This is pretty crazy. Where are private property rights in the great Down Under?? Omi, please explain! And also maybe explain what the hell a "hoon" is? The context is obvious, but is this a normal term that I've just never run across? :huh:
Anyway, if this is really how that law is written, it ought to be run through the shredder. A law that punishes a completely innocent person is as unjust a law as I can imagine. What's up with that?
Hoon laws put Lamborghini's owner on the highway to hell
January 8, 2010 - 3:55PM WARWICK STANLEY
(http://images.watoday.com.au/2010/01/07/1022101/Lamborghini-Gallardo-420x0.jpg)
A Lamborghini Gallardo similar to the one impounded by WA Police.
He wasn't driving, he wasn't even in the car but a Perth doctor says his yellow Lamborghini has taken him down the highway to hell.
Patrick Nugawela, a GP with a sole practice in Greenwood, had the $200,000 car impounded after his mechanic was caught driving it at speeds up to 160km/h in a 90km/h zone in the city's east on Wednesday.
Dr Nugawela had left it in the care of the mechanic at a Malaga auto shop to be serviced.
Under Western Australia's anti-hoon laws, police can impound any car exceeding the speed limit by more than 60km/h, even if it is not the property of the driver.
In the only legal avenue open to him, Dr Nugawela applied to have the car released on hardship grounds after the driver was charged and the car was impounded on Wednesday afternoon.
He said he felt like an offender when he presented himself at Mirrabooka police station, where the car was first impounded, to lodge a release application.
"I was only told I could go when I asked how long I was going to be there. I felt I was just being kept there unnecessarily.
"I haven't heard from the police since.
"I found out my application had been rejected from a Channel Nine reporter."
He said he had also discovered through media reports that it will cost him $900 to release his car from impoundment and that his only way to obtain general compensation would be to sue the alleged offender.
Dr Nugawela said he uses the Lamborghini as his everyday and only car and has not received a penalty point in the three years he has owned it.
He said it appeared the politics of envy were being played out in his bid to recover the luxury vehicle.
"(Police Minister) Rob Johnson confirmed it," Dr Nugawela said.
"He said if he can afford a half-million (dollar) car he can afford to hire a vehicle.
"That would be fair enough ... but I am not the offender."
Mr Johnson also said a Lamborghini owner should be able to afford to catch taxis.
He has not commented publicly since telling reporters yesterday he had "some sympathy" for Dr Nugawela.
But he added: "It's a situation that he has to take up with the garage owner.
"It's not something that I'm prepared to change the law for, simply because somebody who owns a Lamborghini does not have that car for 28 days."
Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan, the only person entitled to permit a car to be released early, said today the anti-hoon legislation did not permit him to authorise the Lamborghini's release.
Opposition leader Eric Ripper said Mr O'Callaghan appeared to be acting on a correct interpretation of the law.
"So the responsibility comes back to the police minister," Mr Ripper said.
"Unfortunately this is a police minister who struggled through most of last year with an increasing lack of credibility on many issues."
This isn't that unusual. I've heard of cars being impounded for certain violations here in the states. My cousin had her car impounded because she didn't have an insurance card, and the card had equipment violations on top of that. I've also heard of cars being impounded in DWI situations, and even serious speeding situations.
Let this be a warning to you, Ron. Do we really want to see articles about an A-6 being impounded for excessive speeding by the 40-something year old male driver who has 37 kids? :lockedup:
Quote from: dazzleman on January 08, 2010, 09:29:25 PM
This isn't that unusual. I've heard of cars being impounded for certain violations here in the states. My cousin had her car impounded because she didn't have an insurance card, and the card had equipment violations on top of that. I've also heard of cars being impounded in DWI situations, and even serious speeding situations.
