Oklahoma - Get your act together

[Rain Man]

What's the deal with those toll roads? I was driving along and all of a sudden my road announced that it was turning into a toll road. Whatever - that's rude, but I can deal with it.

But here's the thing that annoys me. There's a sign that says, "Exact Coins Required". That's it. That's the extent of the instructions.

First off, I live in the 21st century, so I generally don't have coinage in my pocket at all. Occasionally I may have a few if I just bought something with cash, which in itself seldom occurs.

But second, and most importantly, what exact coinage do I need? I'm more likely to have a quarter in my pocket than to have 88 cents. Is the fee 50 cents or 32 cents or 79 cents? This is really important information to provide to the traveling motorist.

With no other option available to me, I veered off on the alternate route and drove the backwoods for an hour, which was probably more interesting and fun. But come on, Oklahoma. Give me a chance to use a credit card, or at least give me a change machine or something. Things like this are why people choose to vacation instead in California or Hawaii.

(I may have posted about this the last time I was in Oklahoma, but if so, it's still not fixed.)

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Fish

Kansas recently installed a new K-Tag only lane on I-70. K-Tag is the digital tollpike pass you can order for free, which lets you bypass the pay gates and pay online later. You just drive in this special lane and it zaps the RFID chip without requiring you to stop. But when they added the new lane, they labeled the signs kind of assuming that every driver knows what K-tag is. Dozens of times now I've seen drivers get confused and use the K-tag only lane when they don't have K-tag, and then end up stopping and driving in reverse back through traffic trying to get to the cash only lanes.

You'd think that clarity would be a pretty high priority...

There needs to be a universal collection system for each state.

In Illinois we had a I-Pass and we kept it after moving to Missouri because we can use it for tolls all the way through to the east coast.

Pennsylvania is the most irritating and awful state to drive through and it helped a lot having the I-Pass.

For each state to have it's own system is just stupid.

In Colorado, they sent us a bill after our trip through there.

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

There needs to be a universal collection system for each state.

In Illinois we had a I-Pass and we kept it after moving to Missouri because we can use it for tolls all the way through to the east coast.

Pennsylvania is the most irritating and awful state to drive through and it helped a lot having the I-Pass.

For each state to have it's own system is just stupid.

In Colorado, they sent us a bill after our trip through there.

It's government. That makes too much sense.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by displacedinMN

It's government. That makes too much sense.

Exactly.

While we are on this subject, I have never understood how they can justify charging a toll on an interstate highway.

Federal Tax money is already being used for that road!

Isn't that "double taxation?"

If I remember correctly, the Kansas Turnpike was supposed to quit charging in 1960 once it was paid for and was eventually turned over to a private entity? I could be wrong, maybe Illinois went private.

[loochy]

Ever been to Orlando?

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by loochy

Ever been to Orlando?

It looks pretty tiny, but sounds fun:

Early Orlando had a colorful history. In 1892, Oliver Yantis, a member of the Doolin Gang, was wounded and captured outside of the town. He was brought into Orlando, where he died. In 1896, a group of con artists bought some homesteads near the town, salted them with gold nuggets and started a gold rush.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Wait, are you saying you literally researched the laws of every state you knew you'd be traveling through? I find that hard to believe. How about the various city and county ordinances?

Sure, it makes sense to have a feel for any major differences in laws, but it's pretty unusual for a state to have a system that would cause a lot of headache for people just because they didn't do research before they chose to enter. In Kansas, you take a ticket at the toll road entrance and pay at the exit - credit cards accepted. In Colorado, it's all done by license plate - they'll just send you a bill. Those are both vastly more tourist-friendly than a system that requires people carry cash in exact change for an amount they don't know of until they're there.

No I did not worry about city or county ordinances.
I planned my route from point A to point B. If I was going to need to use a toll road then I checked out the cost and ways to pay so that I did not have any surprises.
As someone that carried a gun, largish amounts of cash, sometimes a trailer full of tools and equipment for a crew of installers, sometimes an RV I checked all the laws/regulations that governed the things that I had in my possession.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse and although might get you out of a minor pinch here or there it is better to not take any chances and then be in a bind and end up with something on your record, not to mention the extra expense and loss of time.

[srvy]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Exactly.

While we are on this subject, I have never understood how they can justify charging a toll on an interstate highway.

Federal Tax money is already being used for that road!

Isn't that "double taxation?"

If I remember correctly, the Kansas Turnpike was supposed to quit charging in 1960 once it was paid for and was eventually turned over to a private entity? I could be wrong, maybe Illinois went private.

Toll roads are run by private entities not the DOT's.

[Couch-Potato]

This sort of stupidity is all too common in the world. Thank you for calling it out!

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

According to the sign, exact coins are required in Oklahoma. I have to think that there are other options, but worry that there are massive squatter cities of people stuck at the tolls because they lacked exact change, and they're living in their cars with no running water or electricity, mining ore from the ground as they attempt to smelt crude coins.

You aren't going to get pulled over if you don't pay for tolls. In Chicago, they send me a bill with a photo of my car. So **** them in their tolls. Last couple of times Ive driven to Chicago and through Oklahoma I just put on an old novelty Nevada plate I bought. Keep the real one in my car. Free. Yes, I'm a pos

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Literally nobody wants to be in Oklahoma. You'd think they'd be a little more accommodating when someone actually had to enter that ****hole.

I like Oklahoma. Not any worse than Kansas & Missouri. OKC and Tulsa are cool. Tulsa is an underrated city IMO.

[srvy]

Originally Posted by BWillie

You aren't going to get pulled over if you don't pay for tolls. In Chicago, they send me a bill with a photo of my car. So **** them in their tolls. Last couple of times Ive driven to Chicago and through Oklahoma I just put on an old novelty Nevada plate I bought. Keep the real one in my car. Free. Yes, I'm a pos

I dont believe you.

Based on past posts I dont think your energetic enough to get out of your car and turn a screwdriver.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by srvy

Toll roads are run by private entities not the DOT's.

As my post said, I knew at least some were, but didn't know how extensive it was. It didn't use to be that way. Thanks for clearing that up that they all are.

Before the "I-Pass" my grandson that is now 24 was sitting in his car seat in the back and couldn't totally see what I was doing when I pulled up to a toll booth change receptor. You would just toss in your coins and it would count them out then activate a green light.

He said "going to throw more money in the street grandpa?"

[splatbass]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Things like this are why people choose to vacation instead in California or Hawaii.

I think the fact that there is a lot more to do in California and Hawaii may have something to do with it too.

[Stewie]

Pennsylvania is the absolute worst when it comes to toll roads.

[Darien25]

I can remember back in summer 2005 when we first moved to Tulsa, thankfully only for two years, we were in a junior league baseball caravan heading out of town and started encountering all these toll plazas that were exact change only. We pulled over to the side and scraped up enough for the first toll or two but after that we had to go off on our own down non toll roads. We were the only new parents on the team and no one bothered to tell us to brings several rolls of coinage with us.