EZ Pass Tracking

[ArmorAbby]

One of my favorite spots is at a rest stop on the Highway. But I'm always anticipating that one day that I think I have cash.. and I don't.. because usually, that Highway is the only reason I have some change.. to pay the toll... 
I considered getting EZ PASS... but my concern with the EZ PASS is that they'll see that 5 nights out of 7, I'm spending the night at various Rest Stops on that highway. 
Of course, even without EZ PASS they know my plates.. but since EZ pass keeps and records more detailed information to be invoiced to the driver, I'm wondering if I won't be so un-noticeable via the big eye in the sky by getting EZ Pass staying local. 

Anyone have any ideas about being able to stay anonymous and stealthy this way?

Thanks,

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

AFAIK, EZ pass only tells them if and when you've passed through a toll booth. So I'm not sure what you're concern is.  Is this rest stop on a toll highway where the EZ pass records would tell them when you got on the highway and when you got off?

 

[speedhighway46]

I understand what you are saying and what your concerns are.

I do very little stealth parking at night, particularly in mid to large size cities. Also, I consider traveling "cheap" to be just another way to outfox "the man."

My overnighting 95% of the time is in a predictable and controlled location, as these types of places are where I am most at ease. May I suggest you try Walmarts and truck stops (and recently Menards). Been doing it ten years and have never had a bad experience.

Just my opinion. . .

 

[John61CT]

"They" are not tracking your movements with E-ZPass.

Only when you go through the toll, and no one (human or AI) looks at the records stored unless you or your vehicle are specifically targeted in an active investigation.

No one minds your sleeping in the rest stops. If a trooper knocks your window for some reason, as long as the interaction remains routine, he won't be putting in a request for a report on you from Port Authority.

Rest easy man. . .

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I agree with John61CT.  I doubt they would go to the trouble; too much computer time spent for little return.

IMO if they did sort vehicles that do not travel through in a set period of time, they would be doing it by license plate number not EZ pass info, so that would include cash tolls.

 -- Spiff

 

[ArmorAbby]

May I suggest you try Walmarts and truck stops (and recently Menards).

I do these also.. There are actually a handful of Walmarts to choose from in this area.  
I just like the rest stops best because they seem safest. 
I did a truck stop once.. but.. I dunno, didn't get good vibes...
I'll try it again soon....

 

[ArmorAbby]

Thanks folks! I'm still mathing to see if it's worth it... They require a minimum $20 per month in tolls to get EZ Pass, Really the annoying part is when trying to get back off or on the highway and there's only one cash line open and I have to jump over 4 lanes to get there...

 

[tx2sturgis]

Entry and Exit times using a transponder as well as license plate OCR scanning records are all stored electronically in a database, for billing and auditing.

If your time on the toll road from entry point to exit point exceeds a certain time, then it may get flagged as suspicious, due to the fact that they need to be sure that the transponder is being read and not being used by others, or defective in some way.

Having said that, if you have the same number of entries and exits, and the time frames are reasonable, you will probably never hear from them.

Just FYI: Those toll records can be used for truckers DOT hours-of-service roadside (and routine on-premises) audits, as well as criminal investigations involving fleeing vehicles or whatever, so yes....records along the toll roads are more or less permanent.

So...if you want to leave less noticeable tracks, use cold hard cash!

 

[ColdBrook]

Thanks folks! I'm still mathing to see if it's worth it... They require a minimum $20 per month in tolls to get EZ Pass, Really the annoying part is when trying to get back off or on the highway and there's only one cash line open and I have to jump over 4 lanes to get there...

We aren't charged $20 per month in tolls for the EZPass.  Why do you think that?  There is a deposit when you get the EZPass.  I am in NYState, are you in a different state?

 

[Trebor English]

There are roadside radios set up to interrogate transponders that are nowhere near toll roads.  I have only seen non toll interrogators on interstate highways.  I can't guess why they would do that.  

Toll prices with the transponder may be less than cash.  There are two that I often drive by that are $.87 by transponder and $1.00 in cash.  I have a transponder to save money and avoid the cash line when the line is long.  Sometimes I roll it up in my tinfoil hat when I would rather pay cash.  Tracking is not an option.  They have license plate readers at all the toll locations in Florida.  New Jersey may spend their tax money differently.