Let this be a warning to you, Ron. Do we really want to see articles about an A-6 being impounded for excessive speeding by the 40-something year old male driver who has 37 kids? :lockedup:
Might make a compelling headline! :devil: But I always make sure to keep at sub-impoundment speeds. This Australian case is so absurd because it was the doctor's mechanic who was speeding, and even after impounding the car, they won't release it back to the doctor. He wasn't even in the car when it happened! Seems very wacked to me. Shame on those nazi cops! :nono:
Yeah, that's bullshit. If it can be proved that he wasn't in the car at the time, then he should get it back, free and clear. And for the Police Minister saying publicly that he can afford taxis if he can afford a Lamborghini? Considering the owner is innocent, that's grossly out of line, and I'd be gunning for that guy to get a reassignment to janitorial duty (or at least a reprimand).
Quote from: The Pirate on January 08, 2010, 09:36:48 PM
Yeah, that's bullshit. If it can be proved that he wasn't in the car at the time, then he should get it back, free and clear. And for the Police Minister saying publicly that he can afford taxis if he can afford a Lamborghini? Considering the owner is innocent, that's grossly out of line, and I'd be gunning for that guy to get a reassignment to janitorial duty (or at least a reprimand).
Yes, I don't think they should be able to effectively confiscate the car. That should only happen in drug situations, if then.
Did you ever the movie "Moving Violations?" It's this crazy comedy where this corrupt judge sells the cars of traffic violators and steals the money. It's pretty funny, and this is hitting too close to that.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but if somebody steals a car and uses it to commit a crime, don't the police impound the vehicle? While the vehicle wasn't stolen in this case, it was used to commit a crime (assuming that that sort of speeding falls under felony speeding or similar).
And I'm pretty sure if a firearm is stolen and used to commit a crime, the rightful owner doesn't get it back.
Yeah, he's without the car for 28 days and the judge is basically laughing at him saying "go get a taxi you rich prick" Shit! A very ugly and childishly public display of the "politics of envy". The dickheads involved in this should be publicly flogged and then demoted to toilet scrubbers.
Quote from: MX793 on January 08, 2010, 09:46:02 PM
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but if somebody steals a car and uses it to commit a crime, don't the police impound the vehicle? While the vehicle wasn't stolen in this case, it was used to commit a crime (assuming that that sort of speeding falls under felony speeding or similar).
And I'm pretty sure if a firearm is stolen and used to commit a crime, the rightful owner doesn't get it back.
In that case the vehicle would be evidence in an investigation. This is pretty cut and dry - vehicle impounded for speeding. I mean, you're correct. But something's rotten in Australia...
Quote from: MX793 on January 08, 2010, 09:46:02 PM
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but if somebody steals a car and uses it to commit a crime, don't the police impound the vehicle? While the vehicle wasn't stolen in this case, it was used to commit a crime (assuming that that sort of speeding falls under felony speeding or similar).
And I'm pretty sure if a firearm is stolen and used to commit a crime, the rightful owner doesn't get it back.
Sure, but I believe that's only if there's an investigation and the car is needed as evidence. We're talking speeding here, so there's no greater good being served other than to punish the innocent owner. Incredible!
edit - I took too long. Please see Adam's post above. Mine is deja-vous... :lol:
Quote from: saxonyron on January 08, 2010, 09:53:52 PM
Sure, but I believe that's only if there's an investigation and the car is needed as evidence. We're talking speeding here, so there's no greater good being served other than to punish the innocent owner. Incredible!
edit - I took too long. Please see Adam's post above. Mine is deja-vous... :lol:
Great minds think alike, right? :praise: Either that, or we both enjoyed the same type of beer with dinner...
I'll take either one. :lol:
yup, this could happen in the states too. My bro's truck was "tagged" as a DUI vehicle because of a friend driving it who got pulled over.
Long story short(for him and i imagine for this fellow), it will eventually be released to the proper owner. It will just be a PITA.
I got my car impounded when I got my massive speeding ticket. Had to call a buddy to come pick me up.
