Get your money ready before the toll

greenermetals

Feckin brand new red Audi TT at the M1 toll this morning, pulls up to coin basket, me right behind them. Within 30 seconds had another 3-4 cars behind so cant reverse. Start to fumble looking for money, neither she, nor tyhe besuited passenger had the money, I had to give them 2 Euro just so that I could go about my business. Had they never been on the road before? Why cant people just have the money ready? Im sure they could afford it given the car.

Sorry rant over

biko

That's what the ashtray is for, toll change

thirtythirty

Coin Basket? Is that somewhere the peasants Q for something? Think I heard someone talking about that last time I was cruising through the E-Pass...













:pac:

ArphaRima

Nah. That's what the car horn is for.

Feck giving them money

Bandara

what significence has the car being new got to do with it ?

bit green are we?

greenermetals

not green just in a hurry, i suppose the rich dont carry cash, and sure what would be new about he struggling bailing out the rich in this country?

Ardennes1944

*yawn*

Plazaman

Pfffft, women drivers......

runs and hides

helen1

This is one thing that really annoys me its as if its a surprise to them when they have to pay

ArphaRima

not green just in a hurry, i suppose the rich dont carry cash, and sure what would be new about he struggling bailing out the rich in this country?

A nice car doesnt mean they are rich. Perhaps more money than you, but rich in an Audi TT??

Frank Black

I remember driving up to the toll basket on the M50 before it went free-flow. The woman in front of me spent an age fumbling through her handbag for change. I’m sitting behind with the correct money to hand (obviously), silently fuming and resisting the urge to just blast my horn. Finally, after what seems like the best part of 2 minutes she finds the correct change and gets through. I drive up to the basket still seething and in my rage toss the money into the basket – at least that was what was supposed to happen. I hadn’t let the window down fully so about quarter of the money actually makes it to the basket, half the money hits the window and bounces back into the car, quarter of the money hits the window and bounces onto the road. I have no other change so I have to get out of the car scramble around the road picking up the loose change and then open front and back doors to find the rest of the money in the car.
Needless to say this took twice as long as the woman in front of me took and I feel like a complete spa. To top it off, I could see the guy behind me laughing his ass off.

woodseb

i was stuck behind someone a couple of years ago on the M4 who decided to get out and pick change off the road before chucking some in the basket and driving off - he must have got around a tenner

Jimmy Bottlehead

This nearly happened me last week - coming up to the toll, I told the girlfriend to check her purse for change - NO CHANGE.
Told her to check my wallet for change - NO CHANGE

Thank Christ they have accept credit cards or I'd still be there.

Jimmy Bottlehead

This nearly happened me last week - coming up to the toll, I told the girlfriend to check her purse for change - NO CHANGE.
Told her to check my wallet for change - NO CHANGE

Thank Christ they have accept credit cards or I'd still be there.

dr.fuzzenstein

I always have exact change ready, what is this crazy talk about chucking €2 into the basket? Do ye have too much money, so you have to chuck some of it away?:P
Anyways, I'd have the window down before arriving at the coin basket, money in my right hand, chuck it in before coming to a full standstill, have the car in first gear and the window already going back up before it's counted all the money.
As soon as it's green it's foot down with an inch clearance of the barrier still on it's way up. I reckon I can beat an F1 pitstop.;)
My favorite game is when someone stops in the next lane at the same time as me, I HAVE to beat him and get out the pits first.
How silly am I?:D

rebel.ranter

Best option is to just invest in a tool tag.
I remember one stressful moment pulling up to a tool booth in France & not having enough change (toll was €7), a couple of cars were pulling up behind me, could have been awkward until I spotted the credit card slot, the relief when I pulled the card out & saw the barrier rise...
I have a toll tag on all my cars so I wouldn't go through the regular toll booths often, do they have credit card facilities in any Irish toll booths does anyone know?

creedp

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

This nearly happened me last week - coming up to the toll, I told the girlfriend to check her purse for change - NO CHANGE.
Told her to check my wallet for change - NO CHANGE

Thank Christ they have accept credit cards or I'd still be there.

I was behind a car on the M7 motorway earlier this year when the driver in front got out of the car to speak (actually shout at) to the person in the booth that she couldn't afford the toll and basically sat on the ground. The cars behind me backed up and headed to next booth and so did I so I don't know how it finished up. Never ceases to amaze me how some people have no difficulty availing of a service but fail to see they should pay for it:)

Mint Sauce

biko wrote: »

That's what the ashtray is for, toll change

No. Ashtray is for the MP3 player and the FM tranmiter. Door pull is for the loose change.

galwaytt

rebel.ranter wrote: »

... do they have credit card facilities in any Irish toll booths does anyone know?

...of course - they all do.


