Indiana figures out how to rip off drivers

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
March 29, 2013

Just heard on WLS (online) that the Indiana Toll Road will now start charging for Customer Service!

If you get stuck at a toll booth because of transponder problems and the gate won't raise, now drivers will get socked for a fee, if they call for help.

Maybe drivers will just sit there until help comes. Just imagine all lanes blocked, and drivers sitting there patiently (or not so ...), because they refuse to kowtow to Indiana's extortion. If you plan to drive on a tollroad in Indiana, be sure to take a book along for the ride.

A hard-to-read announcement (effective May 1, 2012) on the Indiana Toll Road homepage informs customers that, if your transponder is improperly mounted, then you'll get nicked "$1.00 surcharge per occurrence". I wonder how a customer service rep determines over the phone whether your transponder is "improperly" mounted.

Of course, as soon as she answers the phone and has your transponder account information handy, she can hit the "Sock it to this customer for $1" button on her keyboard. Nothing you can do about it, except call back and complain. Ka-ching. Another $1, I'll bet. And if you get mad, hang up and call back. Ka-ching! Another $1.

Warning: the Call Center is closed today (Good Friday). I guess you are out of luck if your transponder fails today at a tollgate. You'll just have to sit there until they re-open tomorrow or Monday.