Quote from: dazzleman on January 08, 2010, 09:29:25 PM
Let this be a warning to you, Ron. Do we really want to see articles about an A-6 being impounded for excessive speeding by the 40-something year old male driver who has 37 kids? :lockedup:
Actually, Ron might be arrested because social services will complain about child abuse. Stuffing 37 kids into an Audi A6? That's extremely cruel! :devil:
People! Ford Excursions exist for a reason!!! :devil:
Quote from: SVT_Power on January 09, 2010, 01:19:14 AM
I got my car impounded when I got my massive speeding ticket. Had to call a buddy to come pick me up.
That's priceless, man. Has your case been resolved yet?
Quote from: cawimmer430 on January 09, 2010, 04:49:19 AM
Actually, Ron might be arrested because social services will complain about child abuse. Stuffing 37 kids into an Audi A6? That's extremely cruel! :devil:
People! Ford Excursions exist for a reason!!! :devil:
:lol: Hey, that's why I have the Suburban. The kids stack very easily back there, and with the tinted windows, no one can see in. 37 kids? No problem. Even room for a friend or two. :ohyeah:
Quote from: saxonyron on January 09, 2010, 09:11:36 AM
:lol: Hey, that's why I have the Suburban. The kids stack very easily back there, and with the tinted windows, no one can see in. 37 kids? No problem. Even room for a friend or two. :ohyeah:
The only problem is, you drive the suburban like a chick. When you're driving that car, I expect you to start putting makeup on as you're driving. I like riding with you in the Audi a lot better, man. :evildude:
Quote from: dazzleman on January 09, 2010, 09:54:54 AM
The only problem is, you drive the suburban like a chick. When you're driving that car, I expect you to start putting makeup on as you're driving. I like riding with you in the Audi a lot better, man. :evildude:
That's it. Now I'm mad. :lockedup: I wasn't taking progesterone pills that day. i was merely taking it easy since i had just gotten it and the dealer had managed to overlook balancing the tires. I can't stand driving with the steering wheel shaking out of my hands, so I was going it slow. Now that I'm a regular and it's all sorted out, I can assure you that you'll like the ride much better the next go around. You should see that behemoth cruising at 85 with 8 people and a full luggage load. it's a beautiful thing! :praise:
Same thing would happen here in Ontario if you got nabbed doing 50+ kph over.
Doesn't matter who owns it, its impounded for a week. Eddie can probably clarify, but the average fees are around $1000 just for the impound.
Did you ever come close to getting your car impounded, VTEC?
Quote from: saxonyron on January 09, 2010, 10:10:26 PM
That's it. Now I'm mad. :lockedup: I wasn't taking progesterone pills that day. i was merely taking it easy since i had just gotten it and the dealer had managed to overlook balancing the tires. I can't stand driving with the steering wheel shaking out of my hands, so I was going it slow. Now that I'm a regular and it's all sorted out, I can assure you that you'll like the ride much better the next go around. You should see that behemoth cruising at 85 with 8 people and a full luggage load. it's a beautiful thing! :praise:
:lol:
You know I'll give you crap as long as you're driving that estrogen-mobile. I just can't help myself. :evildude:
In the states, vehicles are generally only impounded if they're evidence in a crime. They may be towed if the occupants are arrested and it can't be left on the roadway secured, but the owner would be able to get the vehicle by paying the tow/storage fees. Sometimes, a vehicle might be towed and a "holder" put on the vehicle because of equipment or registration violations that have to be fixed before it can be released.
I'd personally say that this stinks of an unfounded confiscation of private property, but that's not exactly unheard of in Australia (see their gun laws down under).
Quote from: VTEC_Inside on January 10, 2010, 12:55:20 AM
Same thing would happen here in Ontario if you got nabbed doing 50+ kph over.
Doesn't matter who owns it, its impounded for a week. Eddie can probably clarify, but the average fees are around $1000 just for the impound.
Well I guess it depends on the towing company and where it is really, but I think it cost me somewhere around $500 to get my car back...
