[singpilot]

Many of you SoCal Pelicans are familiar with the FasTrak lanes around SoCal.

I asked for (and got) a detailed list of charges recently. I was stupid enuf to have an extra transponder in my briefcase in a car equipped with a transponder when I went thru the lanes on the way from my mailbox in Nevada to my other car (in Kahliforneeah).

Of course, both transponders responded to the interrogation, and I was billed twice for the one pass. I thought this would be no prob to fix. It was no prob. The guy on the phone called up the photo for that moment, and I was the only car in sight at 3am.

Then it got interesting. He said I was lucky I didn't get a speeding ticket. I stammered, how would you know how fast I was going?????

The first transponder interrogator is at the entrance to the lanes (ostensibly to alert the sphincterpolizei that there is a non paying customer coming thru the lanes). The second transponder interrogator is midway thru the lanes, almost 3 miles away. You have already figured this out. The operator had the ability to see the fixed distance timed averaged speed. Mine at 3am was somewhat above the 65MPH limit.

I can't wait for them to start issuing those.

I have a funny story about recieving 4 transponders (for all of my motorcycles) in the mail one day on the way to work. I fly for a living. I put them in my briefcase, and went to work. A week later, I got home and put them on the bikes.

The first bill was insane. Like $205 for the four transponders. The GW Bridge, Holland Tunnel, the tollway north of Philadelphia, 2 parking garages in Miami, two crossings of the Golden Gate Bridge, and a pass thru the 91 Express lanes in SoCal.

All 4 bikes simultaneously across 5 consecutive days across the country. They did rebate the tolls, but I had to argue with the ebonics-trained female operator that it just wasn't possible to do, even for an airline pilot. She finally started laughing, and said, yes, not even her husband could screw up that bad.