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Toll-gating / fronting!

  • 08-07-2019 7:54pm
    #1
    Max Moment
    Registered Users Posts: 252 ✭✭


    Have to say I’ve heard about this practice but never saw it in action until today. Toll at watergrasshill and driver in front enters express lane in front of me and slows right down to get through on my tag for free!

    It was actually very dangerous as I had to nearly stop as he was basically stopped waiting for the barrier to lift on my tag. I only copped at the last minute what he was doing when I saw the red ‘X’ stay illuminated after he went past the tag scanner and proceeded so slowly to let me catch up and activate the barrier.

    I would have stopped completely to stop him going through for free but it would have been far too dangerous with cars coming behind me.

    People have some neck doing this and will cause an accident. Driving a 161 Q7 no doubt too! I’d go to the guards if I got the full reg for the sheer dangerous nature of it.

    Surely the toll operator goes after people like this?


Comments

  • #2
    amcalester
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,121 ✭✭✭amcalester


    Learned about this hard way when the barrier came down with a bang on the roof.

    Now I just leave a large gap or use the normal lanes.

    I’m seeing more and more drivers on the M1 do similar.


  • #3
    is_that_so
    Registered Users Posts: 32,136 ✭✭✭✭is_that_so


    amcalester wrote: »
    Learned about this hard way when the barrier came down with a bang on the roof.

    Now I just leave a large gap or use the normal lanes.

    I’m seeing more and more drivers on the M1 do similar.
    They have cameras facing both ways and do catch them.


  • #4
    koutoubia
    Registered Users Posts: 2,259 ✭✭✭koutoubia


    I had it before and sent an email to the toll operator with the time that I went through. I got a reply to say they would be billing the car owner and thanked me for letting me know.


  • #5
    Max Moment
    Registered Users Posts: 252 ✭✭Max Moment


    It’s such a dangerous practice. the barriers closed after he passed but luckily reopened as I approached.

    Obviously not his first time to do this as was clear from the way he slowed right down to let me catch up with him and then planted his foot down as soon I turned the arrow green and the barriers opened.

    Totally reckless to save a few euro. I’ll be watching out for this again


  • #6
    Max Moment
    Registered Users Posts: 252 ✭✭Max Moment


    koutoubia wrote: »
    I had it before and sent an email to the toll operator with the time that I went through. I got a reply to say they would be billing the car owner and thanked me for letting me know.


    Good idea. I’ll do that now. Might stop one less fool from doing it again!


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  • #7
    koutoubia
    Registered Users Posts: 2,259 ✭✭✭koutoubia


    Max Moment wrote: »
    It’s such a dangerous practice. the barriers closed after he passed but luckily reopened as I approached.

    Obviously not his first time to do this as was clear from the way he slowed right down to let me catch up with him and then planted his foot down as soon I turned the arrow green and the barriers opened.

    Totally reckless to save a few euro. I’ll be watching out for this again

    They obviously know exactly what they are doing and more then likely do it a few times a day as they wont have a tag or registered for one as ANPR will kick in and deduct from their tag account .
    In my instance they sat right up my arse going through the express lane.


  • #8
    amcalester
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,121 ✭✭✭amcalester


    koutoubia wrote: »
    They obviously know exactly what they are doing and more then likely do it a few times a day as they wont have a tag or registered for one as ANPR will kick in and deduct from their tag account .
    In my instance they sat right up my arse going through the express lane.

    I’ve turned off when they do that if I can’t see a tag in their windscreen, have left 2 vans stranded doing that.


  • #9
    Gregor Samsa
    Registered Users Posts: 8,901 ✭✭✭Gregor Samsa


    I entered the express lane on the M6 a few weeks ago. I could see a guy ahead stuck at the barrier, so I slowed way down. He started reversing, manoeuvring towards the escape lane. I held back until I thought he was in it, then drove up to the barrier. As I got closer, I realised he was basically stopped in the mouth of the escape lane. Just as I did, the barrier raised for me, and he zipped back out right in front of me and went through. I had to slam on when he suddenly pulled out right in front of me, and next thing the barrier went down after he went through leaving me stuck. Obviously it wouldn’t raise for me again since I was past the sensor, so now I had to pull out using the escape lane myself, and head towards the toll gates. My tag wouldn’t activate the barrier over there (I assume because it had just been used a few seconds before), and I had to buzz the support guy to let me through (which wasn’t easy, as he wanted me to read out the serial number on my tag, which is hidden away behind the mirror).