Quote from: dazzleman on January 08, 2010, 09:29:25 PM
This isn't that unusual. I've heard of cars being impounded for certain violations here in the states. My cousin had her car impounded because she didn't have an insurance card, and the card had equipment violations on top of that. I've also heard of cars being impounded in DWI situations, and even serious speeding situations.
Let this be a warning to you, Ron. Do we really want to see articles about an A-6 being impounded for excessive speeding by the 40-something year old male driver who has 37 kids? :lockedup:
True. We don't impound for speeding only in Michigan but say your mechanic doesn't have a valid license and gets caught your car is getting impounded and you'll have to pay to get it out.
Quote from: rohan on January 14, 2010, 10:05:20 AM
True. We don't impound for speeding only in Michigan but say your mechanic doesn't have a valid license and gets caught your car is getting impounded and you'll have to pay to get it out.
Fail.
Granted, it doesn't reek of shit-dripping, ass-smelling fail like the case in Australia, but it's fail none the less.
Nope it's not. It's a matter of KNOW who you're lending your car to- you're the owner it's your responsibility to make certain people are driving it are proper drivers - how you get your mechanic to pay you back isn't the problem of the court. The law says that if a officer stops a car which the driver does not have a valid license the officer "shall" impound the vehicle. Shall = Must. Also- if I pull over a drunk driver who has a prior conviction for drunk driving if he's borrowing your car I'm still taking the plate and giving you a red "DUI" tag for the rear window and impounding the car.
Quote from: rohan on January 14, 2010, 12:21:31 PM
Nope it's not. It's a matter of KNOW who you're lending your car to- you're the owner it's your responsibility to make certain people are driving it are proper drivers - how you get your mechanic to pay you back isn't the problem of the court. The law says that if a officer stops a car which the driver does not have a valid license the officer "shall" impound the vehicle. Shall = Must. Also- if I pull over a drunk driver who has a prior conviction for drunk driving if he's borrowing your car I'm still taking the plate and giving you a red "DUI" tag for the rear window and impounding the car.
So giving the vehicle back to the unknowing driver isn't an option? Perhaps if the driver willingly handed it over to conduct some form of illegal activity (say, transportation of narcotics) but when the vehicle is in someones "trusted" hands for repair, they should be solely responsible for how the vehicle is used, not the owner.
Unknowing driver? You mean owner? Not if it's either a) wording in the law is "shall or b)it's against department policy like it is here where we require following the letter of the law for certain things where it says "shall."
It also doesn't change the fact that the person driving it has no license. When the law says "shall" you better follow it because shall doesn't mean "if you want" it means "must." At least here. How the bill gets paid isn't the concern of the court that's what civil court is for. Oh and to get it out of impound the owner will need license, registration and proof of insurance and depending on how the officer worded the impound sheet proof of ownership. I would think the repair shop would be willing to pay the tow bill so it didn't get sued. What would piss me off is the daily storage charges for the impound which around here on a police request is about $25 a day- sometimes if they get towed on a Friday afternoon or a Saturday you can't get your car out until the following monday!
Quote from: Submariner on January 14, 2010, 11:31:11 AM
Fail.
Granted, it doesn't reek of shit-dripping, ass-smelling fail like the case in Australia, but it's fail none the less.
How so? If the law says a car must be impounded for a particular offense, should it just be ignored? I would expect the mechanic or "friend" would pay the bill so he wouldn't be sued.
It's na?ve to think a car shouldn't be impounded because the owner claims not to know what was being done illegally with the car. It's too easy to feign ignorance. The point is -- be careful to whom you lend your car. I don't really let anybody borrow my car, except for my nephew on a few occasions when he wanted to impress a girl.
Quote from: dazzleman on January 14, 2010, 05:37:48 PM
except for my nephew on a few occasions when he wanted to impress a girl.
good man! :lol:
One time, he had a date with a girl from Wilton (CT), a pretty wealthy town, and used the excuse that he'd never be able to find her house with my navigation system..:lol: Pretty clever. I didn't fall for it, but let him use the car anyway. I knew the real reason.
