are just inured to this. Driver's licenses are full of info not
required for driving.

Oh, and a mandatory snarky Manhattanite snicker for "Bridge and Tunnel
Officers"

