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Where do Nerdcakes come from? Is there a special recipe that is used in the process? You take one touch of lack of empathy, add two dabs of lack of conceptional ability, stir slowly with a grand spoon of insincerity and then throw out all wisdom donned from the past and you have the first cookbook Nerdcake. Nerdcakes are found on roads, texting and speaking on the phone while they drive across three lanes of traffic. Nerdcakes live in “think tanks” that talk over people when they want to take up time in important meetings. Nerdcakes are at the top of the bureaucratic ladder spewing nonsense and ill-conceived ideas that will cost people, society and even their own organization a lot of money. Nerdcakes wear metaphorical Clown Shoes in public and expose us all to their “Grand Nerdiness”!
The Transporation Corridor Agency runs interference for the Orange County Transportation Agency. What one does not think of the other one does….along with the various assigned clones…..who quickly come up with something else that doesn’t make a bunch of sense. For about 13 years, the 73 Tollway has tried as it may to do away with cash payments. Think how much easier that would be for 73 Tollway and TCA. No people to take cash and gum up the system. Think those jobs will be “Off Shored” or “Out Sourced” to the Pennslyvania Turnpike? It amounts to only 81 souls who are probably making not much more than minimum wage to sit 8 hours a days collecting cash from folks that occasionally use the 73 Tollway- talk about a job killer?
The plan is to phase out all “cash payments” over the next 16 months. Hmmm. They plan on saving $3.2 million dollars a year with this process. How much will this new system cost to implement? $9.2 plus cost overruns. So, it will take 16 month plus three more years to brake even. Good planning ..eh? Four more years of severe inconvenience to brake even. What is the reason for all this? The 73 Tollway is going broke…again! They want each and every car or truck that uses the 73 Tollway to use a Transponder they can charge electronically. What local PD can you pick one of those up at? NOT! How about getting one at your local City Hall? Nope! You have to either sign up on line and wait for your transponder by mail or fish! All in the name of cost savings…we suppose.
Have these folks ever heard of Tourists? How about Rental Car Companeis? Have they ever heard of Business travelers coming from all over the United States and Foreign Countries? Have these folks ever heard of family members that live elsewhere – than in the shadow of the 73 Tollway? Look, every Tollway in the world that has two brain cells attached to the design group – has at least ONE CASH BOOTH to get on their roadway. What has been missing of course is the use of Credit Cards. Our society has no problem using Credit Card payments even for Parking Meters, but they can’t use those on the blessed 73 Tollway? Sounds pretty stupid doesn’t? Let’s see….instead of using those dumb change catchers…people could use either a Credit Card or a Transponder on both the main entry point of the 73 and off and on at every allowable ramp. sounds good to us, however as with every known Tollroad you still need ONE Cash Booth at the top of the hill at the entry to 73 Tollway. If someone wants to spend $8 bucks to go to El Toro Road….who cares…more money for the Tollway. But Dear Jesus….please allow them to use CASH, if that is all they have – entering the main toll gates!
The Tollway – Transportation Corridor Agency used to have Offices scattered all over the County. They even had one in San Clemente in the days when they thought they might be getting an extension of the 241. A lot of money for those PR wonders, with folks who couldn’t answer your questions or sandbag and said…”Here take this application for a transponder which you might get in three or four weeks!” Well, most of those locations have now been closed down. Hey, want into any City Hall in Orange County and ask them: “Do you have a transponder application for the 73, 91 or 241 Tollways?” The City Clerk could wind up digging for days – for that request. Let’s just say, the County has not made this stuff easy. Evidently, OC Bureaucrats have no clue about Mass Transit or even Straggle Transit. We guess they need to go on You Tube and pull up that old Kingston Trio song – MTA! “Let me tell you the story of man named Charlie on a faithful day……” Something needs to jolt and bring these folks into the 21st Century….that is for certain.
The Great Minds in Clown Shoes are back. Folks, this is not Space Science – this is supposed to be convenient Mass Transit. Whatever happens, we certainly do not need these people attempting to run Transporation Centers or High Speed Rail in the future. Do they have a Citizens Committee for the Toll Road Agency? Who are those Clowns?
You are unclear on the concept of who actually runs the toll roads now.
After the San Joaquin Toll road agency found that they could no longer meet their bond payments, they had to go to the Franklin California Tax Exempt Fund, which holds all of the junior bonds, and ask for a loan modification where they didn’t have to make interest payments for several years on some of their bonds. In addition, they extended the term of the bonds by six years.
There was a price. The TCA agreed to have an annual outside study on how to maximize revenue, and surrendered their authority to block toll road increases.
Just think of the 73 Toll Road as if it’s Greece.
There should be a way where people can refill their tolls with a gift card type system so people who do not have credit cards can still pay for their tolls.
*Matt – Great idea. Those machines should be in every City Hall in Orange County as well the Auto Club.
Only a dork would actually use the word “Nerdcakes” in an argument.
And…….”Only a Nerdcake would call someone else a dork!” What do they say? It takes one to know one!
*News Flash…..in their wisdom the TCA will not phase out the cash booths until 2013.
Do you think they will let anyone use Credit Cards to pay tolls – NO! But they will
give you 48 hours to pay your toll – after you get home – online! Who thinks this stuff up? Truly without “dunderheads” where would Government Agencies be? Are they going to put up a “Toll AP for Androids and I Phones”…….? Again, that would be way too logical …eh?
In fact, why would anyone need a transponder if you have an I-Phone or Android with the appropriate AP? Totally unnecessary Bureaucratic overload as usual. How much do the Transponder Manufacturers make on each unit? You are now obsolete dude!
The toll booth is sort of an antiquated collection method, and it does slow down your travels.
I would think that if the TCA can take pictures of your license plate and send you a ticket if you don’t have a transponder, they could just take pics of everybody and send everybody a monthly bill. There are many ways to keep track of who is using the toll road, but discouraging people from using it makes no sense.
*Impossible….we have a quasi agreement. Don’t forget postage and handling are generally more expensive than the product you buy in the first place. Using the Chinese Debit Card is far superior. It’s like a phone card that you put whatever amount you want on it. When it runs down….you simply re-charge it. But these 18th Century methods have yet to occur to the grand minds of the TCA or the OCTA.
Nothing is impossible…..almost.
Doesn’t need to involve the Post Office. I get most of my bills electronically and pay them the same way.
I was in Chicago couple of weeks ago and drove on their toll roads. Now those toll collectors are a surly bunch. Not very happy.
In France they take Euros, or credit cards, or debit cards, or transponders. They also have speed sensitive cameras that take your picture when you are speeding (to send you a ticket) and apparently it has greatly reduced fatal accidents. You know where they are because all the speeders hit the brakes about a quarter mile before the cameras. They were smart enough to place them in the most dangerous areas, and it seems to be working. You have to do something really egregious to get pulled over. Very civilized.
*It is truly amazing how far our country is in the dark ages. They don’t don’t have what they had in Zurich back in 1989…..You picked up your rental car at the airport and were given a map…..like Mapquest
is today
to get to your Hotel…..
We have a lot of small minded people that can’t handle change on any significant level.
The ones so opposed to the bullet train have never been on one. They are a blast!
Traveling through the country side at over 200mph in big spacious cars. Much more comfortable than a plane, and much less hassle.
And those trains run on time as well.