RV driver gets charged $500 RT for using VA express lanes

[Anonymous]

Tolls displayed are for 2 axle only

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't get on a toll road without knowing how much it costs. You can easily find that information on their website. If you blithely get on and hope it won't be that much, you'll be disappointed. Not sympathetic.

Their website gives an estimated toll with the caveat "Toll estimations are based on standard vehicle pricing, and historical averages. Actual tolls charged may vary depending on traffic congestion and the classification of the vehicle.". So, no, the website doesn't really help. Some of you are missing the point. This isn't just about this particular individual's bill (and in fact he accepts that the toll he was charged is probably correct), it's about the fact that anyone could be caught by surprise on this toll road.

The tolls are displayed on the signs. Hard to not know.

The signs display the toll to selected exits, often relatively close exits, and bear no resemblance to what it'll cost you to go out to Gainesville or Haymarket. And the website doesn't show real-time prices, which would be fairly useless anyway, unless you have a passenger who's going to refresh the page as you approach the decision whether to commit to the express lanes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't get on a toll road without knowing how much it costs. You can easily find that information on their website. If you blithely get on and hope it won't be that much, you'll be disappointed. Not sympathetic.

Their website gives an estimated toll with the caveat "Toll estimations are based on standard vehicle pricing, and historical averages. Actual tolls charged may vary depending on traffic congestion and the classification of the vehicle.". So, no, the website doesn't really help. Some of you are missing the point. This isn't just about this particular individual's bill (and in fact he accepts that the toll he was charged is probably correct), it's about the fact that anyone could be caught by surprise on this toll road.

The tolls are displayed on the signs. Hard to not know.

The signs display the toll to selected exits, often relatively close exits, and bear no resemblance to what it'll cost you to go out to Gainesville or Haymarket. And the website doesn't show real-time prices, which would be fairly useless anyway, unless you have a passenger who's going to refresh the page as you approach the decision whether to commit to the express lanes.

Let me add, this is unlike I-66 Express Inside the Beltway, where signs on the beltway do show the maximum toll to Washington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I could not read story via link.

Did the RV driver enter 66 west toll lanes at 495? That signage is terrible. One can easily get on the toll lanes without even knowing.

Disagree. The signage is fine to demarcate the toll from the regular lanes. The problem is that the prices are only for shorter segments. They need to do what 495 does where there are prices for trips to the end of the toll road included. And in this case, they completely overlooked the axle notices.

[Anonymous]

You posters all commenting how easy it is to know tolls don’t take into account that sometimes you are driving on the highway at highway speeds and can’t always read the signs and up to second cost of tolls. Plus the signage IS terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You posters all commenting how easy it is to know tolls don’t take into account that sometimes you are driving on the highway at highway speeds and can’t always read the signs and up to second cost of tolls. Plus the signage IS terrible.

Then you're a crappy driver. I'm a left lane sort of driver, and have no issue reading the tolls.

Regarding this story: play stupid games, win stupid prizes. I hope this dumb family doesn't get what they want from this absurd publicity they sought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't get on a toll road without knowing how much it costs. You can easily find that information on their website. If you blithely get on and hope it won't be that much, you'll be disappointed. Not sympathetic.

Their website gives an estimated toll with the caveat "Toll estimations are based on standard vehicle pricing, and historical averages. Actual tolls charged may vary depending on traffic congestion and the classification of the vehicle.". So, no, the website doesn't really help. Some of you are missing the point. This isn't just about this particular individual's bill (and in fact he accepts that the toll he was charged is probably correct), it's about the fact that anyone could be caught by surprise on this toll road.

The tolls are displayed on the signs. Hard to not know.

The signs display the toll to selected exits, often relatively close exits, and bear no resemblance to what it'll cost you to go out to Gainesville or Haymarket. And the website doesn't show real-time prices, which would be fairly useless anyway, unless you have a passenger who's going to refresh the page as you approach the decision whether to commit to the express lanes.

They give you the toll amount for each segment and you can decide if you want to pay for it or not.

You can exit if you don’t want to pay for it.

Before I get on 66, I check the estimated toll and decide if it’s worth it or not.

This isn’t that hard, people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You posters all commenting how easy it is to know tolls don’t take into account that sometimes you are driving on the highway at highway speeds and can’t always read the signs and up to second cost of tolls. Plus the signage IS terrible.

Ok. Stay in the right lane and don’t take the express lanes if you aren’t capable of reading the huge signs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You posters all commenting how easy it is to know tolls don’t take into account that sometimes you are driving on the highway at highway speeds and can’t always read the signs and up to second cost of tolls. Plus the signage IS terrible.

Then you're a crappy driver. I'm a left lane sort of driver, and have no issue reading the tolls.

Regarding this story: play stupid games, win stupid prizes. I hope this dumb family doesn't get what they want from this absurd publicity they sought.

+1

The guy is an idiot. The $500 is a stupid tax.

[Anonymous]

6 kids is gross. Zero sympathy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You posters all commenting how easy it is to know tolls don’t take into account that sometimes you are driving on the highway at highway speeds and can’t always read the signs and up to second cost of tolls. Plus the signage IS terrible.

If you can’t read signs, you shouldn’t be driving. If you can’t read tolls or understand the pricing, don’t get on it.

Zero sympathy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You posters all commenting how easy it is to know tolls don’t take into account that sometimes you are driving on the highway at highway speeds and can’t always read the signs and up to second cost of tolls. Plus the signage IS terrible.

If you can’t read signs, you shouldn’t be driving. If you can’t read tolls or understand the pricing, don’t get on it.

Zero sympathy.

This. It's not hard. If you can't read highway signs, don't drive on highways.

[Anonymous]

6 kids is gross. Zero sympathy.

Does this include people who have six kids between the same two parents? Six kids when they have two different parents? What about if they are both divorced and had three kids in each initial marriage, still gross? An old neighbor took in his nieces and nephews for many years, 6 kids in total. Still gross?

[Anonymous]

Do all of the kids have a seatbelt in that?

[Anonymous]

It bothers me that the signs don't tell you how much it costs to get to the end of the lanes.