A Virginia truck driver used James Bond device to evade tolls

[DJMRDARK]

Police: Driver Flipped License Plate To Save Toll

NEW YORK (AP) — A Virginia truck driver used a device that could have come from a James Bond movie to try to get out of paying the $65 toll to cross the George Washington Bridge into New York City, police say.

Nelson Vaquiz of Beaverdam, Va., was arrested on charges of using a cable in his truck cab to flip up his front license plate while going through a gateless toll lane on Interstate 95 without a toll transponder, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Thursday. Vaquiz had also bent up his rear plate so it couldn't be read by cameras, police said.

Truck drivers have complained about steep toll increases that the Port Authority says it needs to finish building the new World Trade Center. By 2016, a five-axle truck will have to pay $105 to cross the bridge.

Some drivers zip through the gateless express lanes while obscuring their license plates so the Port Authority cannot track them down and bill them. These toll cheats cost the Port Authority $14 million in 2009 and 2010.

"Our police department takes this very seriously and are on the lookout for such maneuvers," Port Authority spokesman Ron Marsico said. "Hopefully this will serve as a lesson."

Vaquiz went through the E-ZPass lane on the New Jersey side of the bridge with a truck carrying pipes at 6:35 a.m. Saturday, police said.

A Port Authority police officer saw Vaquiz's license plate drop back into place and ordered the driver to pull over, but he did not stop, Marsico said. Other officers forced him to stop before he could go over the bridge, Marsico said.

Police impounded the truck. Vaquiz, 36, was charged with theft of service, possession of burglar tools and eluding arrest. He was released on bail.

Calls to his business phone in Beaverdam were not answered.

The arrest was first reported by the New York Post.

The Port Authority says traffic over its Hudson River crossings has plummeted because of the economy and it needs the additional money to complete the new World Trade Center and to make upgrades to its bridges and on-ramps.

On Sept. 18, cash tolls for a five-axle truck rose from $40 to $65, and they will continue to rise gradually to $105 on Dec. 6, 2015.

Spy hero James Bond used an Aston Martin sports car with revolving license plates in the 1964 film "Goldfinger." Some websites sell retractable license plate holders for "off-road use" for as little as $75

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...326290&ft=1&f=

[Time for a GTI]

Awesome

[R32Rich]

$105 to cross the bridge once? Goddamn.

[Horror Business]

I had no idea a toll that high existed anywhere in this country. I would never waste that much money to cross a bridge, I'd go spend it to do a bunch of laps on the nurburgring.

[keving]

105 bucks!? And I complain about having to pay 8 bucks in tolls per week on my commute . . .

[todras]

Wait so is that a 1 way toll charge for $65?!!!

[Iroczgirl]

Crazy, that's highway robbery!

[Time for a GTI]

Crazy, that's highway robbery!

[TM87]

State of NY is robbing people.

[PDing]

For those that are not familiar with the area, you only pay when entering NY, no toll for when coming into NJ.

Never really enjoyed going to NYC, much less now.

[1 can 'rado]

$105 to cross the bridge once? Goddamn.

wow.....!!! and i saw two people get pulled over today for being in the carpool lane with just one person in the vehicle. they were at that cutoff time where they should have/could have been............

CA is just as bad as NY

[JThw8]

For those that are not familiar with the area, you only pay when entering NY, no toll for when coming into NJ.

Never really enjoyed going to NYC, much less now.

It's that way at almost every entry to NJ. You can get in for free but you have to pay to leave the state. I say money well spent (yes, I live here, yes, I'd love to leave)

[PDing]

It's that way at almost every entry to NJ. You can get in for free but you have to pay to leave the state. I say money well spent (yes, I live here, yes, I'd love to leave)

Agree with you there. Just moved back to NJ after living in another state for over 5 years. Can't wait to be transferred after only moving back for 2 months. I'll quit if they transfer me to NYC.

[JThw8]

Agree with you there. Just moved back to NJ after living in another state for over 5 years. Can't wait to be transferred after only moving back for 2 months. I'll quit if they transfer me to NYC.

Yeah, if I was willing to work in NYC I could add 40-50k to my base salary, some things just aren't worth it. If anything I'd gladly take a pay cut to get the heck out of the northeast, but I stupidly married a Jersey girl and she ain't goin nowhere.

[ratdub]

It's that way at almost every entry to NJ. You can get in for free but you have to pay to leave the state. I say money well spent (yes, I live here, yes, I'd love to leave)

there is even an 'exit tax' if you sell your house and move out of state...

[duke of chucchinchilla]

There was a news article about this a couple years ago about truckers connecting their plates to strings and hiding them through toll roads.

[robr2]

Wait so is that a 1 way toll charge for $65?!!!

That's the cash amount for the GW for a 5 axle tractor trailer.

If you use EZ Pass and go into the city during overnight hours, the toll is $37.50 rising to $45 during off-peak and $50 during peak hours.

The goal is to reduce truck traffic coming into the city during the day.

[mx5er]

Good for him

As soon as Port Authority and MTA employees stop using the orange ez pass tags and handing them out to their families like candies, I do not feel sorry for the lost revenue.

[danyanda]

I stupidly married a Jersey girl and she ain't goin nowhere.

Hear hear! New Jersey blows. If my wife wasn't hot I would leave.