    When I explained the whole situation to him, and the guy who obviously and dangerously snuck through on my tag, he just said “ah no, he had his own tag”, opened the barrier and ended the conversation.

    Pisses me off that people are willing to act so dangerously to save a couple of quid. I know the barrier free tolling on the M50 had its tailgating issues at the beginning, but that’s all been sorted out now. I think it would be better to have that system everywhere rather than the toll booths and express lanes.


  • #10
    dobman88
    Registered Users Posts: 6,460 ✭✭✭dobman88


    phutyle wrote: »
    (which wasn’t easy, as he wanted me to read out the serial number on my tag, which is hidden away behind the mirror).

    Just FYI, the part of the tag with the serial number detaches from the sticky part. It just slides out and you can slide it back on after. Have had to do it a bunch of times with the van when toll wouldnt scan or whatever.


  • #11
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,163 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Gardai are nabbing the nordies.

    https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/five-motorists-arrested-dangerously-tailgating-16502351


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  • #12
    Charles Babbage
    Registered Users Posts: 5,428 ✭✭✭Charles Babbage


    They should make this a specific offence and then put cameras on the toll gates and simply send out fines.


  • #13
    Max Moment
    Registered Users Posts: 252 ✭✭Max Moment


    Charles Babbage wrote: »
    They should make this a specific offence and then put cameras on the toll gates and simply send out fines.

    Agreed. It seems to be common place enough and is only a matter of time before there’s an accident IMO


  • #14
    CorkMan_
    Registered Users Posts: 199 ✭✭CorkMan_


    Has happened to me too so now I slow down enough to see if the arrow turns to green or the red x stays up. If the x stays I just branch off and go through the normal toll. Pr!cks is all they are.


  • #15
    El Tarangu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,615 ✭✭✭El Tarangu


    ED E wrote: »
    Gardai are nabbing the nordies.

    https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/five-motorists-arrested-dangerously-tailgating-16502351

    There was a piece on 'Today with SOR' on it.

    They all dodged the toll in the morning, and in the afternoon heading back, so they were arrested and charged for two counts of dangerous driving in each case.

    And as they were from outside the state, they needed to have someone to come down in person quick smart to bail them out before the end of the day, or else they'd have to spend the night in the cells. So the gardaí do seem to take the matter very seriously.


  • #16
    kirving
    Registered Users Posts: 5,877 ✭✭✭kirving


    Charles Babbage wrote: »
    They should make this a specific offence and then put cameras on the toll gates and simply send out fines.

    The eFlow tag that I got in 2014 beeped loudly every time it was accepted. The second tag that I was sent last year after changing car (same brand but a clearly cheaper unit), doesn't always beep, even when it's been accepted.

    I most often use the M4, M6, M7 and Limerick Tunnel, and by far the worst system in the M7. It often doesn't beep, but the barrier opens no issue, and in other cases it beeps but the barrier stays down.

    Since the run up is short, and the barrier is slow to react (database connection maybe?), you really have do drop way below 50kph to ensure that if it doesn't open in time, you can go out the escape road.

    If the barrier stays down, you can be right up against it before it opens at 50kph. Then the next car comes along, it opens, and they think you've got through on their tag. I've been car 2 many times, and I'm full sure it's due to a poor system instead of cheating drivers. All you can do is stay so far back, that car 1 has time to realise the problem and get out the escape road.

    The LED sign that says "Tag Read, €1.90" is too small, and in the wrong place too. The counter system to make sure the barrier doesn't open for car 2 until car 1 has gone the escape road doesn't work properly either.

    It should be a specific offence, where the toll operators is fined thousands, every time the barrier doesn't open on a valid tag, and forces a genuine car to come to a stop with cars coming up fast behind, it's way too dangerous a situation.


  • #17
    Tazzimus
    Registered Users Posts: 3,933 ✭✭✭Tazzimus


    CorkMan_ wrote: »
    Has happened to me too so now I slow down enough to see if the arrow turns to green or the red x stays up. If the x stays I just branch off and go through the normal toll. Pr!cks is all they are.
    I'll do this as well, almost got stung by someone trying it before. Then he had the cheek to give me the finger as I went past into a normal lane.