I hope he at least pays for your interior cleaning once in a while :evildude:
:lol:
I see that Officer Rohan does not spend a lot of time worrying about equity.
Quote from: rohan on January 14, 2010, 12:21:31 PM
Nope it's not. It's a matter of KNOW who you're lending your car to- you're the owner it's your responsibility to make certain people are driving it are proper drivers - how you get your mechanic to pay you back isn't the problem of the court. The law says that if a officer stops a car which the driver does not have a valid license the officer "shall" impound the vehicle. Shall = Must. Also- if I pull over a drunk driver who has a prior conviction for drunk driving if he's borrowing your car I'm still taking the plate and giving you a red "DUI" tag for the rear window and impounding the car.
Are you responsible for your car if it's stolen?
Quote from: dazzleman on January 14, 2010, 05:37:48 PM
It's na?ve to think a car shouldn't be impounded because the owner claims not to know what was being done illegally with the car. It's too easy to feign ignorance. The point is -- be careful to whom you lend your car. I don't really let anybody borrow my car, except for my nephew on a few occasions when he wanted to impress a girl.
I don't let anyone borrow my car. But I do drop it off at the dealership...
Quote from: Raza on January 15, 2010, 07:27:34 AM
Are you responsible for your car if it's stolen?
No your not but you will have to pay the impound and storage fees with the tow company. But from what I know is you turn in your receipt to the insurance company with the stolen report and they reimburse you fully- - - UNLESS you left your keys in the car and then you're not gonna probably see a dime from the insurance.
Quote from: Raza on January 15, 2010, 07:28:51 AM
I don't let anyone borrow my car. But I do drop it off at the dealership...
You know I honestly believe that if a dealership or licensed mechanic has someone using the car they're probably going to be liable if it gets impounded because of their employee status and will either just pay you for the impound and probably some for your inconvenience.
This was the same reason/scenario I used to object to red light cameras. Everyone then said just go to court and it will be dismissed, provided I can prove I wasn't driving the car, but as I said then, it shouldn't be my responsibility to prove my innocence, but the state's responsibility to prove that I was driving the car. Plus, I don't have time to spend a day in court for something I wasn't guilty of in the first place.
Having worked at dealerships, I can say, without a doubt, that the places I worked at, the tech would have been dismissed for no license and the dealership would have a manager accompanied the owner to pay the towing and storage.
The dealers I worked for required a tech to have a valid license. Of the ones that were more lenient, the tech without a license would take another tech with him to drive the vehicle. The tech without a license would have a couple of tenths removed from his paycheck and given to the guy who had to drive.
The only time I have had a tech pulled over was because the customer's plate had expired two months before. In that case, and thankfully the tech had a copy of the RO with him, the car got the ticket, not the driver. The car's owner was pissed and demanded the dealership pay the 250 dollar fine. We didn't.
Quote from: rohan on January 15, 2010, 07:45:18 AM
No your not but you will have to pay the impound and storage fees with the tow company. But from what I know is you turn in your receipt to the insurance company with the stolen report and they reimburse you fully- - - UNLESS you left your keys in the car and then you're not gonna probably see a dime from the insurance.
Jeez, I can't believe there are people that leave their keys in their cars still. I usually lock my car in my garage for the overnight, too.
Quote from: Raza on January 15, 2010, 11:15:42 AM
Jeez, I can't believe there are people that leave their keys in their cars still. I usually lock my car in my garage for the overnight, too.
I leave my keys in the car all the time when it's in the garage.
But my car's not worth nearly as much as yours.
Quote from: SVT_Power on January 15, 2010, 11:31:02 AM
I leave my keys in the car all the time when it's in the garage.
But my car's not worth nearly as much as yours.
I park my car next to an LS460, which is parked next to an S500. No one is going to steal the stickshift Volkswagen. :lol:
Quote from: Raza link=topic=20981.msg1244042#msg1244042 date=1263581373
I park my car next to an LS460, which is parked next to an S500. No one is going to steal the stickshift Volkswagen. :lol:
You never know. The VW may be the one that's easiest to break into, disable the alarm, and hotwire...
