What happens at toll booths if you turn up with no money

westtip

Ok, this is unlikely to happen, but just suppose you turned up at any of the toll booths on the motorway system, say the M4 west and found to your surprise you had left your wallet/purse/handbag at home and didn't have any change kicking around in the car - ie not a penny, what would happen when you turned up at the toll booth. Even more to the point say came off at the M1 at the toll booths for Drogheda - and just said to the attendant I am really sorry I came out without any money and have only just realised, they can hardly make you reverse back down the slip road onto the motorway (too dangerous) so what do they do? empound your car? accept alternative payment - like your watch, tie or other item of clothing? Just what does happen - and is there a chance of avoiding the toll by simply turning up at the toll gate and saying - I have got no cash on me?? Do they have to let your through?

Firewalkwithme

westtip wrote:

what would happen....?

.....the same as what happened to Santino 'Sonny' Corleone in The Godfather I guess.

dr zoidberg

I don't know how it would actually work but officially:

oasis.gov.ie wrote:

Failure to pay your toll will mean that you cannot pass along the road.

...

All motorists who are liable to pay toll fees and who fail, neglect or refuse to pay them are guilty of an offence. They are liable on summary conviction in a District Court to a fine not exceeding 1,270 euro.

The amount of any toll due is recoverable as a simple contract debt in any District Court.

http://www.oasis.gov.ie/transport/motoring/national_toll_roads_in_ireland.html

westtip

My point is though what if you say I have accidentially come out without any money - I will pay the toll but you will have to send me an invoice, and then request passage through the booths. In some places - eg the run off sections of a motorway it will not be possible to send someone backwards.

Ham'nd'egger

Good question, Westie.

A few months back, I got caught at the M1 booth behind a truck which took some time getting through. When I got to the booth, I asked to clerk what was the delay and he told me that the truck driver had no cash for the toll (A likely story :rolleyes: ). What happened then, I asked, and the clerk told me eventually that he took the drivers details and will follow it up. How reliable this is of getting the toll back is another tale, however.

jlang

As written above, you could be let through but a case would be sent to and pass through the District Court and a fine would be issued.

Stark

What happens if you just have a €50 note on you

Sleipnir

I'd say I have had no money upon arrival at the toll bridge about 4 times in total. The staff have always let me through with a wry smile.

Guy:Incognito

Stark wrote:

What happens if you just have a €50 note on you

They give you change?


AFAIK thats why the make coins.:)

corktina

Stekelly wrote:

They give you change?


AFAIK thats why the make coins.:)

probably they give you LOTS of change :-)

Stark

In pennies. While a tailback forms behind you. Just to be spiteful about it.

Actually that might explain the delays at the toll bridge in the mornings.

Wishbone Ash

jlang wrote:

As written above, you could be let through but a case would be sent to and pass through the District Court and a fine would be issued.

That would be the case if you drove through without stopping - i.e. deliberately avoided paying. However, explaining that you do not have the toll is totally different scenario. They will take your details and request that you forward the toll price to them. No different than filling the car with fuel at the pumps and discovering that you left the wallet at home.

Tabnabs

They either let you through with much tut-tutting or take your details and post out an invoice (waisting more money on stamps and stationary!!)

Wishbone Ash

Dyflin wrote:

(waisting more money on stamps and stationary!!)

They will do this even though it has costs, to prevent motorists from thinking that they can get away with it. They would waste more by not doing it.

saobh_ie

I arrived up to the tolls on the M50 northbound once having travelled from Cork or somewhere far away in the teeth of a horrendous rain storm the whole way on a motorbike. My gloves had literally shrunk to my hands and try as I might I couldn't get them off, nor could I unzip my pockets, or get my hands into them if I could.

I explained the situation to the boothie who shrugged and said something I couldn't make out as I couldn't take off my gloves to take off my helmet, or turn off my mp3 player. So I listed to maybe half of AC/DC's thunderstruck before putting the bike in gear and driving around the barrier.

