I drove down to Virginia for business before the winter. While on my drive I ended up on the New York State Thruway Authority toll road of whatever its called. I was charged $2.85 for the pleasure.
I did not have any cash on me. I tried paying with my credit card but they wouldn’t take it. They took my drivers license info and I was instructed to go to convenience store, get a money order for $2.85, go to a bank and have them wire it to the Thruway Authority. This sounded idiotic to me and I didn’t have the time for it anyways. Went about my business, drove home, everything was fine.
Got a letter in the mail from the Authority, posted at a cost of $1.10, telling me to pay up. I got my girlfriend to write them a cheque (because who the hell has cheques anymore?) and send it off to them at a cost of $1.50 (or something, can’t remember).
They send me another letter ($1.10) telling me they cannot accept Canadian funds and to send US funds. I did not reply.
Yesterday I got another letter ($1.10) telling me I am past due. I have not replied.
So I have spent $1.50 or so and they have spent $3.30 for a total of $4.80 not including their labour to collect $2.85 from me that I have no easily available ability or desire to pay.
As for “what happens if I don’t pay it”… NY and Ontario have a reciprocal agreement when it comes to traffic violations meaning eventually you might have trouble renewing your license or registration in Ontario. I’m not 100% certain an unpaid toll would work the same as a traffic violation but I sure wouldn’t take the chance over $3 that I could easily pay online.
I didn’t even think about paying it online. For a institution for far behind they cant just take a picture of a licsense plate or at the very least accept a cedit card it seemed unlikely they would have any sort of interweb system setup.
As it turns out i had a eureka moment at my desk and gave the bill to reception and told them to deal with it as it was incurred on a work trip.
So problem solved, sorry about wasting a thread. But NY really needs to step up their toll game.
I want to know who does not have $3 on them. Even in change? Rule of thumb is to always have some sort of cash with you. Even if is a $50 bill tucked away for “emergencies”
I want to know who still carries cash? Its 2014, people can pay for shit with their cell phones. I never have cash on me. In Canada I never have need for it. Even our famous “cash only” donut shop takes debit and credit now. I have even paid credit on other toll roads in the states.
Since Tim Hortons started accepting plastic this is the only instance where not having cash has ever caused an issue for me .
Thank you Jay. Yes like most of you i always swipe a CC with rewards. But it is always nice to have some petty cash also. I just in the last year have had a need for actual paper money. Once the place i went to eat there CC machine was down, not a problem. And one time a Gas stations machine was down, also no prob bc i keep some money stated away in the wallet.
When I was younger, my mother decided it would be a good idea to sneak $5 into my registration/insurance holder for emergencies. She did not tell me this thinking I would call her if there was an emergency and she could surprise me with the lifesaving $5. At some point in the future I got pulled over and when the officer asked for registration I just gave him the holder without looking in it. He then found what must have looked like a incredibly insulting bribe. Thankfully he believed my story about my mother and did not arrest my ass.
If you just blow through EZpass, SunPass, or whatever equivalent quick pay toll structure you’re going through without the correct device it will take a photo and mail you for the tolls. You just made a poor decision by trying to interact with someone in person.
Normally would but by the time the rental car company gets the invoice and pass it back onto me my expense report is already done and the work order closed. It’s easier just to throw it on a credit card.
My grandmother dragged them over the coals over a $.35 toll they tried to collect. She went as far as requesting all communication be sent via certified mail. After over $50 in postage charges by the govt. she bundled everything up and sent it to whomever was in charge of the thruway authority at the time. It cost her more than $.35 but her point was made. They sent yet another letter letting her know she was off the hook.