Quote from: The Pirate on January 15, 2010, 04:20:22 PM
You never know. The VW may be the one that's easiest to break into, disable the alarm, and hotwire...
True. When I worked at the Pontiac dealer, we towed in a Chevy Corsica that had been stolen. What a piece of crap, but the owner was happy. He had two newer vehicles, one brand new, and they didn't touch them. Just took the POS.
Quote from: The Pirate on January 15, 2010, 04:20:22 PM
You never know. The VW may be the one that's easiest to break into, disable the alarm, and hotwire...
Given that the thief a) doesn't break into the house and b) can drive stick.
It's got a laser cut key though; I don't think it's all that easy to steal.
No one even so much as took a single penny out of my change tray in Phoenix after I had removed the top from my 4runner. I even hid the spare key in a magnet on the frame. :lol:
Quote from: dazzleman on January 10, 2010, 05:18:57 AM
Did you ever come close to getting your car impounded, VTEC?
Highest ticket to date was the bullshit 48kph over one that I got before the 50 over law came into effect here. That ended up as a 29kph over.
Quote from: Raza on January 15, 2010, 06:13:38 PM
Given that the thief a) doesn't break into the house and b) can drive stick.
It's got a laser cut key though; I don't think it's all that easy to steal.
How wrong you are! A real car thief- not the crack head looking for a $50 score- will use what we call a "universal key" which is basically a round tube that about 2 1/2" inches deep with a metal bar that goes across the inside but not all the way to the "top" of the tube. They're apparently really easy to make. The thing usually has a 4x lug wrench welded to it. They place the thing over your key ignition and line up the bar inside the thing to lay against the finger holds on the ignition and start turning until your ignition breaks off taking the chip thingy with it. Then they just reach in with a screw driver and start the car. Takes about 15 seconds and your car is gone. You wanna secure your car so it probably can't be stolen? use a remote manual fuel shutoff switch on one of those super tiny hideaway switches. There used to be (don't know if it's still there) a company in Detroit that put those in they were really hard to find unless you knew they were there we used to get complaints of Attempted Theft but I dont' think anyone ever actually stole one successfully.
Quote from: VTEC_Inside on January 17, 2010, 07:00:01 PM
Highest ticket to date was the bullshit 48kph over one that I got before the 50 over law came into effect here. That ended up as a 29kph over.
So I guess you've always been able to drive away from your encounters with Johnny Law. Me too. It's a lot better that way, man.
Highest ticket I ever got (in a car that wasn't quite mine) when I was a kid was 88/25 on Leverette St in Detroit. The guy wasn't really very happy to see me so I "exited" the car. A little while later he explained the error of my ways. :mask:
Quote from: rohan on January 18, 2010, 09:28:13 AM
Highest ticket I ever got (in a car that wasn't quite mine) when I was a kid was 88/25 on Leverette St in Detroit. The guy wasn't really very happy to see me so I "exited" the car. A little while later he explained the error of my ways. :mask:
So you were a fucking delinquent....no surprise there... :lol:
And people talk about my 'indiscretions' because I used to go through toll booths without paying.... :lockedup:
Let's just say I had an interesting childhood full of plot twists and surprising dialect.
Quote from: rohan on January 18, 2010, 09:32:39 AM
Let's just say I had an interesting childhood full of plot twists and surprising dialect.
Apparently. Mine was pretty lame by comparison.
Quote from: dazzleman on January 18, 2010, 09:30:02 AM
And people talk about my 'indiscretions' because I used to go through toll booths without paying.... :lockedup:
A cigar-smoking friend of our family used to deposit his stogie in the toll collection basket as "payment" back in the day and just drive off. Harder to do now with more advanced cameras and computer cross-matching. But funny nonetheless.
