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From grease to specialized license plate covers, drivers try to beat tolls
MassLive ^ | October 30, 2016 | Scott J. Croteau

Posted on 11/15/2016 8:10:49 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Across the country people have tried all sorts of ways to trick all-electronic tolling technology from capturing their license plates in order to avoid paying a toll, but officials in Massachusetts said the tricks aren't new and the technology is ready to catch the scofflaws.

Massachusetts will move to all-electronic tolling on Friday and has Raytheon's All Electronic Tolling System ready to read E-ZPass transponders as well as take pictures of the vehicles including the rear and front license plates if drivers go through without a transponder.

Raytheon's system is able to take color pictures of vehicles and track the make and model of the car if it goes through the tolls without a transponder.

The system, according to Raytheon, can even read bent or illegible license plates with some human help. Bills are sent to people if they don't have a transponder.

Grease, specialized license plate blockers and even sprays are sold online to try to help people cover their license plates and avoid tolls while going through these license plate scanners. Officials in Massachusetts are confident they can get money from people trying to avoid paying.

Port Authority police in New Jersey found people used grease to cover license plates and even found a truck driver had set up a system to flip up his front license plate while going through the E-ZPass lane.

"I think as our friends at Raytheon have said, although this is new to Massachusetts, this is not new," said Thomas Tinlin, the state's highway chief. "They've shown to us that they have a pretty good way of tracking those people down."

Raytheon's system allows for humans to review the image and the readable parts of the license plate, and along with the other information gained, can enter the vehicle into a system image database.

The vehicle can be recognized if it passes the system again.

"That's why we gather the evidence, you know. That's why we take the picture, that's why we take the video and that's why we have all those redundancies in place so that we can make sure the bill is being sent to the right person," Tinlin said. "So we've done what other states have done, we've put in checks and balances and a robust screening process. Should a plate not come up immediately, it goes into manual review and I think both what we see on the Tobin Bridge and what other states see, we do a pretty good job of getting the money that's owed to the people of the Commonwealth."

Chad Huff, the public information manger for Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, said unfortunately theft is part of any retail business and in the case of tolls - transportation is the product.

"We don't like to get into the details about methods people may use," Huff said, noting he didn't want to give people any ideas. "All-electronic tolling doesn't mean authorities aren't watching."

Florida, which uses the SunPass, had the first all-electronic toll road in 2011. There are about 12 million transponders in the state.

Officials keep track of areas where avoiding tolls is becoming a problem, no matter what method is being used, he said. Florida's turnpike has a loss prevention office and toll investigators, but also utilizes select enforcement from the Florida Highway Patrol.

"Molesting a plate or changing a plate is just one violation," Huff said. "Any uptick of any type of running the toll activity we can use special enforcement from FHP."

The cameras used at the Florida tolls are "very, very good," Huff notes. The cameras have high resolution and can pick up on other identifying marks on a vehicle other than the license plates.

"The people who break the law knowingly are taking advantage of those people who pay their tolls every day," he said.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has budgeted a potential $15.9 million to $16.1 million a year in uncollected toll revenue. The number isn't just for those who try to trick the system. A lot of unpaid tolls come from out of state drivers without transponders, turnpike officials in other states have found. Those driver's receive paper bills as well, but collecting can be more difficult. The state is working on getting reciprocity with other states so that a hold can be placed on license renewal if there are unpaid tolls. 

The number one issue in California when it came to toll evasion is cars without license plates. In fiscal 2013-2014, vehicles without plates evaded tolls in California on the Bay Area bridges and it resulted in a $9 million loss, according to a Metropolitan Transportation Commission report.

Paper plates from a car dealership do not have a license plate number making it hard to bill a driver because the cameras at the tolls needs to capture a number, said John Goodwin, senior public information officer at the MTC.

The paper plates will be phased out in 2019 after new law in California was signed this year. Temporary plates will have to be on cars when it is sold.

Owners were required to install new plates on newly purchased vehicles within 90 days of purchase. Massachusetts requires people to transfer license plates to a new vehicle within seven days.

Massachusetts has a law in place that requires vehicle license plate numbers to be legible and unobscured by a glass or plastic cover or other device. A violation is $35 for the first offense, $75 for second offense and $150 for third offense.

In the first six months of 2014, local and State Police issued 4,000 violations while enforcing the law.

"Legible plates allowing for prompt vehicle identification are a traffic safety priority and necessary for implementation of the new All-Electronic Tolling system now in place on the Tobin Bridge and set to expand on all Massachusetts tolled roads in the next two years," MassDOT said in 2014. "For those vehicles without an E-ZPass transponder, a camera captures an image of the vehicle license plate and a Pay-By-Plate invoice for the toll is mailed to the vehicle's registered owner."

MassLive.com reporter Gintautas Dumcius contributed to this report.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: California; US: Florida; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: aet; cheating; ezpass; licenseplates; scofflaws; theft; tolls; transportation
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To: IYAS9YAS

Yeah. It was something I was looking into doing a few years ago and I researched it. Any kind of remote control of plate flipping, covering, etc. is a felony, at least in Washington state, where I was checking it out.

I just googled it and it is not all that cut and dried, but seems to depend on where you live.


21 posted on 11/15/2016 8:57:41 AM PST by Mr. Douglas (Today is your life. What are you going to do with it?)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

If you make a tax too high, people will evade it. Look at Kansas with it’s high cost of tagging vehicles. At least 20% of Kansas residents are tagging in other states.