The loud siern that went off when I did that, I did hear. That happened just before Christmas of last year I think so if they were going to do anything to me, I think they would have done it by now.

In a car however you really need them to lift the barrier so my experience of the girl shrugging blankly and mumbling incoherantly doesn't really help.

jlang

I'm strongly of the opinion that motorcycles shouldn't have to pay at the tolls and more so after reading saobh_ie's story. I'm not a rider, but I notice that if I'm behind one at the queue, it can take considerable time for a rider to stand up the bike, take off the gloves, fumble for the change put on the gloves and begin to move off again. In that time, several cars could get through. The queues could move smoother if bikes don't have to stop.

murphaph

jlang wrote:

I'm strongly of the opinion that motorcycles shouldn't have to pay at the tolls....

A90 Forth Road Bridge in Scotland.....

Our man in Havana

I like the no u-turn sign!

jlang

Is that NIL for motorbikes and wheelchairs?

Our man in Havana

Motorbikes and Disabled drivers

Maskhadov

you should turn up with a €500 hundred euro note and see what they say

Idleater

Maskhadov wrote:

you should turn up with a €500 hundred euro note and see what they say

Or like someone suggested with a €50 note, even a €20 one.

When to spite you they give you "change" I would make a point of counting it... twice.

I have been meaning to do that on the bike. I rarely use the toll bridge and I know how it annoys drivers when they are behind me, the barrier goes up and they think I am going to go so they drive forward. 1 minute later I might start to move off.

L.

Wishbone Ash

jlang wrote:

it can take considerable time for a rider to stand up the bike, take off the gloves, fumble for the change put on the gloves and begin to move off again.

Or truckers in left hookers who have to climb down the steps, walk around to the cashier, walk back and climb in again.

Capt'n Midnight

Stark wrote:

What happens if you just have a €50 note on you

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA38Y1998S10.html

10.—(1) No person, other than the Central Bank of Ireland and such persons as may be designated by the Minister by order, shall be obliged to accept more than 50 coins denominated in euro or in cent in any single transaction.

so you are quite entitled to hand over 50 coins or a €500 note
best to act like an old dear and squint at both sides of the coin as if you don't trust the new money

Guy:Incognito

nereid wrote:

When to spite you they give you "change" I would make a point of counting it... twice.
.

The only people that would annoy is the ones in your car and the others in the que. It's not like the person in the toll booth is in a hurry to get somewhere.

Motorbikes are free on the east link.


Bikers could just put the right change in an outside pocket beforehand and it'd only take them a min. Same goes for idiots in cars. Why the hell do some people sit in the que all th eway uip to the toll , then when they get to the cashier/bucket, start fumbling around the car/pockets for ages to find change.

The ashtray is there for coins people, smoking is so 30 years ago.

saobh_ie

jlang wrote:

Is that NIL for motorbikes and wheelchairs?

Motorcycles towing wheelchairs are exempt from tolls on the A90.

Currently motorcycles are not charged a toll on the East Link but we are everywhere else. Typically you have to stop, left foot down, right foot down, left foot up find neutral, left foot down, right foot up cover rear brake, sit up, gloves off, open visor, say hello to boothie, open jacket, open pocket, rummage for euro coin, put coins back in pocket, put change in pocket, zip up pocket, zip up jacket, gloves on, first gear, check mirrors for crazy people and finally pull away at great speed to get away from people who may or may not have become homicidal watching you.

Probaly doesn't help that you've 'skipped' the queue in ahead of them but the last place you want to be on an invisible motorbike is at the back of a queue.

Whoops... back on topic. If you wanted to horse though without paying the toll of smashing the barrier I imagine you could hug the bumper of the vechile ahead...

Guy:Incognito

saobh_ie wrote:

Motorcycles towing wheelchairs are exempt from tolls on the A90.

Does there have to be someone in the wheelchair?