Quote from: TurboDan on January 18, 2010, 11:51:18 AM
A cigar-smoking friend of our family used to deposit his stogie in the toll collection basket as "payment" back in the day and just drive off. Harder to do now with more advanced cameras and computer cross-matching. But funny nonetheless.
Dan, are you familiar with the toll they used to have on the lower end of the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York, right on the border between the Bronx and Pelham Manor (Westchester County)?
The first time I blew threw it without paying, I had no choice. I had nothing smaller than a $20 bill and the only manned lane was temporarily closed. I got a great feeling blowing through it, and nothing happened, so I continued to do it habitually after that. Never got caught.
Depositing a cigar is pretty funny, since not only did he not pay, but he probably clogged the machine. New Jersey deserves that, especially on the Garden State with all those idiotic tolls.
Quote from: dazzleman on January 18, 2010, 11:56:12 AM
Dan, are you familiar with the toll they used to have on the lower end of the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York, right on the border between the Bronx and Pelham Manor (Westchester County)?
The first time I blew threw it without paying, I had no choice. I had nothing smaller than a $20 bill and the only manned lane was temporarily closed. I got a great feeling blowing through it, and nothing happened, so I continued to do it habitually after that. Never got caught.
Depositing a cigar is pretty funny, since not only did he not pay, but he probably clogged the machine. New Jersey deserves that, especially on the Garden State with all those idiotic tolls.
Nope, never been through that toll! I was in a situation like that last year in Florida. I went to get off an exit, but it was a "SunPass Only" exit. Turns out the state is slowly converting the entire Florida Turnpike into automated-only, meaning if you don't have SunPass, you can't drive on the highway. I was visiting a relative in area to which I had never been, so I couldn't just go past the exit and get off somewhere 5-10 miles away as I wouldn't have known where I was going. So I just blew through it. It was in my grilfriend's car, though. :lol: I don't think she ever got a ticket from it - maybe their system doesn't cross-match with NJ plates, though I would think if FL wanted to cross-match with any other state it would be NY or NJ.
Funny thing was that in 2008, my father got a toll ticket in the mail that went back to 2003. Ironically, it was this incident that spurred him to get EZPass. He found himself on the way into the Lincoln Tunnel stuck in an EZPass lane and absolutely no way to get out of it (if you've ever used this tunnel, you know how this can happen!). So he had to go through the EZPass lane without the transponder. He called up and told them he actually bought EZPass because of what happened that day and they dropped it right there on the phone. :lol: But it did take them five years to catch up to tickets going back to 2003, which was pretty funny!
On a midnight road trip, I found myself faced with having to cross the San Mateo Bridge, but I didn't have the $1 for the toll. Since I owned a 1964 VW camper, I pulled into a branch of the bank I belonged to and climbed in the back and slept until the bank opened....about five hours. (You'd probably get arrested trying that today, or since it was Oakland, you'd probably be murdered). I cashed a check, crossed the bridge and when I arrived home, found out from my room mate that all I had to do was present my license and they would have billed me.
Quote from: TurboDan on January 19, 2010, 12:35:04 PM
Nope, never been through that toll! I was in a situation like that last year in Florida. I went to get off an exit, but it was a "SunPass Only" exit. Turns out the state is slowly converting the entire Florida Turnpike into automated-only, meaning if you don't have SunPass, you can't drive on the highway.
That sounds horribly unconstitutional.
Who knows, maybe they sold it to a private...
Florida Turnpike is owned and operated by Florida DOT.
What the fuck are all the tourists supposed to do?
Quote from: NACar on January 19, 2010, 04:05:53 PM
What the fuck are all the tourists supposed to do?
I guess we can start by suing the shit out of the Florida gub'ment.
Quote from: Tave on January 19, 2010, 04:07:59 PM
I guess we can start by suing the shit out of the Florida gub'ment.
Fuck Florida. There are 48 other states to visit.
Quote from: Tave on January 19, 2010, 04:03:27 PM
Florida Turnpike is owned and operated by Florida DOT.
