I am a big fan of the E-ZPass electronic toll-collection system. It saves me time on my occasional trips up Interstate 95 and along the New Jersey Turnpike.
However, there is one thing that is starting to bug me about the system. I have received yet another letter informing me that E-ZPass is increasing the amount being deducted from my credit card because of my pattern of use.
E-ZPass calculates how much I use during a three-month period and increases the withdrawal accordingly. During the past couple of months, I went to New York to pick up my daughter from college, I went to Philadelphia to watch her rowing team race and I went to Atlantic City for a day?s entertainment. None of these are things that I do on a regular basis, and I don?t use the system during my regular commute. But E-ZPass is now deducting $65 whenever my balance gets below $16.25. That means there is a fair amount of money now sitting, unused, in my E-ZPass account. While I don?t have access to that money, I assume that the folks at E-ZPassare using it, along with other people?s balances, to collect interest. The funny thing is, this ratchet only seems to work in one direction. I have yet to get a note from E-ZPass telling me that the amount being deducted has gone down because of inactivity. It?s not a huge amount of money, but it would be nice if the money was sitting in my bank account and not theirs.
Lisa writes: “I read your great article ?Distracted drivers cause 80 percent of all crashes.? It expressed one of the many reasons why a friend and I started a campaign for action in this area.
“Our business, Courtesy on the Road Inc., is a nonprofit organization that is an incentive program to make high schoolers more aware of road courtesy and make them less prone to aggressive driving and road rage. To do this, we designed a magnet that kids place on the backs of their cars. We go to schools, sign up kids, give them a curriculum, and if we ?catch? them driving courteously, we give them gift packages. We have been doing this since September. We also promised a party for the school with the highest participation at the end of the year.
“It?s almost the end of April, and we have close to 1,200 Howard County high-school students signed up, and we have given away 28 prize packages. We also send the kids a weekly e-mail, which you can see on our Web site at
www.courtesyontheroad.com.”
Good stuff, Lisa. The rewards include free movie passes, ice cream, manicures and a number of things that are great incentives for this age group. If you or your children are participating, please let us know how it?s working. Courtesy is something that seems to be lacking on the roads these days, and I hope programs like this will get drivers started on the right path.
Steve Eldridge is an award-winning traffic and transportation reporter. You can contact him with your thoughts, ideas and questions by writing to [email protected]. Only your first name will be used if your letter is published, and e-mails will only be forwarded for response with your permission.
