No more tokens

[jrc]

Here is a link, especially for our out-of-state guests who may not be up to date on the changes:

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/...31/0/FRONTPAGE

Since the link requires registration, I'll quote a few lines:

At the Bedford toll, "...every lane will recognize E-ZPass and three lanes per side will also have attendants accepting cash".

No more baskets, "...the once-ubiquitous toll basket is now relegated to a museum..."

And if you're stuck with a bunch of tokens, "And DOT is considering a redemption program... is not promising anything to the public..."

[fatlazyless]

...& what if you end up with a full one half roll of tokens with the cardboard token roll torn open. And then what? Is there any chance these are good for the Fun Spot at the Weirs, or the Gypsey-Knows-All fortune teller game down at the Tolson Weirs arcade, or the Boston subway, or the Tobin Bridge, or if they contain no lead, drill a small hole and use them for fishing sinkers....or drill a bigger hole and use them for washers.....or maybe earings...or maybe a nose ring....for sale at Motorcycle Week 2006......yeah.....let's bring back the Old Man of the Mountain tokens and revoke the new fangled, electric gizmo, whatever-they-are-called. Any guess what I use?

[jrc]

I'm guessing that now you use US currency.

[RLW]

fatlazyless or maybe earings...

Funny you should mention the earings as that is just one group in NH is doing and selling them and using the profit for charities. Guess that makes them good for something and someone is getting use out of them.

[jrc]

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/...WS02/101040091


Some highlights:

"...There were some problems with tokens being whipped at the attendants..."
“Some of them were being handed to attendants sandwiched between quarters to hide them – kind of an innovative Oreo cookie with quarters.”

I guess the baskets aren't really gone. "Next week, the exact-change baskets will be uncovered again and will accept only quarters. People who pay with tokens will not get a green light and could face a $25 fine"

There is still hope for token holders. "The department hopes to have a rebate or refund plan set up for unused tokens within a week"

[Rockdaddy]

How will they know if you use your leftover tokens in the exact change lanes?

[jrc]

I'm guessing they will reprogram the coin counting machines in the baskets to reject and not count tokens. So as the article says "People who pay with tokens will not get a green light and could face a $25 fine"

It's pretty simple for any mechanical coin counter to tell a token from a quarter, just try using the tokens in a Coke machine.

[SIKSUKR]

I didn't think they would change all of the machines to not accept tokens but they did, at least in Hooksett. I tried to use them in the automatic lane and the green light wouldn't come on. I was prepared with quarters though. I have 3 rolls left. ****

[Skip]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

...I didn't think they would change all of the machines to not accept tokens but they did...

Tokens are forbidden at all toll plazas, and all machines (and attendants) have been reprogrammed not to accept them.

Thankfully you had quarters to back you up, if you use tokens you will not get a green light and will be summonsed the same as if you did not pay the toll.

The DOT & Legislature are trying to come to an agreement over some type of possible redemption plan for those still holding bulk amounts of tokens. There are varying accounts in numerous news outlets the last few days of different possible versions of a redemption program. Seems to be as confusing as the original conversion process was!

Bottom line....tokens are out!

Skip

[Seaplane Pilot]

Too bad they could not program the machines to accept the tokens at their face value of $0.125. Then people could get rid of their supply for what they paid and the State doesn't lose any money. Seems win/win to me, but then again, it's the State. ****

[secondcurve]

The state of NH transportation department has certainly been slow on toll plaza decisions in recent years. First, it took them forever to get with the Fast Lane program; I think NH was the last state on the east coast to join! Then they cut out the tokens cold turkey. Why couldn't the state just stop selling the tokens but still accept them? Over a relatively short period of time, the tokens would come out of circulation. I thought maybe it was a way to screw the tax payers, but now I am hearing that there might be a program to redeem the tokens. Help me understand?

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

The state of NH transportation department has certainly been slow on toll plaza decisions in recent years. First, it took them forever to get with the Fast Lane program; I think NH was the last state on the east coast to join! Then they cut out the tokens cold turkey. Why couldn't the state just stop selling the tokens but still accept them? Over a relatively short period of time, the tokens would come out of circulation. I thought maybe it was a way to screw the tax payers, but now I am hearing that there might be a program to redeem the tokens. Help me understand?

Your solution above seemed the logical way to phase out the system to me. What I read was that the old system was a pain and a $ drain to keep up and running and so the powers that be wanted it shutdown ASAP. Perhaps that's true but I don't see how the additional cost of token capability would be that much more than the coin collecting ability. Also SP's earlier idea of "face value" would have been fair.

[secondcurve]

Mac:

I guess it is simply big government at work. We should at a minimum privatize the system and preferably elminate it!

[ApS]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

"......or drill a bigger hole and use them for washers.....or maybe earings...or maybe a nose ring....for sale at Motorcycle Week 2006......yeah.....let's bring back the Old Man of the Mountain tokens and revoke the new fangled, electric gizmo, whatever-they-are-called. Any guess what I use?

They're too costly to use as washers, so I'll guess that you're selling them at eBay?

Just as there are serious coin collectors, there are serious "token" collectors. http://www.coinsinternational.com/Tokens.htm

(I'm just a "token" token-collector)

[jimbob1603]

The problem, as I see it (and this is just my observation/guess), is that they have privatized the collection system with the 'EZ-Pass' company, but the state has failed to eliminate any jobs. So now, we are paying for the private company to run the system; as well as continue paying the same number of toll collectors on the state payroll.

[jrc]

Originally Posted by Mee-n-Mac

...What I read was that the old system was a pain and a $ drain to keep up and running and so the powers that be wanted it shutdown ASAP. Perhaps that's true but I don't see how the additional cost of token capability ....

I think you are right about the pain, they really didn't want to deal with the basket machines. But they seemed to have backtracked on that, perhaps the non-ezpass traffic was more than predicted. Also I think by law they can't accept tokens for tolls after 12/31/05.