# Stay the FUCK out of my EZ-PASS lane. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 23, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095 "2005-05-23T14:39:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/41 "2005-06-02T13:40:51Z")
> [@Bongmaster](#): > > The bong is in the corner and there IS a cite in my post, check again “champ” Yeah, but unfortunately the cite is Slashdot (and says that someone claims it to be true) and the cite within the cite goes nowhere. I don’t care whether you get an EZ-Pass or not, I like mine and I’ll deal with any problems that may arise from its use. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/42 "2005-06-02T14:58:36Z")
The link to the AP article I intended to use is not working any longer, my apologies for that. But to curb your ignorance and stop your silly ranting here are more: Cite 1 shows how E-ZPass info IS being used to track drivers “A recent review of E-ZPass records and reports from toll collectors indicate that some motorists are exceeding the 5 mph speed limit through the “E-ZPass Only” lanes, which creates a significant risk for themselves, other motorists, and toll collectors,” [http://www.drba.net/press/releases/view\_release.php?release=20050526](http://www.drba.net/press/releases/view_release.php?release=20050526) Cite 2 Is another version of the original article and really makes my point. Police are using the information from the E-ZPass system to track people’s whereabouts [http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/2003/11/21/business/7466389.htm](http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/2003/11/21/business/7466389.htm) Cite 3 Shows how the system was used against the cops when they were claiming to be working (about half way down the page) [http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/103-12112003-211370.html](http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/103-12112003-211370.html) I am looking for another article from back when they first started using the system and issued speeding tickets in my area. Give me some time to find it (all the links I had are dead now). Like any other information application it can be used for good or bad. Do you honestly think we, as a society, are ready to trust people in authority to always use information properly? Do you want to live in a surveillance society where the authorities know where you are at all times? I know, I know…if I haven’t done anything wrong I have nothing to worry about, right? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/43 "2005-06-02T15:31:09Z")
Ok, I pretty much suck at google research. I have found some non-cite-worthy pages claiming that people have gotten tickets in the past but none I’d feel comfortable linking here. My memory is from when they first started using E-ZPass in the Philadelphia area of the PA Turnpike, I will keep looking for a reliable cite. As far as my original argument goes, the jist of it regarded the use of the information gathered with the toll system and I think I have shown with my prior cites what they are doing these days. Does anyone honestly think that in 10-20 years when all roads are E-ZPass that law enforcement won’t use it to issue tickets and track where people have been? The only reason they hold back now is because they want people to sign up for it. When that motivator goes away there is nothing stopping people in authority and people who know how to manipulate information (hackers etc) from using the information against you. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/44 "2005-06-02T15:37:29Z")
And the problem is? I was aware of the problem of possibly getting a ticket on a toll road such as the Pa. turnpike when I got it. The thought does not bother me because I can take it out of the window and not use it if I choose. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/45 "2005-06-02T15:49:07Z")
Guess what… when you make a phone call the EEEEEVIL police can get a record of it to find out who you called. Oh no! I’m never using a phone again 'cause the cops use it to spy on me. 61 times in 7 years the EZPass people of NYS responded to a request for info, of the millions of people who use them every single day. Color me unimpressed. And don’t even TRY to suggest that their radar guns at the tollbooths are somehow inappropriate. There are people walking back and forth through those booths, you can’t have people zooming through at 30mph with no visibility. Note that it isn’t the EZPass tag that trips the ticket, it’s a radar gun. I recall a story from an old timer about a trip on the NJ turnpike, pre EZ pass. Toll taker looked at the timestamp that is on every single toll ticket issued and knew the person had been speeding something fierce. Had the guy sit off to the side until enough time had passed that he wasn’t “speeding” anymore. Connecting a timestamped paper ticket to speed is certainly doable, if the authorities want to. They don’t. The EZPass folks should NOT be using the tags to issue speeding tickets, because it’s just another incentive for people to avoid the technology. I’ve not heard any reliable cites that there is any attempt by law enforcement to use them that way, but am willing to listen ---
**Author:** ![sunfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/46 "2005-06-02T16:06:27Z")
Speeding tickets for going through the toll too fast, no problem. Speeding tickets for transit time between tolls (for example, going south on the NYS Thruway, Tappan Zee Bridge to Ardsley), I just don’t see happening without a huge fuss. I can’t find an online cite for this, but I remember well AAA-NY commenting that they would fight any such action tooth and nail as discriminatory against EZPass holders. I certainly have yet to be ticketed for having a, ahem, slightly leaden foot between tolls. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/47 "2005-06-02T16:32:29Z")
Cheesesteak, your sarcasm is not necessary. I don’t think the police are evil. I do, however, think that people in authority will abuse their power if they are given too much. You have heard absolute power corrupts absolutely, right? Of course this is not absolute power, rather a stepping stone on the path to it. The more information authorities are provided to control the people the more power they will have. I know how much people like you enjoy making reference to tinfoil hats and such so have at it, but I stand by my statements. I will continue to look for a cite to my speeding ticket claim. If anyone with actual research skills could help me out here I would appreciate it. I am certain there have been speeding tickets issued in the past using the E-ZPass system. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/48 "2005-06-02T16:49:20Z")
