How do you deal with toll change/fees?

[username]

i'm not talking about where you stick your easy-pass tag, but how you deal with change for tolls. i haven't ridden a toll road with my bike yet, but will eventually. i was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to make it smooth and fast? and this is for unplanned tolls.

the example of how this works in my truck is that i have a little doohicky built into the center console/armrest, and it hold coins in those little springloaded columns. so in the rare situation where i need change for a meter, or a toll booth, i usually have a bunch of coins stacked up in there, i slide em out, and i'm set. nice and easy. on the bike, i've got no such thing, and i'm wearing gloves. but i would like to be a fast toll person when i need to be.

1. keep change in my tank bag. root around, throw it in bin/give to attendant. seems like there should be a better way... (my current tank bag is one big container, so i'd likely keep a ziploc of change in it.)

2. i could put it in a pocket, but i'd need to remove a glove to get at it.

i dunno, what else do you do?

thanks.

[John Brase]

My tank bag has a separate, removable, zipperd exterior pouch at the very back (in my crotch). it came that way but I don't see why you could not make, or have one made, for your bag. Mine holds my wallet and some change. Since it snaps on and off I just put the whole thing in my pocket when I exit the bike. Makes it easy to get to the change at toll booths.

John

[Dawgmiester]

When I am cruising though the Chicago toll ways with my buddy who has an I PASS and I do not. It is usualy at night so we match his rear tire with my front tire about a foot apart and shoot through together. At a fine of $25.00 I am just waiting to get a letter in the mail saying I owe about $300.00.
However when I am alone I have been taking the required $0.40 and putting them in little plastic bags with a twist tie. I make quite a few and I find it is easier to toss the bag to the person in the booth rather than try to rip open the with my teeth and dump it in the basket.

[BradfordBenn]

I have a belt mounted coin dispenser that I have mounted to my tank bag. RV makes fun of me for it, but it is really handy as I can even operate it with gloves on. I got mine on eBay for about $15 and it has been worth it.

http://www.happcontrols.com/images/80/80028200.gif

[RT_guy]

We don't have to contend with any toll booths around here, but I keep this idea in the back of my mind if I ever do need tolls. Mount a medium-sized bulldog clip with a zip-tie some where accessible. Pre-load it with the amount of coins you know you'll need. When you get to the booth, you can squeeze it open easily with gloves on and drop the coins in the basket.

On the other hand, I'd like to see motorcyclists protest toll gates! Like, stop. Put the kickstand down. Get off. Take off your gloves and helmet. Get out your wallet and pay with a bill so they need to make change. Dress up slowly and ride off. If all motorcyclists did that, maybe they'd cut us a break. Of course, like I mentioned, I don't have any toll gates around here! :D

[RebeccaV]

RV makes fun of me for it, but it is really handy
Brad, making fun of you means that I like you! :kiss :wave

When I know that I am going through a series of tolls, I secure some singles just inside of my tank bag. Then I pull into the manual lane, stop, open the bag, give the attendant a single, and toss the change in my bag. This way I don't have to take off my gloves.

Also, I always use the manual lanes for safety - cars EXPECT vehicles to stop in the manual lanes, but in the automatic lanes, often cars just toss in their change while still rolling. I don't want some cage plowing into me from behind while I am stopped and in neutral with no brake light on getting my exact change.

[Hodag]

I have a belt mounted coin dispenser that I have mounted to my tank bag. RV makes fun of me for it, but it is really handy as I can even operate it with gloves on. I got mine on eBay for about $15 and it has been worth it.

http://www.happcontrols.com/images/80/80028200.gif

that is the dorkiest thing I ever heard of, but for you its fine.
:stick

I also use the manual lanes, just to interact with the friendly toll workers.

[Cliffy777]

i thought i saw a change holder in the aerostich catalogue, but dang it all i can't find it on their website. anybody else know what i am talking about or did i just dream it all?

[BklynPete]

i thought i saw a change holder in the aerostich catalogue, but dang it all i can't find it on their website. anybody else know what i am talking about or did i just dream it all?


whitehorse press has a handlebar mounted coin holder, it also has a clip on the back for bills. i'm not sure if it will mount on a cast bar, but it does sound like a good idea. i know i use the forearm pocket on my stich and keep my credit card, bills and change for tolls. this way, i just take off my left glove, unzip and pull out what i need. i can't wait for e-z pass to be used through out the country. i've heard of people using those change makers that brad talked about, but mounted them on the back or just inside a tank bag. i guess brad also sells good humor ice cream offa his bike :thumb

pete

[BradfordBenn]

I actually can't take credit for the idea of selling good humor from the motorcycle, I actually got the idea from one of Ron Ayer's books. :thumb

[riderR1150GSAdv]

It is a good idea to have somesort of a coinholder on the bike. I have a Sunpass for down here but when I have to pay cash, I am with boxergrrlie on this one and go in a 'manual/change provided' lane where all traffic stops. No sense in wearing someone's frontbumper as a momento. :doh

[basketcase]

Here is one type of Coin Holder (http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/showCustom-0/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2002156/c-10615/Nty-1/p-2002156/Ntx-mode+matchallpartial/N-10615/tf-Browse/sct-body/s-10101/th-StoreCatalogDisplay/Ntk-AllTextSearchGroup/ss-10615?Ntt=coin) that mounts on a handlebar.

If I lived in a place where toll roads were a regular issue, I would have one of them. That way, I could chunk the correct change in the basket and keep going.

[paulsibek]

California.

But the freeway shootings are up on '05...

