A Queens, New York driver has been arrested for trying to bypass tolls on the George Washington Bridge by obscuring his license plate and just blowing through the EZPass lane. The crime isn’t new, but the tactic he used to get away with it is like something out of a spy movie.
If a vehicle driving through the EZPass lane doesn’t have an EZPass, automated cameras take pictures of the vehicles front and back license plates so that the driver can be caught and charged for the missed toll. Sometimes drivers will remove or obscure their license plates so that it’s impossible to make out what is says and therefore impossible to know who should pay the fine.
This driver decided to forgo the more common practice of just putting dirt or grease on his front plate and instead had a hydraulic system installed that – at the flip of a switch from inside the cab – caused the whole front bumper to lift up 90 degrees.
He told the Port Authority Police who caught him that he had spent $2,500 to have the hydraulic system installed. Though it’s a hefty sum, it would have quickly paid for itself if it had worked – it costs $95 for an 18-wheeler to cross the bridge just once. Skipping out on tolls from just 14 round trips would have saved him more money than he spent on the system and it is not known how many times the driver successfully used the device before he was caught.
He has been arrested and charged with tampering with public records and possession of burglary tools.
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Source: cbslocal, businessinsider, nypost, nj
This is no James Bond device, drivers purchase it to save their big drop bumpers from curbs while backing in tight docks. This driver just happened to using it for illegal purposes.
If the Device is purchased for a legitimate reason it stands to reason the Driver could have forgotten to flick the Switch after making his last drop {unless it’s Automatic} I don’t know about this Device so can’t say anymore but Hey…lets give Him the Benefit…we always Applaud anyone who gets one over on the Authorities…
It would have taken him 25-26 times over the GWB to payback the cost. They only charge the toll one-way. The joke is they let you into NJ for free, but you have to pay to get out!
That’s how NJ keeps people from fleeing the state. It’s like jail – easy to get in but a lot harder to get out.
Sad but true the greed of the govt. Charging these rates are the sign of changing times. All freight will be dropped in NJ companies will no longer go over these bridges into North East. Customers will not be able to afford surcharge anymore for tolls. Go north avoid the Hudson river?
“Possession of burglary tools,” yeah right. That means he had a screwdriver or any of the other small tools that all of us carry. Then the authorities wonder why people hate them.
Dude should have used a less identifiable truck. That one looks pretty old.
Id fight the burglary tools charge! Now thats a joke.
Burglary tools indeed. Typical cop trick, just opened himself up for a false arrest charge. As for the bumper hydros, anybody can forget a switch from time to time. I’d tell them to glean through the old pics and fulfill your burden of proof. As for the tools, one item I carry is a four-foot torque wrench since I found loose lugs on one of my steers right after I had a new set installed. Any badge that says its a burglary tool will find out it’s actually a rectal probe….
I guess the one watching the cameras at the Tappan Zee was slacking on the job the many nights I run through there. Less wellfare, no tolls, better roads, more jobs
$95.00. For a lousy toll ? The driver isn’t the one who needs to be arrested for robbery. The real crooks are the Port Authority thugs .
Great…. Now flip kits are going to be illegal as well, thanks for that bud! It was pretty clever I’ll give him that. And it’s pretty cute that they refer to an every day bumper flip kit as a “James bond like device”.
Like using multiple dump valves to move weight/lower rate on the PA TPK…Sooner or later you will get caught and it will be E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E.