Wishbone Ash

saobh_ie wrote:

. Currently motorcycles are not charged a toll on the East Link but we are everywhere else. Typically you have to stop, left foot down, right foot down, left foot up find neutral, left foot down, right foot up cover rear brake, sit up, gloves off, open visor, say hello to boothie, open jacket, open pocket, rummage for euro coin, put coins back in pocket, put change in pocket, zip up pocket, zip up jacket, gloves on, first gear, check mirrors for crazy people and finally pull away at great speed to get away from people who may or may not have become homicidal watching you.

Is it possible to get Eazy Pass for a bike?

Stark

Passing by Fermoy today, I noticed they're going to require exact change at the toll booths.

Our man in Havana

Stark wrote:

Passing by Fermoy today, I noticed they're going to require exact change at the toll booths.

That will be impossible to enforce.

westtip

I reckon an MG Midget with a folding down front windscreen (although the standard windscreen might just make it) and a quick duck of the head would get under the barriers. Anyone with an MG ever tried it?

Surely most motorbikes can get through tailgating - as long as they have no on on pillion (not sure if pillion riders are allowed on the motorway in any event) - wouldn't want the barrier to come down and fall behind the two riders, or on top of the pillion rider.

Wishbone Ash

Unless they have constructed a U-Turn lane.

gibo_ie

If you arrive at a toll with no change/incorrect currency or whatever, it is no big deal. They will check your reg, ask you to fill in details such as name and address etc and they will send you a bill for the toll and only the toll. I have done this regurlarly (and always paid in retrospect) as currently legslitation will not allow a fine to be passed on to a consumer going through a toll gate without paying. This is a main reason for barrier free tolling on motorways as NRA etc are afraid of people just not paying as they currently cannot be fined.
I will find a link and post but i know this to be correct.

quitepossibly

I drove into the toll plaza northbound on the M8 on Tuesday night, there was no queue in lane 3 so I went for that one. I was about to pay when I realised the barrier was up. I debated for all of about 5 seconds with my friend as to what to do. I drove through without paying only to hear a loud siren go off once I was clear of the toll booth. What did they expect that I was going to do, turn around?

greglo23

maybe this other way of payment http://tinyurl.com/2ndnrg

jimmycrackcorm

Bond-007 wrote:

That will be impossible to enforce.

no- you just won't get back any change.

Calina

nereid wrote:

Or like someone suggested with a €50 note, even a €20 one.

When to spite you they give you "change" I would make a point of counting it... twice.

I have been meaning to do that on the bike. I rarely use the toll bridge and I know how it annoys drivers when they are behind me, the barrier goes up and they think I am going to go so they drive forward. 1 minute later I might start to move off.

L.

And you do that just for spite or what?

Hagar

Tip for Motorcyclists:

Stick an assortment of coins to the top of your helmet with BluTak and as you reach the toll booth just lean your head in the window for the attendant to take the correct amount.;)

parsi

Stark wrote:

Passing by Fermoy today, I noticed they're going to require exact change at the toll booths.

When ?

I went up on Thursday (down on the previous Sunday) and whilst there were "exact change" queues there were also cashier queues which gave out change.

Stark

Talk about dragging up an old post there. I notice it wasn't the case before the road opened, but driving along the old route about a month or two before the opening, I did see signs along the lines of "exact change required" or "no change given" or something. I think they were for one of the slip roads leading onto the motorway just after Rathcormack.

Capt'n Midnight

gibo_ie wrote:

as currently legslitation will not allow a fine to be passed on to a consumer going through a toll gate without paying. This is a main reason for barrier free tolling on motorways as NRA etc are afraid of people just not paying as they currently cannot be fined.
I will find a link and post but i know this to be correct.

AFAIK you can only be fined for the amount of the toll, and it just isn't worth them going after you.

If they had a €30-€50 standard toll, like the standard fare on public transport they could go after you for not paying within 30 days.

€110m to be paid for the tolling system, that works out at €50 per motorist !!!

Better to increase the tax on petrol.