No Exact Change!!!

[WDWLinda]

So what really happens if you don't have exact change or a Florida Sunpass when you get off Exit 11 on 417 South? This happened to us last week, and we had NO change in the rental car. I did what countless other tourists have probably done before me - yelled out the window into the empty basket "Sorry, I don't have any change", and sped off to the sound of the ringing bell. I doubt that the FL Hwy Dept. has the time or resources to trace down who rented that particular car on that date and send me a ticket, but I was just wondering...anybody know?

Thanks,
Linda

 

[mickey12810]

We have driven through this toll booth a couple of times because we too had no exact change. Haven't heard from them yet. If it was that important to collect that toll they should have someone there, because I would think that a lot of tourists use that toll booth.

 

[Nebsky]

In all seriousness, I doubt they are really concerned, but you never know.

My friend (Honest...not making it up because Im embarrased) did this about 3-4 years ago. He went through the toll booth with a rented car and paid. He got something in the mail about 3 weeks later saying he owed a toll dating back the same day but about 4 hours earlier than he had the car. He got on the phone with the folks who sent him the letter and bill. He told them what he thought of it and had a couple of suggestions on where they might put that info. He told them that it wasnt him. Toll collector tells him he must pay the bill. He says no way. Hangs up them. Called the rental car company and told them what was going on. Rental agency said, nope, it was you and you should pay toll. Finally he found the rental bill. He had been looking for his bill the whole time. Made copies of the rental bill, the toll bill and sent them to both agencies via certified mail telling them to do their jobs correctly. He sent them a bill for his time that it took for him to collect the information, the phone calls and incidentals. He never heard back from them.

 

[safetymom]

If it happens once they won't do anything. If if happens several times you will get a bill.

 

[cra-z-4-dizney]

I went through the e-z pass once because I forgot my purse, and they sent me a bill for the $2.00 and said if I didn't pay it within 30 days that I would pay a penalty charge of like $30.00 or something like that. That is in Philadelphia though, and don't know if it would be the same in FL or not.

 

[seashoreCM]

Pause in the booth at least for a few moments. Put something in the basket if you can.

(If you are fiendish) After pausing without success, slowly pull forward a car length (probably not quite to the red light). Pretend to fumble for change some more as if to get out and walk back to basket. Next person will pull forward, put in money to make light turn green, then off you go.

No exact change? No problem!

Going to Disney, use the north airport exit, left at first light (Frontage), about a mile then left at next two lights close together onto 528 Beach Line (Bee Line). One 75 cent toll, manual booths available, then get onto I-4 West. Disney exits will appear shortly.

No gas station in sight? No problem!

Fill up on site if possible, perhaps the night before. Returning to airport, get onto I-4 East, then onto 528. One 75 cent toll. Get off 528 at Exit 9 Tradeport, left and cross under, cheap gas station right there. After topping off get into middle lane away from 528, required right onto McCoy, about a mile is next light (Semoran) and turn right into airport.

If it happens once they won't do anything. If if happens several times you will get a bill.

Except on the umpteenth time when they catch the car, it is your first time through when your rental started.

He got something in the mail about 3 weeks later saying he owed a toll dating back the same day but about 4 hours earlier than he had the car. (snip). Made copies of the rental bill, the toll bill and sent them to both agencies via certified mail telling them to do their jobs correctly.

Overkill, doing their (rental agency's and toll agency's) job for them which they really expected all along.

The renter should not contact the parking ticket authority or toll authority etc. directly when it was the rental company who forwards a bill for somebody else's fine. Instead the car rental company should be used as a go between for every letter.

 

[bavaria]

Over the years I have set off toll alarms in Orlando and in Virginia. I have tossed in Canadian and foreign coins in vain (they don't weigh the correct amount)

This was always unintentional, and arose because of taking the wrong exit or simply being a tourist. I also forget that in the US one usually ends up with less change than one does in Canada or Europe.

I have yet to receive a violation/charge notice.

Once again, I trust Safetymom's advice.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

HAHA same thing happened to us! We had just gotten into town, it was around 11:30PM. We ended up driving through it, with the "alarm" going off and it taking a picture of our car. That was last year, and we still haven't heard anything from them (or National Car Rental). We do make sure that we have extra change with us before leaving the airport.

 

[Nebsky]

Guess this person would be the habitual fail to pay the toll.

http://www.nbc5i.com/traffic/5231565/detail.html

FORT WORTH, Texas -- A woman is facing criminal charges after being arrested for not stopping at toll booths more than 2,900 times.

Evangelina Sanchez Gonzalez, 41, may be the most notorious toll booth runner in North Texas and has amassed fines of more than $76,000.

Over the 20 months that officials said Gonzalez ran through the booths, she would have paid roughly $1,800 in tolls. Now, she owes more than 42 times that amount with the addition of fines and penalties.

Not paying the toll is a Class-C misdemeanor.

The North Texas Tollway Authority estimates that 35,000 drivers out of one million daily transactions do not pay when passing through the tollbooths.

Gonzalez was arrested in October and was released pending trial.

 

[Mister Incredible]

I do the "Fake Toss". Slow down, make like you are tossing out the change and go. I always remember to take some quarters after hitting this toll booth a couple of times. Ususally every other year or so, I'll forget and have to fake it!

 

[Lewisc]

Kind of stupid having exact change only toll booths for a road that's traveled by tourists.

 

[tkldisney]

I've gone that far on 417 twice, first time didn't have any change and drove through. Second time we had the change. Come to think of it, we'll drive that way again in Dec. will have to try and remember!!!
It is kinda crazy to have exact change only without anyone there. Maybe they should install a change machine.

 

[pumpkinboy]

We actually signed up for SunPass just so we could blow thru the Florida toll booths - we love EZ Pass for the same reason and have one each from both Mass and Maine. When we get our rental car, we phone in the plate number to SunPass (or have Sis back in Boston plug it into the computer). Then after a month or so, or after all of our tolls clear on the account, I remove the vehicle from the account.

It turns out that someone who rented one of the cars we had used previously blew thru Exit 11 off of 417, and it was charged to my account. But then again, we saved a lot on tolls when we drove up from Miami earlier this year, so we figured that the 75¢ is no biggie (so whoever it was that rented that blue Grand Caravan from National last December: you're welcome).