E-tags And The Like

[evil_weevil]

yeah Im on the credit card one, 30 buck and as it goes down to 15 it tops up back to 30

Or something like that, and I get a rebate on m4/m5?

[MANWHORE]

I simply object to the use of etags.

Tell me this. If I drive back to the airport from the north shore and back (you northies will know what I mean), going through the eastern distributor. I have to pay $3 for the tunnel, then $4.50 or something ridiculous (forgot whether it's 4.40 or 4.50). Before, I used to drive back the non toll way. It used to be a 2 lane road, 60 k limit. after they put in the ED, they cut it down to 1 lane, about 50 speed humps, and 40 k limit.

The idea of building a new road, is so that you hvae 2 roads to spread the load to improve traffic. What use is building a new road if you're not going to let people use the old road anymore without it taking 3 times as long as it used to?

With those etags, it's a scheme. They want you to not think about paying tolls. The other day, I was in my friend's car. Throughout the whole day, I would estimate that we spent about $20 on tolls. I said to him, f**k, tolls must have cost a fortune today. he said 'I dunno, I've got an etag'. If he had actually chucked 4.50 into the booth each time, you'd seriously think about the cost.

Etag is just a government scheme like usual. Why should I have to pay to get a tag - a $2 piece of simple equipment mass produced, considering i'm paying them the tolls too. No discount either using a tag

[smasha]

Etag is just a government scheme like usual. Why should I have to pay to get a tag - a $2 piece of simple equipment mass produced, considering i'm paying them the tolls too. No discount either using a tag

Partially correct.

Private toll roads (and now the bridge and tunnel) are going fully electronic to improve traffic flow and safety, amongst other reasons (easier billing, less infrastructure to maintain etc..).

the tag itself doesn't cost you anything extra other than the deposit, which you get back, when you give the tag back.

as for how simple/complex a tag is, i wouldn't be able to tell ya as I've never opened one up.

Chubb, the M4 and M5 rebate is a NSW gov't thing.... cos as part of their election campaign a while ago, they said they'd abolish the M4 and M5 tolls, on which they piked and introduced the m4/m5 cashback scheme where only cars registered for private use are able to claim back the tolls (without the GST).

They want you to not think about paying tolls. The other day, I was in my friend's car. If he had actually chucked 4.50 into the booth each time, you'd seriously think about the cost.

lol... the aliens... they are coming.... I think this is highly dependent on the individual, and not so much a conspiracy, and to object on those grounds when faced with the benefits (faster traffic flow, no granny's fishing for their 5 cent pieces from 50 years ago, no "conscietious objectors" abusing the toll operators while holding up traffic etc..) is rather silly.

[scathing]

With those etags, it's a scheme. They want you to not think about paying tolls. The other day, I was in my friend's car. Throughout the whole day, I would estimate that we spent about $20 on tolls. I said to him, f**k, tolls must have cost a fortune today. he said 'I dunno, I've got an etag'. If he had actually chucked 4.50 into the booth each time, you'd seriously think about the cost.

If you're too simple minded to actually think about why you're doing something instead of just what you're doing, you deserved to get fleeced.

I love my e-tag. It streamlines going through toll roads (on the rare occasions I use them), and it means I don't need to carry a crapload of change in the car. If parking meters took credit cards or EFTPOS I'd never need coinage in the car, which if it became widespread would drop a reason for casual "smash and grab" thieves who decide to lift your spare change, CDs (I only keep burnt copies of CDs in the car these days anyway), and other easily cash-convertable items from your car.

Its like people bitching about credit and EFTPOS cards making people not think about the money they spend, because there's no physical currency transaction. If you can't work out that getting something that you know isn't free is going to cost you something and budget accordingly, I've got some mobile phone ringtone downloads and "CD club" subscriptions that you might be interested in.

[MANWHORE]

I'm not simple minded. Nor would I not think about the price of tolls if I had an etag, so I don't think your comment was very nice. What I was saying was just a comment in regards to that particular friend that I observed, as well as several other people that I had observed.

In regards to your comment about working out that something will cost me money - obviously they have the right to charge for something. If you actually understood the point in what I was saying, you owuldnt' have made the comment.

When they build a new road, people should have the choice to travel on the new road or the old road. i.e. if you wish to pay the moeny, you can go on the fast road. If you don't, you can go on the old road.

Like I was saying, for the people coming back from the airport to the north, there was a time when they had this hump in the middle of the road at the lights so you couldn't even go through. Even now, there is only 1 lane, about 50 speed humps and speed limit has gone right down. It used to be 2 lanes, and 60 ks, no speedhumps. That's essentially forcing you to go to that road.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'll admit that i'm not made of moeny. I don't get paid a lot of money, and paying 7.50 worth of tolls to go to the airport and back is a lot of money for me. If you're rich, then good for you

If you're too simple minded to actually think about why you're doing something instead of just what you're doing, you deserved to get fleeced.

I love my e-tag. It streamlines going through toll roads (on the rare occasions I use them), and it means I don't need to carry a crapload of change in the car. If parking meters took credit cards or EFTPOS I'd never need coinage in the car, which if it became widespread would drop a reason for casual "smash and grab" thieves who decide to lift your spare change, CDs (I only keep burnt copies of CDs in the car these days anyway), and other easily cash-convertable items from your car.

Its like people bitching about credit and EFTPOS cards making people not think about the money they spend, because there's no physical currency transaction. If you can't work out that getting something that you know isn't free is going to cost you something and budget accordingly, I've got some mobile phone ringtone downloads and "CD club" subscriptions that you might be interested in.

Edited June 25, 2007 by MANWHORE

[scathing]

I'm not simple minded. Nor would I not think about the price of tolls if I had an etag, so I don't think your comment was very nice. What I was saying was just a comment in regards to that particular friend that I observed, as well as several other people that I had observed.

Then I wasn't referring to you specifically. I was using "you" as a general term to refer to people that aren't me.

I use toll roads sparingly, and to be honest I don't know exactly how much my entire trip costs. But, by the same token, if I'm on a toll road its because I'm in such a hurry that I don't care how much it costs. But I'm aware that I am paying something. I do think about it, and make a conscious choice to lighten my virtual wallet by taking a certain route. I've still got an e-tag, and it hasn't given me some kind of financial lobotomy.

If people don't think about it (as per your original assertion) then they've got no-one to blame but themselves.

I've just had jack of people who blame their insurmountable credit card debts on credit card companies. No-one put a gun to their head to just impulse buy everything because they have the instantaneous means, just like no-one makes (general case) you use a toll road. The fate of the Cross City Tunnel should be proof enough of that.