E-ZPass privacy issues

[Rick Lee]

Oh, I'm sure EZ Pass is not even scratching the surface. Wait til they start monitoring your emissions from the side of the road, monitoring your speed from satellites and then flag your car for getting stopped, suspend your regsitration or even make your car shut off all at the touch of a bureaucrat's button.

[304065]

Billy, you've given me an idea! How about using the EZ-Pass statement as sort of an improvised version of a timing transponder?

[singpilot]

I did get a letter from FastTrak here in California about my entry and exit times at 3 am once on the 91 in Orange County. They had the gall to suggest that the speed required to accomplish those times was 'somewhat in excess of the posted legal speed limit'.

Never heard anything else.

Yes, there was enough traffic in the non-toll lanes at that time of the morning to justify the $0.85 toll.

[Joe Bob]

Originally posted by pete911
My EZ Pass came with a foil bag that blocks the signal if I don't want to use it. Just keep it in there.

Pete

I have the matching foil helmet....

[masraum]

I've heard a story about someplace (I want to say Europe someplace) where they give tickets based on toll tickets. I have heard that people will storm the thing (no cops) and then stop and sit on the side of the road to get there time into a legal range. Unfortunately can't remember where that is.

[gaijinda]

Actually I dont think that they will start using EZ Pass for speed enforcement - not while it is still optional anyway. I drive a lot on the NJ Turnpike and NYS Thruway and over NY Metro area bridges ($$$$) - and the EZ Pass is the best thing since sliced bread. I am amazed at all the schmendricks who will line up to pay with cash, as others go zipping through.. 75-80MPH is the defacto speed limit on these roads and I think the powers that be just want traffic to move along... Any hint of speed enforcement and these units will lose popularity real quick..

[masraum]

Oh, I'm with you, I think this is however being done in a foreign (Europe someplace) country. This is similar to the rental company that tried to charge the guy a bunch extra a while back because their GPS caught him speeding.

I think the way it is working in the story that I heard is that when you get on the road you stop and get a ticket, and then when you are ready to leave the toll road you have to give the ticket back, since the ticket is time stamped if you show up at the other end too quickly you were speeding.

[mid wicket]

If these privacy issues cause you to return your E-ZPass you're still not in the clear....

From the Metro Diary section of The New York Times, 3 Nov 2003.

Dear Diary:
After moving to Nashville from New York recently, it occurred to me that I no longer had a pressing use for my E-ZPass. Following the E-ZPass instructions, I filled out a few forms and dropped my pass off at United Parcel Service, destination Staten Island service center.

Two weeks passed, and I received my normal E-ZPass e-mail statement. I entered my account and, lo and behold, my recently surrendered pass had been used by someone to go from Newark Airport to Exit 18 on the New Jersey Turnpike.

I was incensed.

I immediately called E-ZPass and informed them that someone had stolen my pass. I explained that I had mailed the pass and that now someone was running up and down the turnpike using it.

Very calmly, the E-ZPass representative said, "Sir, your E-ZPass was not stolen, it is in the UPS truck, and every time that truck goes through an E-Z Pass toll booth, it is going to register another toll."