22 posted on 11/15/2016 8:59:10 AM PST by Old Yeller (Auto-correct has become my worst enema.)
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To: IYAS9YAS

It’s not a matter of whether your taxes paid for it, it’s a way to try and relieve the congestion on the roads, and is also illegal to use unless you are a legitimate car pool. Did you think Hillary shouldn’t be prosecuted too? That was just as illegal. Maybe you think Bergdahl shouldn’t be prosecuted. Or any of the people who have killed over 600 in Chicago this year. Maybe we should just ignore every law in the country we don’t like. After all we paid taxes to keep the country running, why should we be bothered by its laws? I pay taxes every time I buy anything except food. (No food taxes in Texas) So just because I pay taxes I should ignore the laws? What other laws might you advocate ignoring? Murder? Theft? Armed Robbery? Rape?


23 posted on 11/15/2016 9:12:05 AM PST by Paleo Pete (President Trump. I can live with that...)
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To: aimhigh

Years ago I was in East and asked someone where the freeway was. They said there aren’t any free ways around here.


24 posted on 11/15/2016 9:12:34 AM PST by Portcall24
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To: Paleo Pete
It’s not a matter of whether your taxes paid for it, it’s a way to try and relieve the congestion on the roads, and is also illegal to use unless you are a legitimate car pool.

Depends on the state. In Utah, driving through the Salt Lake metro, it only depends on occupants, or you can use it with a motorcycle. Still, it's BS. Same with public buildings designating parking for Smart/Electric cars only. It's a public highway, financed by excise taxes. Unless they give me a refund for what I'm not allowed to use, I should be allowed to use it. The traffic flow BS is just that, BS.

Your other examples are nonsensical.

25 posted on 11/15/2016 9:29:56 AM PST by IYAS9YAS (An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees! - Kipling)
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To: Mr. Douglas

What about mud picked up in the normal course of driving? Will states require that cars be equipped with license plate washers?


26 posted on 11/15/2016 9:31:36 AM PST by meatloaf (I am one irritated Vet.)
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To: Mr. Douglas
I just googled it and it is not all that cut and dried, but seems to depend on where you live.

I first saw the plate flippers at a SEMA show way back in 2007 (I'm sure they were out well before that, too), and they were all labeled as "for off-road use only" to save their hides legally.

Heck, here in NM, we only use one plate on the back, so they got to get you going, too, since getting a picture of you coming will only get a picture of an obscured face hidden by a bird. ;-)

27 posted on 11/15/2016 9:32:49 AM PST by IYAS9YAS (An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees! - Kipling)
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To: IYAS9YAS

I’m in Kentuck. Only a back plate here too. Love it.

Also, no motorcycle cops in this state and no camera enforcement.


28 posted on 11/15/2016 9:39:52 AM PST by Mr. Douglas (Today is your life. What are you going to do with it?)
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To: meatloaf

What about mud picked up in the normal course of driving?


That is your responsibility. It’s kinda like a burned out tail light.

And let’s be honest. It takes a LOT of mud to obscure a back license plate. ;-)


29 posted on 11/15/2016 9:41:04 AM PST by Mr. Douglas (Today is your life. What are you going to do with it?)
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To: Paleo Pete

On I-295 (a toll free highway) southbound in Maine, north of Portland, there is a road sigh for “BOSTON — NEW HAMPSHIRE” that, if you follow it, detours you via a dogleg onto I-95, the Maine Turnpike, which is a toll road, and generally more crowded as well as longer. I-295 joins I-95 south of Portland, you wind up going to the same place either way.

I listen to traffic reports approaching Portland from the north, and if 295 is tied up, I will take the detour, but it does strike me as sleazy.


30 posted on 11/15/2016 9:43:50 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (The Democratic Party supports full civil rights for Necro-Americans!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Here in Austin, motorcyclists found that if they ride the dotted line separating the lanes as they pass under the toll stations the cameras can’t get any pictures of their license plates. Don’t know if that has been fixed, but I see lots of bikers doing it.


31 posted on 11/15/2016 9:54:11 AM PST by LoneStarGI (Vegetarian: Old Indian word for "BAD HUNTER.")
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To: Mr. Douglas

Not when it’s applied with a paint sprayer.


32 posted on 11/15/2016 10:01:41 AM PST by meatloaf (I am one irritated Vet.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I want online webcams in every tax-paid employee’s workplace.


33 posted on 11/15/2016 12:31:22 PM PST by polymuser (Enough is enough!)
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To: IYAS9YAS

<><>Your other examples are nonsensical.<><>

Nope, I just took your flawed logic to its logical conclusion. If you think you should be able to violate the law pertaining to HOV lanes because you paid fuel taxes, what’s to stop you or anyone else from taking it to another level?

Whether you like it or not, agree with it or not, right now police in Dallas and Houston are cracking down on illegal use of HOV lanes at $300 per ticket. Legally, you don’t have a leg to stand on. It’s not just a voluntary thing, there are laws in place concerning the use of HOV lanes. It has nothing to do with whether you pay taxes.

I don’t know whether HOV lanes do much to alleviate traffic congestion, but using them does have certain restrictions and conditions, and whether you pay fuel taxes is not one of those conditions.

Bottom line is, it’s illegal to use HOV lanes with less than 2 people, sometimes 3. If you think you can ignore that law, what’s to keep you or anyone else from ignoring any law? We all pay taxes of some sort or another, by your logic we could all use that to circumvent any law.

My shotgun holds 5 rounds - 4 in the magazine, 1 in the chamber. If I go out and shoot 5 people what do you think the judge will say if I tell him well, I paid taxes on those shotgun shells, I can use them however I please. Have fun sitting in prison.

Tell you what, go to Dallas or Houston, get caught in the HOV lane and take it to court, and tell the judge you can use the HOV lane if you want to because you pay fuel taxes. I don’t have to guess what he will tell you. Have fun paying your $300 ticket...just the fact that you pay fuel taxes does not exempt you from following the law.


34 posted on 11/15/2016 7:20:24 PM PST by Paleo Pete (President Trump. I can live with that...)
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