> [@sunfish](#): > > Speeding tickets for going through the toll too fast, no problem. Speeding tickets for transit time between tolls (for example, going south on the NYS Thruway, Tappan Zee Bridge to Ardsley), I just don’t see happening without a huge fuss. I can’t find an online cite for this, but I remember well AAA-NY commenting that they would fight any such action tooth and nail as discriminatory against EZPass holders. I certainly have yet to be ticketed for having a, ahem, slightly leaden foot between tolls. 😛 Most of what I have been reading this morning mirrors what you are saying. I can’t find anywhere they are ticketing people using the system now because it would make it so unpopular. My recollection was from when they first started using it here in the philly area…they quickly stopped doing it when people reacted. Its not much, but here is a start. A proposal on how the E-ZPass system can be used to track driver speed: www.math.uchicago.edu/~blumberg/driving.pdf ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/49 "2005-06-02T16:53:53Z")
> [@Jurph](#): > > It turns out that wrapping your EZ-Pass in tinfoil does work – in fact, question 7 in the FAQ here recommends using your tinfoil hat to wrap up your EZ-Pass if, for some reason, you want to pay cash. Right. Obviously, this is the reason they’re wrapped in foil for shipping. They don’t want a whole boxful of 'em to trigger debits on all those accounts while they’re in the back of a Post Office vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/50 "2005-06-02T19:12:58Z")
I am currently on hold with the EZ-PASS center because I got a notice of warning for a speed violation at the Harbor Tunnel tolls. It seems that I was clocked going through the toll plaza at… _ahem_ 67 MPH. During rush hour. Anyone who drives in Baltimore knows that this is flat out impossible. Methinks there is a technical glitch in the system. Personally, my biggest pet peeve is people with EZ-PASSES fucking STOP in the EZ-PASS lane instead of coasting through. _ **DON’T FUCKING STOP, YOU LOSER! THAT’S WHY WE PAY FOR THESE THINGS, SO WE DON’T HAVE TO STOP AT THE TOLLS WITH THE IDIOTS WHO DON’T HAVE EZ-PASS! GAH!** _ There is an EZ-PASS station on the Garden State Parkway that you can go through _at speed_. Nirvana! Oh, how I yearn for the day they install those down here. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/51 "2005-06-02T21:43:26Z")
Soo… the problem with (hypothetically) issuing speeding tickets because you got from point A to point B faster than you’re supposed to is… what exactly? You broke the law. Suck it up and pay the fine. Yes, I speed too. And when I was caught once, I deserved it. Lucky me only got a warning. But someday I’ll surely get a ticket, and I’ll deserve that too. If I didn’t want to risk a ticket… I wouldn’t speed. Very simple. The time I save with ezpass in a year is probably more than I would save speeding anyway. EZpass is a dream come true. EZPass Express is heaven on earth. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/52 "2005-06-02T22:26:14Z")
> [@Bongmaster](#): > > You have heard absolute power corrupts absolutely, right? Of course this is not absolute power, rather a stepping stone on the path to it. Man, that stepping stone is a half mile behind you on the route to absolute power. You realize that every single telephone call you have ever made in your entire life was logged in a database the police could subpoena? If you used a cellphone, they could even track where you were when you made the call. Every single financial transaction you have ever made with an institution is logged. Every single credit card purchase, every loan, every deposit and withdrawal logged with times, dates, locations and amounts. Got cash from an ATM? They took a video of you doing it. The authorities have a mountain of information at their disposal regarding your activities and you think EZPass is paving the way to them having too much power? Get some perspective, they are already there. If they wanted to fuck your shit up, they don’t need EZPass, all they need is to decide to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/53 "2005-06-03T12:48:49Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Man, that stepping stone is a half mile behind you on the route to absolute power. You realize that every single telephone call you have ever made in your entire life was logged in a database the police could subpoena? If you used a cellphone, they could even track where you were when you made the call. Every single financial transaction you have ever made with an institution is logged. Every single credit card purchase, every loan, every deposit and withdrawal logged with times, dates, locations and amounts. Got cash from an ATM? They took a video of you doing it. > > The authorities have a mountain of information at their disposal regarding your activities and you think EZPass is paving the way to them having too much power? Get some perspective, they are already there. If they wanted to fuck your shit up, they don’t need EZPass, all they need is to decide to do it. Its exactly the kind of things you mention that worry me. Of course I know how much of a survalience society we are becoming…why make it any easier? Too may people think about this the same way you too. Its convenient, its easier…but it leads to bad things in time. Did you ever read 1984? Its a model for the world we are creating. Its easy to accept new forms of information technology because of the huge short term benefits yet we rarely consider the long term consenquences. I don’t seriously expect people to stop using information technology (I’m in the field myself) but I do want to make people more aware of what can happen. Its an uphill battle! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095/54 "2005-06-03T20:13:45Z")
Why make it easier? I think I don’t mind making it easier because ease and difficulty are not factors in the decision to violate a persons rights. You do not need computers to commit genocide, enslave populations, or just thoroughly harass a person. All of these things were done during times with zero information technology, and I don’t think that any ancient ruler thought “Well, it’s just too hard to oppress these peasants, I won’t bother troubling them.” If the people in charge decide to screw with you, they will, regardless of whether or not they can track you with ezpass. If making it easier provides me with a tangible benefit, I’m generally OK with it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stay-the-fuck-out-of-my-ez-pass-lane/305095.md?page=2)