Welp, bring tha suit! I'd support ya...
(I keep waiting for someone to sue my state. They just eliminated the tokens to go over the bridge to my island, and made it so that if you have an EZ Pass you bought in RI you pay .83 a crossing... if you are from out of state you pay $4. Now if that isn't a violation of the Commerce Clause...)
Quote from: Tave on January 19, 2010, 04:03:27 PM
Florida Turnpike is owned and operated by Florida DOT.
I believe you can go through without SunPass but have the bill sent to the address on record for your tag. Evidently it doesn't recognize NJ tags. :huh:
Quote from: J86 on January 19, 2010, 04:18:49 PM
Welp, bring tha suit! I'd support ya...
(I keep waiting for someone to sue my state. They just eliminated the tokens to go over the bridge to my island, and made it so that if you have an EZ Pass you bought in RI you pay .83 a crossing... if you are from out of state you pay $4. Now if that isn't a violation of the Commerce Clause...)
I love the county/town-operated bridges in NJ. They're almost always to barrier islands and the only way on or off. They purposely don't accept EZPass so they don't have to pay for it. You must give cash or coins, though they're usually $1 or $1.50. I've always wanted to go there one day with a stack of pennies and count every last penny out while they waited.
I live on a barrier island too, but our causeway bridge has no toll, THANK GOD! It can take an hour to get across the bridge on a Saturday in the summer as is, so I couldn't imagine what it would be like if they had a toll. And this is no tiny little bridge... 2 highway-style lanes in each direction and a 50 mph speed limit. As awesome as it is living here, it sucks that we're literally prisoners on our own island during weekends in the summer. It's the only bridge on/off.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorland_J._Henderson_Memorial_Bridge
North Carolina has been considering making Interstate 95 a toll road from Va border to the SC border. It just seems like a stupid idea, but NC says they are responsible for road maintenance and making it a toll road would pay for needed repairs.
Quote from: rohan on January 18, 2010, 09:05:37 AM
How wrong you are! A real car thief- not the crack head looking for a $50 score- will use what we call a "universal key" which is basically a round tube that about 2 1/2" inches deep with a metal bar that goes across the inside but not all the way to the "top" of the tube. They're apparently really easy to make. The thing usually has a 4x lug wrench welded to it. They place the thing over your key ignition and line up the bar inside the thing to lay against the finger holds on the ignition and start turning until your ignition breaks off taking the chip thingy with it. Then they just reach in with a screw driver and start the car. Takes about 15 seconds and your car is gone. You wanna secure your car so it probably can't be stolen? use a remote manual fuel shutoff switch on one of those super tiny hideaway switches. There used to be (don't know if it's still there) a company in Detroit that put those in they were really hard to find unless you knew they were there we used to get complaints of Attempted Theft but I dont' think anyone ever actually stole one successfully.
I prefer battery cut off switches, but then again those wouldn't be good in a new car with an alarm.
Quote from: rohan on January 18, 2010, 09:05:37 AM
How wrong you are! A real car thief- not the crack head looking for a $50 score- will use what we call a "universal key" which is basically a round tube that about 2 1/2" inches deep with a metal bar that goes across the inside but not all the way to the "top" of the tube. They're apparently really easy to make. The thing usually has a 4x lug wrench welded to it. They place the thing over your key ignition and line up the bar inside the thing to lay against the finger holds on the ignition and start turning until your ignition breaks off taking the chip thingy with it. Then they just reach in with a screw driver and start the car. Takes about 15 seconds and your car is gone. You wanna secure your car so it probably can't be stolen? use a remote manual fuel shutoff switch on one of those super tiny hideaway switches. There used to be (don't know if it's still there) a company in Detroit that put those in they were really hard to find unless you knew they were there we used to get complaints of Attempted Theft but I dont' think anyone ever actually stole one successfully.
And what if your ignition switch doesn't have "finger holds"? From what I've seen, it's mostly American cars that have them (none of the Japanese cars I've ever driven had them).