Tod on TV

Nice going there Tod as the Robin Hood against iPass!

For those who didn't catch it: Tod was interviewed by NBC and it aired in the 10pm news. Kewl.

...now about that Mercury <ahem>...

 

Any chance you might translate that into common english?

 

Yeah, what the hell is he talking about?!?!

Andreas, this thread is of no use without details.

The Emp

 

I figured Tod would fill in the blanks by now, but here we go: It was a NBC report about how iPass can overcharge the drivers. Apparently Tod fought some charges and won against the mighty iPass system and that's why he was interviewed.

Tod?

PS: Driving to Indy where they still don't have iPass I wouldn't actually mind being overcharged. At least not having to stop and sit in line for 15 minutes to pay 50 cents would be nice.

 

Andreas, an agreement was just reached with the ITR to honour the iPass.

Apparently you missed the news!

Tod, give us the skinny on your end.

 

That's great. For next year. This year iPass didn't work anywhere in Indiana.

 

Here's the whole story:

http://www.nbc5.com/traffic/13505668/detail.html

 

Ok, Sorry for the delay... I was in Cabo San Lucas for a few days and just trying to get back to reality here...

Yes, basically the tollway system has some bugs in it and we (The consumer) has to pay for it... NOT ME! I was basically telling everyone i knew about it, my Brother's boss knows the reporter from Ch. 5 and she actually called me and wanted to do a story on it. Well, it was only $1.85 they over charged me just once i told her, but she her of other issues too and wanted to interview me. I said OK, she also knew my dad, which he worked as a news cameraman for over 35 yrs at WGN, so, i know the system there...

Well, the car i have been driving into the city has been my Girlfriends car, her Mercury Mystique, so that was the one they over charged me on. I didn't want to use my truck and especially not the Ferrari in the story. hahaha...

What had happened, with all that constrution on the Kennedy at the River Rd toll plaza, the traffic was at a dead stop, barely moving through the open toll, well, the system counts your axles and if your in bumper to bumper traffic, it will assume you are pulling a trailer or you are a semi truck and chanrge your account accordinally... NOT GOOD!!

Well, with this iPass, they don't send you a monthly statement, so you wouldn't know. Well, i was online checking my account to be sure everything was up to date and noticed this overcharge on my account, so i called them and the credited my account, but if i never did that, they would never tell me and they would keep the money. Multiply that by millions of people using the toll system each day....

 

Thanks Tod,

I checked my account, and it doesn't appear that I've ever been overcharged.

Sheesh, some people will do anything to get on TV!

 

A buck 85 gets you 30 seconds on TV? Not bad. You're doing a lot better than I with my recent Wall Street Journal interview that landed me unmentioned on the editing floor. Alas.

 

Well, we spent almost two hours on the interview with a lot of different angles and takes. Kim (The reporter) really wasn't sure if her producers were going to allow it to aire, because WMAQ is hosted on the tollways web site for traffic and weather information. She wasn't sure if it might burn some bridges. So, i wasn't going to hold my breath to see if it would make it or not. But i guess some of it made it.

Kim emailed me the other day and said right after that story aired, they got over 3000 hits on thier web site for more info and they also recieved a few calls from other people that it happened too... Interesting....

Just hope the Tollway authorities don't have a hit out on me now... LOL!

 

Hey Skip, They came to me and said they would do the interview at my convenience.... But hey, what the heck????? A couple of my friends asked if i was going to run for office now??? LOL!

 

In my book, you're already a Star!!

Why not run for office; I think you could win.

 

Sort of branching off a bit, but still on the topic: wasn't the purpose of collecting tolls supposed to end when the roads were paid for?

I know they've done stories over the years about how the Tollway Board convenes at a $50,000 desk; how certain executives get use of expensive helicopters; how money was pocketed/embezzeled. Just another gov't agency that shouldn't even exist.