Week 12

This week was the first time I used the E-ZPass lane on the tollway. E-ZPass is a system where high-tech transponders in your car allow you to whiz through the tollbooth without slowing down, automatically recognizing your vehicle and deducting the toll from your prepaid account. Unfortunately, I had neither a high-tech gadget or an account.

I had not been through the Powhite tollbooth since it had undergone renovation. A long stretch of Jersey wall that was not there previously separates those with E-ZPasses from those who must pay with cash. This Jersey wall was not there before. I thought the wall was for cars getting off on Forest, and expected to be able to merge down the road. My expectations were wrong.

As I realized what was happening, I also remembered the stark sign I had passed warning of up to $500 fines for something, which I had a sinking feeling was for being in the wrong lane at the wrong time. Being a good citizen with an aversion to large fines, and even though it meant I would be late for a doctor's appointment, I found an exit several miles up the road and turned around to settle things with the Toll Lady. Unfortunately, the Toll Lady said not only would I have to call in to talk to the Toll People, but I would have to pay the toll now that I was going north. 70 cents. So I did that, went several miles up the road and headed back south, this time being careful to stay to the right of Jersey. A new Toll Lady was happy to relieve me of another 70 cents.

I dutifully called and pleaded my case to the Phone Lady. She asked my license plate number. "Did this violation happen at 3:12 PM?" I neglected to check the time, but that sounded about right. "Were you driving a C230 Mercedes Benz?" I realized I wasn't going to be able to claim it was a case of mistaken identity, so I told Phone Lady I wanted to pay. "Credit or debit?" Credit, of course. "70 cents will be deducted from your next credit statement." I don't think I have ever used a credit card for such a small amount, or spent so much time trying to get through a tollbooth. There was nothing E-Z about this at all.

I think I'm going to have to reconsider this resolution thing next year.