Toll Tags Should Show the Amount PAID, Just Like Cash Customers.
By
Staten Island, NY Posted: 12/3/2014 1:00:00 AM
Toll tags are being used like poker chips in a casino, so you never think of the actual cost each time you use them.
Here's a simple social experiment.
Studies have shown that people in casinos bet more when they use poker chips than they would if they had to take cash out of their pockets for each bet. That's the magic of tokenizing money. We don't think of it the same as we would with cash. Credit cards have the same effect on people, which is why stores love them.
How does this relate to toll tags like E-ZPass?
Ever since cities started implementing quick toll collection systems, customers have become less aware of the actual prices they are paying. This has made it easier for them to raise tolls, with minimal resistance from customers. Because many drivers opted into Paperless Statements, which requires you to take the time to log into their web site to actually see their statement, some of them don't even know how much they are paying for each individual toll.
In the coming weeks, a round trip toll over most of the bridges and tunnels in the New York City area will be $16. While people will not be happy with this increase, they would certainly be more aware of the price if they had to reach into their wallet every time they crossed a bridge to shell out $16.
On some roads, things get a bit more complicated, because of confusing discounts that are based upon the time you commute. To make things even more confusing, states like New Jersey now exclude residents of other states from their discount programs that were originally offered to everyone, and easily removed the discounts without most people even noticing the discounts were gone.
Whenever people pay cash, toll booths display a 3 line message like:
$1.65
THANK
YOU
But whenever you pay with your tag, the message says something like:
EZ
PASS
PAID
What? No amount... and while we're at it... No "THANK YOU"?
Why not simply standardize the messages to always show the amount, then the type of payment? Like this:
$1.65
PAID
CASH
and
$1.65
PAID
PASS
Naturally, what I'm writing about here only applies to regular toll lanes, not lanes where traffic travels at as much as 50 MPH.
Joe Crescenzi, Founder
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