Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
Virginia Driver
()
Date: March 09, 2016 10:29AM
Any advice on how to fight a ticket I got on driving on I-95 south in the HOT lanes with the ez-pass transponder on HOV when it was only me in the car? I carpool so I use the ez-pass legitimately but I didn't turn the switch completely over to single rider. The officer pulled me over and gave me a ticket for driving with the transponder on HOV when it was only me. The ticket is $150 (including court and administrative fees). Is there any chance I can beat it with Prince William County Court? The only thing I know is to change the date and hope the officer doesn't show up.
Re: Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
Virginia Driver
()
Date: March 09, 2016 10:32AM
Also, I noticed on the ticket, the officer wrote my license plate wrong, putting an "I" where its actually a "1". Can I argue that its not my correct license plate therefore the ticket should be dismissed?
Re: Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
Get a clue...
()
Date: March 09, 2016 10:41AM
Cut your losses. Pay the ticket. Be more careful next time.
Re: Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
ExcDT
()
Date: March 09, 2016 10:47AM
Normally going to court is only worth it if there are points on your license at stake. I may be wrong but I believe you don't get hit with points on the first offense, but you get 3 points on offenses after that.
If this is your first offense, pay the $150 tuition on how to work the switch on your transponder.
If this is your first offense, pay the $150 tuition on how to work the switch on your transponder.
Re: Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
Lane.Myer
()
Date: March 09, 2016 10:53AM
Search my name here on Fairfax Underground...I've made lots of posts on the subject of avoiding tolls on the HOT lanes. If you're going to run in the HOT lanes with the transponder in the HOV position with less than the required occupants, then you need to drive on high alert. (And yes, I know you said you "forgot" to switch it over...) As soon as you see a trooper pull out behind you, immediately move your switch off of the HOV setting. That way when he pulls you over, you can point to the transponder and say, "I dunno sir...as you can see my transponder is not in the HOV position." I would also advise tinting your rear window to the maximum allowable darkness to prevent troopers behind you of seeing you reach up and switch the transponder.
As for your ticket...there's nothing you can do there but pay it. The trooper pulled you over, you were in the car by yourself on the HOT lanes and you had the transponder in the HOV position. The trooper witnessed you breaking the law. If this is your first ticket for anything ever, perhaps you can get some leniency from the judge but, why waste time off from work to go to court on something you likely won't get leniency? Pay the bill and move on...
For the record, I have used the HOT lanes everyday since they opened. I drive the full length twice a day, 5 times a week, by myself and I have gotten no tickets or fines. At this point, given all of the money I've saved by not paying tolls plus the time I've saved, if I ever was ticketed I'd pay it without a second thought...cost of doing business. You can't put a price on the time I've saved getting back and forth from work.
As for your ticket...there's nothing you can do there but pay it. The trooper pulled you over, you were in the car by yourself on the HOT lanes and you had the transponder in the HOV position. The trooper witnessed you breaking the law. If this is your first ticket for anything ever, perhaps you can get some leniency from the judge but, why waste time off from work to go to court on something you likely won't get leniency? Pay the bill and move on...
For the record, I have used the HOT lanes everyday since they opened. I drive the full length twice a day, 5 times a week, by myself and I have gotten no tickets or fines. At this point, given all of the money I've saved by not paying tolls plus the time I've saved, if I ever was ticketed I'd pay it without a second thought...cost of doing business. You can't put a price on the time I've saved getting back and forth from work.
Re: Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
InFairfax
()
Date: March 09, 2016 10:56AM
Virginia Driver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also, I noticed on the ticket, the officer wrote
> my license plate wrong, putting an "I" where its
> actually a "1". Can I argue that its not my
> correct license plate therefore the ticket should
> be dismissed?
No, this will absolutely in no way get you off. This type of error is referred to a "clerical" error. Argue it in court, the judge will simply amend the ticket and find you guilty.
You could go to court and plead your case, but technically you did fail to switch the pass fully over to the regular mode, therefore you are technically guilty.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also, I noticed on the ticket, the officer wrote
> my license plate wrong, putting an "I" where its
> actually a "1". Can I argue that its not my
> correct license plate therefore the ticket should
> be dismissed?
No, this will absolutely in no way get you off. This type of error is referred to a "clerical" error. Argue it in court, the judge will simply amend the ticket and find you guilty.
You could go to court and plead your case, but technically you did fail to switch the pass fully over to the regular mode, therefore you are technically guilty.
