Toll Road Payment Question

[Twinks]

Can you help me with my question. We arrived on Orlando on Christmas Day and travelled with map to our hotel. The first toll road we came to was exact change and unmanned. We only had dollar notes! I had seen the signs of automatic $100 fine for jumping toll booth. We sat at the booth, not knowing what to do. Couldn't reverse back, couldn't pay by any other means, had first row of the holiday!!! With no one coming up behind us to plead for change, we had no option but go go through - you guessed it bells going off etc etc. On our way back to the airport at the end of the holiday, we explained at a toll booth what had happened on the way in and she gave us a card to ring a toll free number. My husband did this at the airport and the guy said 'thank you for letting us know, Sir - Have a Nice Day'. He didn't take our name or car plate no.

We have kept the card and a note the guys name, but I have visions that when we arrive back in the States this year my husband will be carted off at immigration for non payment of a 50 cents toll fee!

Anyone else had a similar experience?

thanks

Twinks

 

[valeriekc]

I had the same experience outside of Dallas, Texas.
How was I supposed to know to carry around exactly 50 cents??
I was in a rental car and drove off with all the bells and alarms sounding and have never heard anything from the state of Texas or the rental company.
I feel they should have signs on some of these roads when there will be "unmanned" toll booths myself.
I would anticipate that they will not go to the trouble of researching the plate with the rental car company and then chasing you down for 50 cents.
I would not worry about it at all!
Hope this helps

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

This is completely hearsay, and I have no proof to back it up... but a friend of mine told me that they'll usually let the first two occurances slide, and they'll only prosecute after that. How true that is, I dont know. I'm sure rental cars get the same grace period. When they do prosecute though, I've heard the tickets are around $100... so I guess that's how the 50 cents becomes worthwhile.

 

[cranbiz]

Twinks,

I replied to you in the speeding thread, but I also had the same problem and was told the same thing that Tyler just said. They aren't worried about the 1 or 2 times that you may not have the exact change, just don't make a habit of it. I even tried to pay for it at the next manned booth, but she would not take it.

 

[Twinks]

Thank you for your replies. It has helped put my mind at rest

I will personally make sure that there is pleanty of change available for our next trip so we don't get caught out again.

Thanks again.

Twinks

 

[coasterville]

I had the same problem on my last Orlando trip. There seems to be a toll road as you leave the airport that has unmanned toll booths at the exits. Same deal 50 cent toll, and the machine only takes coin.

We sat there for a while figuring what do do, then we tossed what loose coin we had in the chute and drove off. We did not get the alarm bells that some others here have mentioned.

We stewed over it for a few days, but nothing ever came of it.

Ya know, I wonder how much extra reveue they could make if they installed dollar bill acceptors at maybe one lane of each exit. I'm not saying the machine would give you change back, but it would put all of us basically good people at ease that we won't get hounded for non-payment of road toll.

 

[Cora]

We had the same thing happen to us. I even got out of the car and asked the car behind us if they could make change. They couldn't. We threw what we had in and left...

 

[seashoreCM]

(copied from another post)

Aren't all the large toll plazas right in the middle of the highway manned?

An unmanned booth at the airport interchange is foolish, unless it is never enforced.

Although one person may not make a habit out of running tolls, the same rental car is used by lots of people.

Also if toll enforcement was limited to people who drive through without stopping, then there would be no problem.

Using the airport north exit, (optional left at first light then two lefts at next lights), Bee Line (528) and I-4, all the toll plazas are manned. Optional return: 528 exit 9 Tradeport, cross under, middle lane, required right onto McCoy 2 mi. to airport.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm
______________________________________

<small>Tell me I'll save time instead of the planet and I'll park the minivan in the garage and hop the bus. Thousands of others will, too. (J.D.M., writer for phillyburbs.com)</small>

 

[MickeyFlirt]

We travel to Orlando often and even though DH does the driving and the toll paying I was sure that there was a dollar slot on both the ones going into Orlando and coming out. Might be talking about different toll booths. Could be wrong.

 

[cranbiz]

I can't speak about the toll booths on the Bee Line, but the ones on 417 do not have dollar bill slots.

 

[MazdaUK]

Are there any change booths inside the airport?

We'll have no change on us, and even our bills won't be very small - unmanned booths at an airport seem silly.

Has anyone ever managed to get change un US by buying duty free on their inward flight? Or asked at the car rental place?

Its been bugging me for a while....

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I'm sure any shop inside the airport, or the car rental place will be able to provide you with enough change to get you through any unmanned toll booths.

 

[RAD]

If you make regular visits to WDW/Orlando area why not get a EZ-PASS/SUNPASS electronic tag for the tolls? Yea, it's $25 to purchase one but then you never have to worry about exact change and you get to zip through the toll plazas.

 

[cigar95]

I had a similar incident last summer. Turns out a few of the *onramps* have tolls, which I didn't expect. I was left with no options, so I threw in the 20 cents I had and drove through. Nothing ever came of it. (But I guess the next guy through only needed 30 cents.)

My guess is that rental cars get a certain amount of leeway. "Ah, just another confused tourist."