...at least South Jersey isn't half as bad as North Jersey, which basically IS New York City(yup, I said it).

[Boogety Boogety]

There was a news article about this a couple years ago about truckers connecting their plates to strings and hiding them through toll roads.

$14,000,000 worth...

What's that, off the top of my head (no calculator handy)... 14M / $65, is that 210,000 scofflaws? 215,000? Gotta be close...

At $50 a pop, it's 280,000...

Wait 'til it hits $105, someone will come up with a Romulan cloak...

[cholland_]

Yeah, if I was willing to work in NYC I could add 40-50k to my base salary

[Corbic]

That's the cash amount for the GW for a 5 axle tractor trailer.

If you use EZ Pass and go into the city during overnight hours, the toll is $37.50 rising to $45 during off-peak and $50 during peak hours.

The goal is to reduce truck traffic coming into the city during the day.

Yeah, **** businesses!

[C4 A6]

Wow, I live in NYC and I didn't even know the toll for trucks was that ****ing high.

[BeBop!]

CA is just as bad as NY

Care to elaborate about CA?

[DJMRDARK]

Seems like a lot until you factor in costs to live there and other intangibles.

[FreshBaked 24 7]

Why anyone would want to drive into NYC is beyond me when the subways and trains are so convenient

[warrenW]

65 dollars is pretty ridiculous! 105 is insane!

[mhjett]

The Port Authority says traffic over its Hudson River crossings has plummeted because of the economy and it needs the additional money to complete the new World Trade Center and to make upgrades to its bridges and on-ramps.

On Sept. 18, cash tolls for a five-axle truck rose from $40 to $65, and they will continue to rise gradually to $105 on Dec. 6, 2015.

Traffic plummeted because of the economy, huh? Or ya think it has something to do with raising tolls almost 40%?

[Avus]

another example of government scamming $$ from hard working low incoming people. But of course it will be very hard for government to try to get more $$ from the rich and big company.

[2.0T_Convert]

Why anyone would want to drive into NYC is beyond me when the subways and trains are so convenient

Faster depending on the time of day and parking can be cheap and/or free.

Depending on who I'm with I'd rather drive in and park along the upper west side or lower village area. All it takes is knowing what to look for such as parking next to a wider vehicle to protect against a side swipe.

another example of government scamming $$ from hard working low incoming people. But of course it will be very hard for government to try to get more $$ from the rich and big company.

I could be wrong but wouldn't the truck company that owns the truck factor in the tolls when they sent drivers on routes?

Sucks for independent truckers but the goal seems to be reduce traffic during daytime hours. If your an independent trucker who wants to drive a big rig into NYC during rush hour sucks to be you.

[DJMRDARK]

This is another reason I'm not big on NY.

I've turned down really high paying jobs just because I would never live there.

[robr2]

I could be wrong but wouldn't the truck company that owns the truck factor in the tolls when they sent drivers on routes?

Sucks for independent truckers but the goal seems to be reduce traffic during daytime hours. If your an independent trucker who wants to drive a big rig into NYC during rush hour sucks to be you.

Yep, the truckers that go into NYC regularly factor those costs into their delivery price. Many carriers now charge an congested area surcharge for shipments into NY, Boston, SF, Chicago, et al because they know it cost more in time and money. In reality, the less than trailer load (LTL) carriers don't run 18 wheelers into the city. It's more economical and efficient to run multiple 3 axle box trucks in and out.

Most trailer load drivers - such as this case - would want to get into any urban area at night anyway. My company gets independent trailer load deliveries in Boston and the drivers often ask if they get in during the night before and park in our lot.

I wonder if the driver in the OP was coming into the city or just through it? If he was just going through I presume he was trying to save the time it would take to circumvent the city.

[2.0T_Convert]

Yep, the truckers that go into NYC regularly factor those costs into their delivery price. Many carriers now charge an congested area surcharge for shipments into NY, Boston, SF, Chicago, et al because they know it cost more in time and money. In reality, the less than trailer load (LTL) carriers don't run 18 wheelers into the city. It's more economical and efficient to run multiple 3 axle box trucks in and out.

Most trailer load drivers - such as this case - would want to get into any urban area at night anyway. My company gets independent trailer load deliveries in Boston and the drivers often ask if they get in during the night before and park in our lot.

I wonder if the driver in the OP was coming into the city or just through it? If he was just going through I presume he was trying to save the time it would take to circumvent the city.

So 5-axle = 18 wheeler?

I've seen but never really understood the signs for the costs until this thread. I can't even remember the last time I saw a full size 18 wheeler on the island.

I think the benefits/costs have to be considered, even if this burdens some truckers the overall benefit from less traffic and less trucks at idle is a benefit to everyone else in the city.

[locobaz23]

another example of government scamming $$ from hard working low incoming people. But of course it will be very hard for government to try to get more $$ from the rich and big company.

Well I wouldn't call semi drivers low income. Most of them are middle class. My father in law makes $60k/yr as a truck driver.

[locobaz23]

The toll is only into NYC, as going to NJ is free. There is a huge difference between having an EZpass and cash. I wish it was like that in Florida.


http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/tolls.html


Cars:
EZ off peak- $7.50
EZ peak- $9.50
Cash- $12.00

5 axle truck:
EZ off peak- $45
EZ peak- $50
EZ Overnight weekdays- $37.50
Cash- $65