Posted on 02/23/2010 5:48:48 PM PST by LostInBayport
FEBRUARY 22--The overwhelming majority of New Jersey state employees are courteous, hard-working individuals eager to aid the public for whom they work. And then there is the small number of toll collectors employed by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority who regularly go rogue on motorists.
On the following pages you'll find an entertaining selection of complaint letters sent to turnpike officials by motorists who ran into assorted trouble when trying to pay their way on the Garden State Parkway or the New Jersey Turnpike.
More than 550 letters--covering the past 18 months and addressing a variety of types of complaints--were released after TSG filed a freedom of information request with the state authority. Toll collectors ("T/C"), it seems, can be set off by a variety of slights, from the provision of change by a motorist to a patron's demand for a receipt. As a result, threats of violence, vulgarity, and racial slurs have allegedly been directed at drivers (but only on occasion, of course, since most toll takers are of a sunny disposition, as most motorists can attest). And then there are the booth inhabitants who woo female motorists with sexy talk about strip searches and flashing. While it has been more than five years since we last examined the reported shortcomings of some Jersey toll collectors, one thing has remained constant: No motorist should pay the toll with pennies and expect to drive away unscathed. (30 pages)
These are dated before Chris Christie's win...I can't imagine what these people are like NOW! In Massachusetts the average salary for toll collectors is around $60,000. That's excluding the change they stole for years to pay for cars, vacations and the like.
Had enough with these clowns - most of time yapping on the phone. Have to honk horn to get attention - then give
you an attitude for interrupting them!
Be careful about honking your horn at them...by the time I got done reading those complaints I was convinced that the NJ tollbooths are full of Amy Bishops!
check out complaint #15, they included the toll collector’s name on accident.
Be careful, the state police are their friends not yours
Screw the toll collectors... get EZ-Pass.
The people of New Jersey should be screaming that the State of New Jersey pays a cashier (who doesn’t even have to bag anything) $60,000 a year plus benefits.
That is a lot more than the average American makes for a lot more work.
We stopped at a toll booth in Upstate NY....It was a single booth with two windows on each side of the booth.....we pulled to the most forward window to pay and the guy would not step forward to collect our toll, he made us back up the 2 feet to pay him.....we were hysterical.....too funny....
New Jersey must lead the country in the best government
workers. /s
It’s everywhere...I remember here in Mass. years ago I had the same route and there were only three booths. I always ended up with the same guy and neither of us ever said a word. I was too blinded by his bling and couldn’t hear a thing because the bass from his radio was rattling my car windows!
It’s an idiotic job anyway. Imagine car after car after car day in and day out. Mindless... while there is no excuse for being rude to paying customers the collectors are simply drones after awhile. Anyway tolls are simply more extortion by the states to grab more of your $$.
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