[TheSlashFiveTourer]

....but how you deal with change for tolls. i haven't ridden a toll road with my bike yet, but will eventually. i was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to make it smooth and fast?
i dunno, what else do you do?
thanks.
From the Whitehorse Press website (http://www.whitehorsepress.com/product_info.php?products_id=117). Same item as 'RickM' mentioned above and a few dollars more than the JC Whitney price.

I've used this exact same gizmo on my /5 for over twenty years and it has made life easier on the turnpike - 'specially the TWO times I made the grievous error of travelling around Chicago on the way to different rallies. After the second attempt at suicide on those *%#!$#!! toll roads, I got smart and headed for Ludington, Michigan and took The Big Canoe (aka SS 'Badger') across the water to Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Buying one of these holders - and keeping it well stocked with coin - will ease most of the pain in dealing with toll booths. This model is a snap to operate with gloves on - even in the rain! Spring-loaded...take a coin out, another pops up!
DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT! :thumb

[username]

thanks for the replies everyone.

i may not have asked my question very well, but was interested more in a situation where i had no idea there was a toll road, and found myself on it and needed change, and if anyone had little stashes of coins, or just whipped out cash and took a long time.

i think im going to keep a ziploc bag of quarters in my tank bag, and carry some cash, and when i'm surprised, it's just going to take me a second to stop at the full service booths and do the deal. that's only until i learn to wheelie, at which point i will be blasting through toll booths on one wheel while giving the security cameras the finger. ;)

if i knew i was going to have a toll everyday, and couldnt get easypass, i think i'd buy some of those big slammer binder clips that i could operate with gloves on, and clamp the right amount of coins between them, and stick those in the tank bag, then i could easily just drop the coins into a basket or into the outstretched hand of an attendant. i read about that somewhere, and like the simplicity.

[SheRidesABeemer]

I live in the land of tolls. I bought my change holder from JC Whitney.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Search?catalogId=10101&storeId=10201&sku=coin+holder

Gail

[SHAG]

When I know I'll need toll money, I put 2 quarters and a dollar bill under the big ole rubber band that holds radar detector down. I also have the left sleeve pocket on Darien which I keep a twenty in. If it's raining, I just stick arm out & tell toll person to take what they need. They are usually amused. :wave

[basketcase]

Was interested more in a situation where i had no idea there was a toll road, and found myself on it and needed change.

My answer to that situation is: "Roadcrafter."

I have an assortment of change in the sleeve pocket on the right side.

Something tells me it was put there with such situations in mind.

:thumb

[kgluckman]

I live in Michigan where the roads are generally straight flat and boring, but at least they are all free! However, when riding in the east, I have always been successful by keeping a plastic baggie with a few small bills and some change in a pocket or in my tank bag and handing the whole thing to the toll-taker - I just ask that they take out what they need and return it to me. I can keep my gloves on, everything is quick, and I have never had one refuse or even look slightly annoyed. They have always been friendly and accomodating.

Also, when traveling with my wife, I always go to the toll booth first and ask them to take out enough for both bikes. This saves a lot of time and, again, the toll-takers have always been happy to do so.

Ken

[hansomat]

over the last 100 K miles I came across a lot of toll roads.
In Italy, I use a Credit card, just slide it in, wait and when the boom goes up, take the card and go.
Or.... when the automated voice talks to me, take the card back and go.

In Norway....( the bikers were smart ) there is no toll for bikes.
Yes, the cars have to pay, but all bikes are free.
Bikers protested by doing just what was said before.
Stop the bike, put side stand down. remove gloves, unzip pocket, remove money, wait for change, store change back in pocket, zip up pocket, put glove back on, put side stand back up and move on.
Yes, it takes time, but ..... it's they way the bikers in Norway won.

So this is what I do here in the States.

I don't care about what other think, I take my time.
When I have change I use that.
If not, I give him the lowest denomination I have.
I take my time.
I put the sidestand down.
Remove my gloves, etc, etc.

I smile at the guy or gal in the booth.

They don't mind, they get a break that way, too.

The cars honking behind me ? Hey, I did not make the rules,
I am just a paying customer like anybody else.

Want me to go faster ?
Sure, how about NO tolls for bikes !

That would be easy and I do not know ONE biker who would object to that.

In China they have an extra lane on the side of the toll booth, just for bikes.
Bikes would have to use that lane only.

Just some food for thought.

Hans

[BradfordBenn]

I do iPass, EZ Pass, electronic toll taker du jour. Then I keep lots of change in my pocket or in the tank bag. Then I go through the lane to the far right, typically considered truck and slower vehicles. Never had a problem.

[dancogan]

Not my idea, but worked really well: I keep a zip-lock bag handy, in either the tank bag or 'Stich pocket, with some bills in it. When I get a toll ticket it goes in the bag. When I need to pay, I give the whole bag to the attendant, let him or her get the ticket out, make change, and just hand back the bag. They don't seem to mind at all, and I don't have to worry about dropping anything except the bike.

[enjine]

i definitely take my time and enjoy it

tollbooth workers like bikers, they're always friendly :)

[enjine]

....also if you go through the manual lane, there's always change on the ground.

stop, pick it up while on the bike. throw it in... go through. free!

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

I just pull up and take my one glove off as I always keep change and bills in one of the top pockets of the rallye2 jacket if I know that I am going to drive a toll road on a trip...side access pockets on that jacket and easy.

[The_Veg]

I use a TollTag (simlar idea to EZPass), and our toll plazas have high-speed lanes for TollTag users so you don't even have to slow down for them. Sometimes though for inexplicable reasons the booth-lanes are faster when the road is congested, but the tag still works there too and there are NO gates on our tolls- that way if somebody f*cks up it doesn't stop traffic (unless the dumbass sits there and gets out of the car to pick up their fumbled coins or something...).

And best of all, TollTag users get a discount, usually about 20%. :thumb