The case for sticker tags & other transponders irrevocably attached - for IAG

This road trip report from a Washington DC blogger named KC states the case for non-portable transponders with special eloquence:

"The EZ-Pass is in the other car

Time of insult: approximately 40 minutes into trip

KC sticks her hand in the compartment where the EZ-Pass lives and, lo and behold, there is no EZ-Pass. She suddenly remembers it must have been transferred to JP's car and was never moved back. Joyous Day! Because, there are only 371 tolls from here to NJ. AND THE TURNPIKE. KC and JP resign themselves to sitting in long-ass toll-booth lines breathing in carbon monoxide and feeling like major dumbasses.

Cost: 10 minutes; Frown lines"

Other parts of this splendid blog:

"Causes of unexpected delays during our road trip to NJ:

1) KC breaks the DVD player in The Van

Time of insult: approximately 3 minutes into trip

KC, while attempting to insert a new Thomas The Train DVD into the not-yet-turned-on DVD player, met some resistance. That's funny, she thought. Shouldn't it just slide right in? So, she did the most logical thing: she jammed it in using brute force. And then realized the failings of her ways. As in, no DVD action and a visible edge of DVD crying for help from the insert hole. This required a 15-minute stop where JP had to stop driving and try and take apart the DVD player, because the alternative: not having Jolie entertained with watching a DVD during the 4+ hour trip, was simply unacceptable. Good news: he got a DVD out. Unusual news: it was not a Thomas The Train DVD. You do the math.

Cost: 20 minutes; Pride; A Dora The Explorer DVD.

3) KC spaces out while driving and misses the vehicles-that-need-to-go-to-NJ-need-to-stay-right thing

Time of insult: approximately 2 hours into trip

JP checks BlackBerry. KC starts thinking about work and missing meetings and, next thing, The Van is headed left when it was supposed to head right. "Good thing gas is cheap these days," she says as they continue to travel, looking for somewhere to exit/turn around/re-enter. JP accuses her of trying to get more blog material. Jolie calls out from the back seat, "Why we turning around? Mommy dwive in the wrong pwace!"

Cost: 15 minutes; $5 in wasted fuel; More pride

4) KC chooses unwisely in the CARS versus CARS-BUSES-TRUCKS gamble

Time of insult: approximately 4 hours into trip

Just as the heinous congestion from a long-since-cleared accident lets up on The Turnpike, a quick decision has to be made: CARS (necessitating hustling it over a couple of lanes) or CARS-BUSES-TRUCKS? Inertia takes over; CARS-BUSES-TRUCKS it is. This is the wrong choice. KC dodges mammoth beast trucks within the 2 congested lanes, watching the center 3 lanes with cars speeding through in the clear.

Cost: 10 mintues; Fear of motor vehicle accident; Bitterness.

So, a good start." END OF KC'S BLOG

see

http://www.wheresmycape.com/blog/2008/06/this-is-sabotag.html

TOLLROADSnews 2008-06-16