From a different angle though, that of a two-wheeler, I do have an issue with it for bikes......why some are tolled, and some toll-free, is just typical of the way they plan (sic) anything in this country.........I've seen a guy rear-ended, and the bike skittled out from under him, at the toll on the M6, so I think it's a H & S issue...

So, about 10 days ago, myself & 2 friends went on a spin to Cork, using the Shannon Tunnel. We queued up at the southbound booth. So, it goes like this: Stop bike, get off bike, take off gloves, open gear, get money, wait for change, put change away, do up gear, put gloves back on, start bike.........ride away. There were 3 of us - wanna guess how the guy in the car at the back was feeling...... ??

And, offered to pay for the 3 together, but he said we had to go one-by-one. Even though I KNOW, that the tolls have a 'convoy' button (yes, really......)

Grand, went to Cork. Headed back. Went to booth northbound. Same guy ! (but in a different booth, 2nd half of shift).

And all for 90c.

Now, you may ask, why not go through the 'automatic' booth.......ah, simple: the lanes are marked as 'cars only' and 'commercial/bus' etc.

One of the guys on the spin, some days earlier, rode up to the auto lane, put in the coins......and nothing. Barrier wouldn't lift. So, had to knock off bike, take off helmet, to use the intercom..........and there was a queue now, don't forget.......and the 'operator' told him it wouldn't open, as he was in the wrong lane. Eh ?

She told him he had to use the 'commercial' lane, as it wasn't a car, and he 'shouldn't' be there. As my buddy pointed out, he wasn't in a bus/van/whatever, so why would he queue there, to which she said........'cos you're not a car'.

But I'm not a bus/van, either...........

This goes on and on, apparently.

Eventually, in a huff - and he had put the money in at the start, remember - she raised the barrier.

Muppets.

seamus

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

This nearly happened me last week - coming up to the toll, I told the girlfriend to check her purse for change - NO CHANGE.
Told her to check my wallet for change - NO CHANGE

Thank Christ they have accept credit cards or I'd still be there.

See, this is OK. We can all get caught short in the car with no change now and again.

But at what point during the OP's story did the woman consider the need for change? She would have had to pick a lane. What kind of mind goes, "I'll use the coin basket lane", without actually checking to make sure that they have change?
It would be like thinking, "I know, I'll pick the E-pass lane", before realising, "Oh wait, I don't have one".

If she drives this mindlessly all the time, it won't be long before her lovely new car is a wreck.

heate

Infrequently and yes it's a pain in the ass! Let's be honest people genuinely don't like holding up lines of traffic. Its the m1 which couldn't have been tag tolled as the Nordies wouldnt pay up - a vignette system would stop all of this

Kazooie

I always wondered what actually happens if you don't have the money on you, and there is no good samaritan like the OP ? Do they make you ring someone to come along with the toll? I'm sure it's happened before.

Our man in Havana

Kazooie wrote: »

I always wondered what actually happens if you don't have the money on you, and there is no good samaritan like the OP ? Do they make you ring someone to come along with the toll? I'm sure it's happened before.

They take your details and you are supposed to pay when they mail you a bill.

sealgaire

just use your credit card FFS

Voodoomelon

I once missed the basket with one or two coins. Panicked at the thought of people behind me seething so I just through in a pocketful of change, probably threw in about €10!

johnos1984

Kazooie wrote: »

I always wondered what actually happens if you don't have the money on you, and there is no good samaritan like the OP ? Do they make you ring someone to come along with the toll? I'm sure it's happened before.

Block the lane.

They are loosing money so they will let you through after a few minutes.

Our man in Havana

Voodoomelon wrote: »

I once missed the basket with one or two coins. Panicked at the thought of people behind me seething so I just through in a pocketful of change, probably threw in about €10!

Free money for the people behind!

Our man in Havana

sealgaire wrote: »

just use your credit card FFS

Not everyone has a credit card or a debit card for that matter.

Toto Wolfcastle

black francis wrote: »

I remember driving up to the toll basket on the M50 before it went free-flow. The woman in front of me spent an age fumbling through her handbag for change. I’m sitting behind with the correct money to hand (obviously), silently fuming and resisting the urge to just blast my horn. Finally, after what seems like the best part of 2 minutes she finds the correct change and gets through. I drive up to the basket still seething and in my rage toss the money into the basket – at least that was what was supposed to happen. I hadn’t let the window down fully so about quarter of the money actually makes it to the basket, half the money hits the window and bounces back into the car, quarter of the money hits the window and bounces onto the road. I have no other change so I have to get out of the car scramble around the road picking up the loose change and then open front and back doors to find the rest of the money in the car.
Needless to say this took twice as long as the woman in front of me took and I feel like a complete spa. To top it off, I could see the guy behind me laughing his ass off.