 

[ArmorAbby]

A Minimum $20 balance prepaid*

 

[tx2sturgis]

There are roadside radios set up to interrogate transponders that are nowhere near toll roads.  I have only seen non toll interrogators on interstate highways.  I can't guess why they would do that.  

Is it possible you are referring to the Pre-Pass units near truck weighstations?

If so, those are used to ID (and bill) commercial trucks for IFTA road tax purposes and some also have weigh-in-motion scales embedded in the pavement usually in the right hand lane, a mile or so ahead of the station. There will usually be a sign advising the drivers that it is a Pre-Pass station.

 

[ArmorAbby]

That's pretty interesting.

 

[Zil]

There are no readers for ezpass any place but at toll gates. You are seeing something else not connected to ez pass. I have my NJ ez pass linked to a credit card. If my balance falls under $10, they add $25. I picked these numbers and don't remember the choices. NJ Ez pass does charge a fee of $1 per month. I can get NC whatever pass with no extra fee. It works for ezpass, NC pass, Georga pass, and sun pass in Florida. That is my next move. I do have Sun Pass but no longer use it. EZ pass will go and NC will be it. Toll Transponders are the best thing I have adopted. Ez pass would flag the folks that work in the rest stops, if they tracked that kind of stuff. They do not track that. How ever, if you did get busted for sleeping in your vehicle, the prosecutor could get a search warrant to use ezpass records to prove you were there. Then the jury would be sure to find you guilty.

 

[John61CT]

Has anyone ever heard of anyone being arrested for **sleeping in a rest stop**??!

Sounds to me like being busted for using a pay phone to make a phone call, or taking a dump in a public rest room.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

^^^ no doubt, seems a bit odd. Can someone expand on that?

 

[Thirsty Boots Nomad]

Has anyone ever heard of anyone being arrested for **sleeping in a rest stop**??!

Sounds to me like being busted for using a pay phone to make a phone call, or taking a dump in a public rest room.

Would guess the citation would be for loitering or vagrancy or something similar (there is always something if an officer REALLY wants it) as many/most rest areas have signs prohibiting staying more than 4 hours or something

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

In Mass it's illegal to use electronic tolling information/cameras for anything other than collecting tolls. I do believe there are a few exceptions, ie when there is an Amber alert and they are looking for the car suspected of the kidnapping, they can use the electronic toll footage to help locate it.

So while the can probably use them for other purposes, I don't believe they have the legal right to, the man power too, or the desire too. Police are over burdened with crimes happening in real time, they'll never have any time to start looking for minor infractions via transponder trackings.

The convenience factor for me outweighs all the potential negatives. Most tolls give you a small discount for using them too. I put $50 on mine at a time, and when my balance reaches $10 they automatically take another $50 from my checking acct. You can set how much to put on it at a time, I think the minimum is $20. I'm not a huge fan of automatic withdrawals, but it's my only choice if I want the pass. $50 usually lasts me 6 months or more.

 

[frater secessus]

There are roadside radios set up to interrogate transponders that are nowhere near toll roads.  I have only seen non toll interrogators on interstate highways.  I can't guess why they would do that.  

RFID transponders (and bluetooth MAC readers) are commonly used to read traffic speeds.  They don't know know (or care) who each device belongs to, only that it passed here and then there in a given amount of time.  Disruptions in normal speeds alert traffic operations operators to look in the area for wrecks, stalls, etc. Google used to read our data directly for their own congestion maps but it is now either combined or replaced by Waze data.

I work directly with toll billing backend folks and toll-capture infrastructure folks on a weekly basis as part of my state job with the highway dept.  I have never heard anyone say they are worried about cars that go "missing" after they pass a given point.   In my experience when police detectives (and lawyers) call to inquire about data they always ask for video of traffic conditions and nothing else. We don't record video so we are no help. Doesn't stop me from getting subpoenaed.  

 

[John61CT]

> Would guess the citation would be for loitering or vagrancy or something similar (there is always something if an officer REALLY wants it) as many/most rest areas have signs prohibiting staying more than 4 hours or something

Not talking about some unrelated issue causing a cop to look for something to book you for.

Nor someone trying to camp out in the same stop for a long period, putting out furniture etc

I'm asking if anyone anywhere looking otherwise normal, has been subjected to hassle for simply overstaying such a time limit by a few hours.