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E-ZPasses Get Read All Over New York (Not Just At Toll Booths)

forbes.com

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Re: E-ZPasses Get Read All Over New York (Not Just At Toll Booths)

#31

Post by tjohns »

joezydeco wrote: post #22
oceanstone wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, you can put it in a special bag that blocks its signals. If you buy a FastTrak device for the SF Bay Area, it actually comes in the bag. Still, you have a license plate. (Unless you are like Steve Jobs, and lease a new car every 6 months)

The "special bag" is just an ESD bag, isn't it? You can find these pretty cheap anywhere if you don't have any on hand. http://www.amazon.com/Antistatic-Bags-Resealable-6X10-Pack/d...

Yup, it's just an ordinary mylar antistatic bag. Pretty much any computer repair store will give them to you for free if you ask, too.

Re: E-ZPasses Get Read All Over New York (Not Just At Toll Booths)

#33

Post by ISL »

fnordfnordfnord wrote: post #29

As many have stated, this isn't news. There are all sorts of good and proper uses of toll-tags that aren't collecting tolls. There has never been any effort to hide that, nor should there be. The thing I have always been disturbed by WRT toll-tags is that toll-collecting entities flatly refuse to sell one that isn't attached to a person or a vehicle. There are opportunities for profit that have been ignored[1], and I…

One might argue that if the toll-tag isn't being used for tolling alone that it would be better-termed a 'tag'.

Re: E-ZPasses Get Read All Over New York (Not Just At Toll Booths)

#36

Post by PaulHoule »

You'll pull my E-Z pass out of my cold dead hands.

This is the first piece of vehicle telematics I added when I got a new car. When I was stuck in a traffic jam at an off-ramp near Albany, I realized how I'd make it better for myself and other drivers if I got one.

It's particularly good that E-Z Pass uses the same technology as most other states in the Northeast so you can drive the Mass Pike and out to Maine or the other way to Ohio.

Re: E-ZPasses Get Read All Over New York (Not Just At Toll Booths)

#37

Post by forgotAgain »

I have to disagree with those who say this isn't news. It was news to me and will, I believe, be news to most others as well. The only time before this that I heard about using EZ pass for anything other than tolls was a few years ago when I read about some feasibility work on the concept of traffic flow optimization being done around Ithaca, NY.

I do wonder why they haven't been used yet to track speeding violations. Speed cameras are being installed in Manhattan. EZ passes are supposed to be used in one car only so it can't be lack of ability to isolate the user that's stopping it.

For years I've been keeping my EZ pass in a static electricity bag when I'm not anticipating going through tolls. I'll definitely continue to do so. At least until it becomes illegal.

Re: E-ZPasses Get Read All Over New York (Not Just At Toll Booths)

#38

Post by koenigdavidmj »

Phargo wrote: post #8

Is there any way to install a switch to kill the tag when you don't plan on using it? If that's possible, how difficult would it be to control this on/off switch with a spare smart phone based on approved GPS location?

Seattle's equivalent has a few models, and one of them lets you turn it on and off by having the RFID part slide into the case. Though this has a practical use case---some lanes around here are tolled for single-occupant vehicles but not with two or more occupants, so that's how you indicate whether you need to pay or not.

Re: E-ZPasses Get Read All Over New York (Not Just At Toll Booths)

#39

Post by joezydeco »

Wait until people discover your FM car radio also leaks information. Besides the leaky iPod/SatRadio transmitters, the unit itself gives away the station frequency from the internal oscillator.

There's a company already sniffing radios on the road to determine listener demographics among other things.

http://masscommandme.wordpress.com/2010/12/02/mobiltraks-lis...

Re: E-ZPasses Get Read All Over New York (Not Just At Toll Booths)

#40

Post by [deleted] »

joezydeco wrote: post #39

Wait until people discover your FM car radio also leaks information. Besides the leaky iPod/SatRadio transmitters, the unit itself gives away the station frequency from the internal oscillator. There's a company already sniffing radios on the road to determine listener demographics among other things. http://masscommandme.wordpress.com/2010/12/02/mobiltraks-lis...

[deleted]
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