Toll Plaza

Ubbquittious

Many a time I have passed a sign saying 'Toll Plaza 6km' and wondered why in the hell is it called a plaza?

For some reason it sounds fierce posh altogether to me. I imagine a vast expanse of space with people walking around at their leasure with a pint of Weissbeer in their hand, others with an icecream or a mocktail because they're driving. There would be stalls wooden selling stir-fries, gourmet hotdogs, pretzels, coffee and hot chocolate. There could even be a couple of outdoor jaccuzis for weary travelers to unwind in while they look out over the river Shannon and Limerick city.

But alas, all that's there is a rude guy in a toll both who barks at you to "just use the machine" when you try to hand him the money. Toll plazas could be so much better but they're not. Ideally you'd be able to pay your toll to the lad pouring your Weissbeer and you'd be able to bypass those boring utilitarian tollbooths altogether.

Kimbot

You'll know you're on a toll road when you encounter a toll plaza. A toll plaza is a gated area where you have to slow down or stop to pay a toll to continue traveling on the road.

http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-some-roads-have-tolls

Noddyholder

If you think that's bad, don't go down to moneygall where they have the Obama plaza I kid you not :-)

Barack Obama Plaza, Junction 23, M7, Moneygall, Co. Offaly


https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjyt-eS-K3TAhXRyRoKHXo5BdwQFgglMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbarackobamaplaza.ie%2F&usg=AFQjCNFq1u9yvEMaX2N8brodN_3jBJuJ_w

Armchair Andy

There's a handle down by the furthest right pay station you pull to access the secret lane OP.
Unlimited array of luxuries, I'm getting a 4 hand massage here on the M8 Toll Plaza as I type. Bliss!

biko

Plaza means square in Spanish. It's just an open space.

Archeron

Armchair Andy wrote: »

There's a handle down by the furthest right pay station you pull to access the secret lane OP.
Unlimited array of luxuries, I'm getting a 4 hand massage here on the M8 Toll Plaza as I type. Bliss!

You have four hands? Are you some sort of Octopus monster?

Graces7

Encountered this when I was travelling up from Kerry moving house... 3 am it was and I could not reach the ******* slot. One of the cats had escaped from the box and was under my seat and if I opened the door.... and the dog was barking fit to bust,, I waited and pondered and then the sign up ahead changed to ABORTED... and finally a grumpy man in a high vis jacket appeared and lectured me on how ot use the machine.. I pleaded disabllity ( true) and blessed him mightily when he took the money.. Exotic name and at that hour a rather weird place,, I will not pass that way again ! Thankfully!

Allinall

Thread reported for tolling.

whoopsadoodles

I have never ever ever come across a grumpy toll booth person and have actually commented on it before that they're always so cheerful despite sitting in a cold box all day.

Aglomerado

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

I have never ever ever come across a grumpy toll booth person and have actually commented on it before that they're always so cheerful despite sitting in a cold box all day.

M8 guys at Portlaoise and Watergrasshill always pleasant no matter what time of day!

The Backwards Man

I used to have a yoke two or three times a week on the M1 that was kind of in between two categories so they were never sure which price to charge, used to give them the right change for the lower category and they would usually take it. When got the odd one that wanted more I used to get out and see if there was any money that had fallen on the road before using my own, surprising how much there would be

They used to hate that

uck51js9zml2yt

Noddyholder wrote: »

If you think that's bad, don't go down to moneygall where they have the Obama plaza I kid you not :-)

Barack Obama Plaza, Junction 23, M7, Moneygall, Co. Offaly


https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjyt-eS-K3TAhXRyRoKHXo5BdwQFgglMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbarackobamaplaza.ie%2F&usg=AFQjCNFq1u9yvEMaX2N8brodN_3jBJuJ_w

Was in the last Friday. It's definitely a plaza...Lots of space .

Skylinehead

Armchair Andy wrote: »

There's a handle down by the furthest right pay station you pull to access the secret lane OP.
Unlimited array of luxuries, I'm getting a 4 hand massage here on the M8 Toll Plaza as I type. Bliss!

BattleCorp

Noddyholder wrote: »

If you think that's bad, don't go down to moneygall where they have the Obama plaza I kid you not :-)

Barack Obama Plaza, Junction 23, M7, Moneygall, Co. Offaly


https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjyt-eS-K3TAhXRyRoKHXo5BdwQFgglMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbarackobamaplaza.ie%2F&usg=AFQjCNFq1u9yvEMaX2N8brodN_3jBJuJ_w

That place is a fooookin goldmine, I'm not codding you.

Graces7

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

I have never ever ever come across a grumpy toll booth person and have actually commented on it before that they're always so cheerful despite sitting in a cold box all day.

Well it was 3 am and the place was deserted,, maybe he was having a much needed snooze.. He was not IN the box and had to come over from somewhere else... Poor man! But I could not risk the cat escaping... did not get out of the car all the 6 hour drive.. I did thank him profusely of course...That is a very impressive piece of engineering by the way.... Awesome. I really enjoyed the whole drive..

theteal

"Plaza" sounds posh?

You've not spent much time in the Tallaght area, OP?

Ubbquittious

theteal wrote: »

"Plaza" sounds posh?

You've not spent much time in the Tallaght area, OP?

I was only there once. Stayed in that hotel where the dead person was found.

whoopsadoodles

Ubbquittious wrote: »

I was only there once. Stayed in that hotel where the dead person was found.

The.....plaza?

theteal

The hotel houses the infamous nightclub that shares it's name - again, not posh

Ubbquittious

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

The.....plaza?

He'd be starting off on a bad foot if he was honest and called it "The Dive"