Re: Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
Daily HOT lane commuter
()
Date: March 09, 2016 11:21AM
You say, " I didn't turn the switch completely over to single rider..." if this is true and you weren't simply trying to beat the toll, check your EZPass transaction history and see if you were charged a toll for that trip in question. If you were, print out the information and take it to court with you. That will get you out of the ticket. There have been a lot of issues with the EZPass transponders in the past. If the toll does not show up, then just pay the fine!
Re: Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
wxfx
()
Date: March 09, 2016 11:44AM
Now learn where the toll readers are over head and switch to HOV when you go under and off when you aren't.
Re: Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
Huh???
()
Date: March 09, 2016 01:11PM
wxfx Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Now learn where the toll readers are over head and
> switch to HOV when you go under and off when you
> aren't.
Sounds good...in theory.
The problem is, VASP have started equipping their cruisers with EZPass wireless arrays. They can read data on your EZPass without you having to pass under a gantry. I'm not sure what the operational range is though. Normally, a motorist would have no legal reason to change the transponder switch once they've opted into the lanes. So, if a trooper is using that array and observes you changing the switch after entering the lanes...you're getting a ticket.
Also, it's just a matter of time until the Commonwealth starts sending out speeding tickets off of data collected from the toll gantries...
-------------------------------------------------------
> Now learn where the toll readers are over head and
> switch to HOV when you go under and off when you
> aren't.
Sounds good...in theory.
The problem is, VASP have started equipping their cruisers with EZPass wireless arrays. They can read data on your EZPass without you having to pass under a gantry. I'm not sure what the operational range is though. Normally, a motorist would have no legal reason to change the transponder switch once they've opted into the lanes. So, if a trooper is using that array and observes you changing the switch after entering the lanes...you're getting a ticket.
Also, it's just a matter of time until the Commonwealth starts sending out speeding tickets off of data collected from the toll gantries...
Re: Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
Engineer
()
Date: March 09, 2016 01:28PM
Huh??? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> wxfx Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> Also, it's just a matter of time until the
> Commonwealth starts sending out speeding tickets
> off of data collected from the toll gantries...
It's just a matter of time before someone reverse engineers an ezpass and posts how to defeat detection.
-------------------------------------------------------
> wxfx Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> Also, it's just a matter of time until the
> Commonwealth starts sending out speeding tickets
> off of data collected from the toll gantries...
It's just a matter of time before someone reverse engineers an ezpass and posts how to defeat detection.
Re: Help with I-95 ez-pass HOT lane Ticket
Posted by:
wxfx
()
Date: March 09, 2016 02:21PM
Huh??? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> wxfx Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Now learn where the toll readers are over head
> and
> > switch to HOV when you go under and off when
> you
> > aren't.
>
> Sounds good...in theory.
>
> The problem is, VASP have started equipping their
> cruisers with EZPass wireless arrays. They can
> read data on your EZPass without you having to
> pass under a gantry. I'm not sure what the
> operational range is though. Normally, a motorist
> would have no legal reason to change the
> transponder switch once they've opted into the
> lanes. So, if a trooper is using that array and
> observes you changing the switch after entering
> the lanes...you're getting a ticket.
When passing under a gantry...switched to HOV.
When not under a gantry...switched to TOLL.
If VSP reads you while not under a gantry, you will display TOLL.
If VSP visually sees you switch (unlikely) say that you realized at the last minute you had it on HOV; if you go through another gantry with TOLL, you will be charged as if you were always on TOLL.
-------------------------------------------------------
> wxfx Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Now learn where the toll readers are over head
> and
> > switch to HOV when you go under and off when
> you
> > aren't.
>
> Sounds good...in theory.
>
> The problem is, VASP have started equipping their
> cruisers with EZPass wireless arrays. They can
> read data on your EZPass without you having to
> pass under a gantry. I'm not sure what the
> operational range is though. Normally, a motorist
> would have no legal reason to change the
> transponder switch once they've opted into the
> lanes. So, if a trooper is using that array and
> observes you changing the switch after entering
> the lanes...you're getting a ticket.
When passing under a gantry...switched to HOV.
When not under a gantry...switched to TOLL.
If VSP reads you while not under a gantry, you will display TOLL.
If VSP visually sees you switch (unlikely) say that you realized at the last minute you had it on HOV; if you go through another gantry with TOLL, you will be charged as if you were always on TOLL.