That happened to a guy in front of me before. After about 3 minutes of scrambling for his change and throwing it into the bucket he had to ask me for 10 cent.

I used to frequently see people who would stop too far away from the bucket to actually get the change into it, but too close to the bucket to open the door. That was fun.

I have a tag now but it doesn't work in one of the express lanes at Fermoy so I still end up behind people who can't find their change.

brian2me

Kazooie wrote: »

I always wondered what actually happens if you don't have the money on you, and there is no good samaritan like the OP ? Do they make you ring someone to come along with the toll? I'm sure it's happened before.

When the Shannon tunnel opened first I tried to use my etoll, they were having major issues with the express lane, tags not reading even on the pay booths. They tried to inform me one day that it was my tag even though I was on my back from Dublin having passed through 2 tolls. I was getting tired of their lack of willingness to improve their system, I told the tool booth op that i had no money only my tag. He took my reg and asked me to call the phone number on the receipt to make my payment. Made the call when i got home and made it clear that I would not pay as if they were able to read my tag in the first place they would have received payment. Never heard a word back. And the express lane has improved but still nowhere where it should be.

SteelyDanJalapeno

Hate payin tolls, usually hock a big green slimey one up from the depths of my lungs to accompany my 1.80 down the basket hole

Voodoomelon

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Free money for the people behind!

Nope, it all goes into the basket, no change!

johnos1984

TiltedBrain wrote: »

Hate payin tolls, usually hock a big green slimey one up from the depths of my lungs to accompany my 1.80 down the basket hole

You do realise it's just some low paid worker who handles the money.

They are the actions of a scumbag

SteelyDanJalapeno

johnos1984 wrote: »

You do realise it's just some low paid worker who handles the money.

They are the actions of a scumbag

:o
I thought this was After hours

johnos1984

TiltedBrain wrote: »

:o
I thought this was After hours

I really must go to AH sometime

sentient_6

Maybe not the place to complain about this.......but always have the exact change anytime im hitting the motorway to galway, but i also try to use it as an excuse to get rid of small change & usually count up €1.80 in 10 & 20 cent coins before i hit the road(& have it in my hand ready to go arriving at the exact change lane!). But no matter how easy & sparingly i feed it into the basket 1 or 2 of the coins get rejected & queue me having to take my seat belt off & quiet literally climb half way out of out of my window to reach the reject coins thing & throw them back in, delaying anyone behind me, & looking ridiculous, & panicing to get my seat belt back on & move on sharpish.

keithclancy

sentient_6 wrote: »

Maybe not the place to complain about this.......but always have the exact change anytime im hitting the motorway to galway, but i also try to use it as an excuse to get rid of small change & usually count up €1.80 in 10 & 20 cent coins before i hit the road(& have it in my hand ready to go arriving at the exact change lane!). But no matter how easy & sparingly i feed it into the basket 1 or 2 of the coins get rejected & queue me having to take my seat belt off & quiet literally climb half way out of out of my window to reach the reject coins thing & throw them back in, delaying anyone behind me, & looking ridiculous, & panicing to get my seat belt back on & move on sharpish.

RSA should ban those 'toll gate' things ... sounds dangerous :pac:

greenermetals

sentient_6 wrote: »

Maybe not the place to complain about this.......but always have the exact change anytime im hitting the motorway to galway, but i also try to use it as an excuse to get rid of small change & usually count up €1.80 in 10 & 20 cent coins before i hit the road(& have it in my hand ready to go arriving at the exact change lane!). But no matter how easy & sparingly i feed it into the basket 1 or 2 of the coins get rejected & queue me having to take my seat belt off & quiet literally climb half way out of out of my window to reach the reject coins thing & throw them back in, delaying anyone behind me, & looking ridiculous, & panicing to get my seat belt back on & move on sharpish.

I think they do that on purpose, so that you'll throw 2 Euro in to be sure.

dr.fuzzenstein

greenermetals wrote: »

I think they do that on purpose, so that you'll throw 2 Euro in to be sure.

What if your €2 gets rejected?
Using the tunnel in Limerick, never had a coin rejected.

Paparazzo

galwaytt wrote: »

...of course - they all do.


From a different angle though, that of a two-wheeler, I do have an issue with it for bikes......why some are tolled, and some toll-free, is just typical of the way they plan (sic) anything in this country.........I've seen a guy rear-ended, and the bike skittled out from under him, at the toll on the M6, so I think it's a H & S issue...

So, about 10 days ago, myself & 2 friends went on a spin to Cork, using the Shannon Tunnel. We queued up at the southbound booth. So, it goes like this: Stop bike, get off bike, take off gloves, open gear, get money, wait for change, put change away, do up gear, put gloves back on, start bike.........ride away. There were 3 of us - wanna guess how the guy in the car at the back was feeling...... ??

