Toll booths.

[Radio Storm]

Some things about the United States are extremely alien to me.

One of those things is toll booths. That was one of the very first things I noticed the first time I traveled down there. I kept thinking, "Why on Earth do we keep stopping? What the hell are all these weird station thingies out here in the middle of the great wide nowhere?"

I talked to Dad about this the other day. He told me about how the Liberal party attempted to introduce toll booths onto New Brunswick highways back in the late 1990's to get their greasy mitts on some spare cash, and they squandered a crapload of tax money on them for years and pissed everybody right off. Ultimately the idea was shot down by the general public, and it even cost the Liberals to lose the election.

So, I think that says a lot about the Canadian population's general feelings toward the idea. It's something we are not accustomed to, so most of us would probably hate it. I know I certainly would. If the government ever tried to force that on us like the Liberals did in NB, I would start a massive riot and burn down la Colline du Parlement. Fortunately I don't see them pulling any stunts like that in the near future. I'm just extremely grateful that toll roads do not exist here.

How about you? What are your feelings and thoughts about tolled roads and highways?

[Joker]

We have toll booths on bridges, and some roads. They tend to only be on things that are quicker, so really you are paying for the luxury of not having to go around the river etc. So aslong as its not stupidly expensive than I don't think they are too bad.

[Omep]

Before Illinois introduced the things where you can drive by and the toll place detects some card you have and deducts money from an account, up around the northeastern part of the state you would have to stop, sometimes for over an hour, to wait in line so you could pay 15 cents. It was ridiculous.

[Proley]

I think the only toll road I've been on is the 407 Express Toll Route, and it doesn't have any booths, they send you a bill after automatically photographing your license plate.

[Berserker]

If the government ever tried to force that on us like the Liberals did in NB, I would start a massive riot and burn down la Colline du Parlement.

That would be a bit of an overreaction.

I'm fine with toll roads, they are just there so people can get to places quicker, you don't need to use them.

[*Nick*]

I LOVE toll roads. The FL Turnpike and Sawgrass Expressway are far less congested than Interstate-95, and it tends to keep the trash off the road, making for safer driving conditions.

We have what's called a Sun-Pass, that sticks to your front windshield and allows you to pass through toll-booths without having to stop (it's linked to a debit account).

[Cicero17]

It can be a problem when you live on one side of the bay, work on the other, and traffic would be immensely improved if it didn't have to stop.

[iwpoe]

US citizens prefer to be taxed indirectly.

[kevfeb24]

Haven't had them in Connecticut since 1989.

[Secretname]

California hasn't had any but hopefully never will. Toll booths tax those who use the roads instead of taxing everyone for the roads (building new roads, maintenance of roads, ect...)

[Herr Undead]

I don't recall ever seeing many toll booths until I went to the northern states where there are quite a bit of them. I don't agree with having them, but it depends on what the money is being used for. Is it paying for the roads or keeping the maintenance of the highways up? There is always an ethical action that can be taken from requiring others to pay for things.

[sean]

Massachusetts has one highway that's all toll, the Mass Pike, and several places with once-only tolls (The Tobin Bridge, the airport tunnels come to mind). However, the Mass Pike on days like Labor Day weekend becomes a fucking mess to drive on, because it's the times when people who don't have fast lane (the method to bill your account directly) drive. There's been 30 mile backups before, approaching the Weston tolls. It's ridiculous... and they decided not to install open air tolls (the ones where they photograph your license plate) because it was "too costly" though it'd eliminate those traffic jams, get rid of the need for toll-takers (who by the way earn a ridiculous salary, I'll put a quote after this paragraph), and reduce a whole fuckload of headaches.

LeBovidge said that the Massachusetts Turnpike has 441 full- and part-time toll takers who earn an average salary of $71,000 -- some earn as much as $90,000 with overtime.

That's more than most jobs ever make...

[Kevohall]

Up until a few years ago, Ireland had no tolled roads. But in recent years, a few newly constructed motorways have Toll booths on them. But in fairness, you could count the roads with them on one hand and you are barely held up for more than 5 seconds, or not at all if you use the e-toll system.

[Ewan]

You have to pay to get into Wales!

(It's annoying, but that's all I can really say about it.)

[U.S.-NAVY]

US citizens prefer to be taxed indirectly.

This is precisely it. U.S. citizens tend to love any sort of tax that only taxes you for the services you use, rather than assuming something is a collective good that benefits society as a whole and everybody pays for it.