    You'll get a few who will sit on your bumper as well, not just the saps that are ahead of you.


  • #18
    Miscreant
    Registered Users Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭Miscreant


    I leave a huge gap in front of me when going through the tolls on the M4/M6 heading to/from Galway. Keeping an eye on the arrows and the really small sign that shows that the car tag has been charged the €2.90 or €1.90 is a good indicator too. I have seen it happen to me a couple of times where a car will be really slow in front of me deliberately so I have peeled off and headed for the actual toll booth instead which seems to work well if you go to one of the booths on the far left hand side (they are rarely used by anything other than busses and trucks).
    Since I got a new tag, I have noticed that it does not beep every time going through either (as someone else has mentioned here) but it is much tidier in the window than the old one was.


  • #19
    Wheety
    Registered Users Posts: 5,510 ✭✭✭Wheety


    I think someone tried this with me on the M6 last week. They were ahead of me in the express lane and I had slowed down to about 60km/hr. They were going a good bit faster but I noticed the red X remained so I slowed down. At the last minute they pulled out though the escape opening.

    May have been genuine error but I image if I went through the sensor and activated the barrier, they would have continued straight.

    So reading in this thread, it would have closed down after they passed through? It's not sophisticated to recognise I hadn't gone through yet?


  • #20
    Tazzimus
    Registered Users Posts: 3,933 ✭✭✭Tazzimus


    Wheety wrote: »
    I think someone tried this with me on the M6 last week. They were ahead of me in the express lane and I had slowed down to about 60km/hr. They were going a good bit faster but I noticed the red X remained so I slowed down. At the last minute they pulled out though the escape opening.

    May have been genuine error but I image if I went through the sensor and activated the barrier, they would have continued straight.

    So reading in this thread, it would have closed down after they passed through? It's not sophisticated to recognise I hadn't gone through yet?
    It'll read the tag at the first sensor, and a car going through at the second one. Second sensor at the barrier won't read your tag.


  • #21
    Isambard
    Registered Users Posts: 5,796 ✭✭✭Isambard


    Max Moment wrote: »
    It’s such a dangerous practice. the barriers closed after he passed but luckily reopened as I approached.

    On

    does that mean you paid twice though? Tuncs


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  • #22
    Max Moment
    Registered Users Posts: 252 ✭✭Max Moment


    Isambard wrote: »
    Max Moment wrote: »
    It’s such a dangerous practice. the barriers closed after he passed but luckily reopened as I approached.

    On

    does that mean you paid twice though? Tuncs


    I hope not, but will have to wait until the next statement I suppose to find out for sure.

    I have sent an email to the toll operator at watergrasshill detailing what happened. Hopefully they respond stating they’ve charged the offender.


  • #23
    McCrack
    Registered Users Posts: 2,968 ✭✭✭McCrack


    Kevin Irving wrote: »
    The eFlow tag that I got in 2014 beeped loudly every time it was accepted. The second tag that I was sent last year after changing car (same brand but a clearly cheaper unit), doesn't always beep, even when it's been accepted.

    I most often use the M4, M6, M7 and Limerick Tunnel, and by far the worst system in the M7. It often doesn't beep, but the barrier opens no issue, and in other cases it beeps but the barrier stays down.

    Since the run up is short, and the barrier is slow to react (database connection maybe?), you really have do drop way below 50kph to ensure that if it doesn't open in time, you can go out the escape road.

    If the barrier stays down, you can be right up against it before it opens at 50kph. Then the next car comes along, it opens, and they think you've got through on their tag. I've been car 2 many times, and I'm full sure it's due to a poor system instead of cheating drivers. All you can do is stay so far back, that car 1 has time to realise the problem and get out the escape road.

    The LED sign that says "Tag Read, €1.90" is too small, and in the wrong place too. The counter system to make sure the barrier doesn't open for car 2 until car 1 has gone the escape road doesn't work properly either.

    It should be a specific offence, where the toll operators is fined thousands, every time the barrier doesn't open on a valid tag, and forces a genuine car to come to a stop with cars coming up fast behind, it's way too dangerous a situation.

    I hit the express lane on the m7 port laoise at 100 kph (unless there's a car in front slowing me down) and it opens, never ever an issue


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