Absolute pain in the hole on a bike. The ground isn't flat at some of the booths, so when you're in neutral and have to take your hand off the brake you roll. So you have to get off and put it on a stand.
Nightmare having to do it when it's píssing rain too. Taking the gloves off etc. All for they're poxy 70 or 90 cent.

jd

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

My favorite game is when someone stops in the next lane at the same time as me, I HAVE to beat him and get out the pits first.
How silly am I?:D

I like "Beat the Satnav" myself...

hoseman

put €1.80 in to plastic cups and leave them in the cup holder in the back of the hand brake of the ford mondeo so when i pull up at the booth i just throw in .

Nissan doctor

I was in the car with the wife driving a couple of years ago and as we approached the toll I said "have you the change ready" to which she replied, "its in my handbag"....which was in the boot.

I told her to pull over before the toll but she though I was being daft and proceded to pull up in a lane, get out, walk around the back, get the handbag, back in to the car, remove purse, count out change and then eventually, with a huge que behind, pay they money.

I've never shrunk down into a seat so much in my life!


We often argue over her opinion on this type of thing, she thinks I'm being daft for worrying about holding other people up, her opinion is, they'll wait!:rolleyes:

Rega

Nissan doctor wrote: »

I was in the car with the wife driving a couple of years ago and as we approached the toll I said "have you the change ready" to which she replied, "its in my handbag"....which was in the boot.

I told her to pull over before the toll but she though I was being daft and proceded to pull up in a lane, get out, walk around the back, get the handbag, back in to the car, remove purse, count out change and then eventually, with a huge que behind, pay they money.

I've never shrunk down into a seat so much in my life!


We often argue over her opinion on this type of thing, she thinks I'm being daft for worrying about holding other people up, her opinion is, they'll wait!:rolleyes:

No offence Nissan Doctor but I f**king hate your wife.

Mint Sauce

Should try pulling up to a french toll booth in a rt hand drive. Actully make that 3 french toll booths for the lenght of the journey.

Guy:Incognito

Whats the story with the amount of peopel that pull up to tolls/drivethroughs/car parks etc (always seemign to stop 6 inches from the window/machine) and open their door to sqeeze their hands out? It's all makes, models and ages of cars. Surely there cant be that many people driveing around with dodgey windows that I come across them all the time?

x in the city

black francis wrote: »

I remember driving up to the toll basket on the M50 before it went free-flow. The woman in front of me spent an age fumbling through her handbag for change. I’m sitting behind with the correct money to hand (obviously), silently fuming and resisting the urge to just blast my horn. Finally, after what seems like the best part of 2 minutes she finds the correct change and gets through. I drive up to the basket still seething and in my rage toss the money into the basket – at least that was what was supposed to happen. I hadn’t let the window down fully so about quarter of the money actually makes it to the basket, half the money hits the window and bounces back into the car, quarter of the money hits the window and bounces onto the road. I have no other change so I have to get out of the car scramble around the road picking up the loose change and then open front and back doors to find the rest of the money in the car.
Needless to say this took twice as long as the woman in front of me took and I feel like a complete spa. To top it off, I could see the guy behind me laughing his ass off.

idontusuallyreadpostslikethis, but i lol'ed

_Conrad_

Today i had no change to had to use a €5 note, put it in, the machine took it, then after about 5 seconds it spat it out so quickly i had no time to catch it and it blew away in a reasonably strong gust of wind, my cousin was with me and was very quick managing to hop out and grab it as it was blowing along the ground. THat was mighty annoying. The joys of trying to pay for the use of a tunnel

jd

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Surely there cant be that many people driveing around with dodgey windows that I come across them all the time?

You'd be surprised how often motors/relays etc can go in car doors and they are not always cheap to fix .

dr.fuzzenstein

_Conrad_ wrote: »

Today i had no change to had to use a €5 note, put it in, the machine took it, then after about 5 seconds it spat it out so quickly i had no time to catch it and it blew away in a reasonably strong gust of wind, my cousin was with me and was very quick managing to hop out and grab it as it was blowing along the ground. THat was mighty annoying. The joys of trying to pay for the use of a tunnel

Use the manned booth!
Machine doesn't give change, manned booth does, also, once dropped a few cents, she just waved me through and said "no worries". Happy out.

Nissan doctor

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Whats the story with the amount of peopel that pull up to tolls/drivethroughs/car parks etc (always seemign to stop 6 inches from the window/machine) and open their door to sqeeze their hands out? It's all makes, models and ages of cars. Surely there cant be that many people driveing around with dodgey windows that I come across them all the time?

Have you not seen how many renaults sold during the scrappage schemes:P