I’m in serious like with my EZPass. Massachusettshas a similar program named “FastLane” but the devices were free from EZPass and the FastLane program wanted $20. Guess which one I got? 😉

One of my favorite immature things to do is to wave at all the people waiting in the toll booth lane as I zip through the aptly named “FastLane”. One of the greatest benefits of this device is that works in so many places; the Mass. Turnpike, NY Throughway, several bridges and tunnels in the NY metro area, right down to the parking garages at the Newark airport.

Sweet.

For those of you who are not familiar, EZPass is a small (deck of cards) device that is attached to the inside of you car’s windshield. When you pass through specially configured toll booth lanes an antenna mounted above the lane activates the device and reads a unique identifier. This id is then used to verify that you have an account in good standing, record your passage, and then indicate the status of your account via a traffic light like device in your lane. It then debts your account for the toll.

On a recent trip to New York state I noticed a difference in the indicator lights. In my home state of Massachusetts the green light is labeled ‘Thank you’. However, in the home of the ‘New York Minute’ the same green light is labeled simply ‘Go’. Just how much of a hurry do you have to be in for the time it takes to read ‘Go’ vs. ‘Thank You’ matters?

Maybe NY really does have the cold, soulless, ‘You talkin to me?’ mentality after all. Or maybe it’s just easier to read ‘Go’ because the letters are bigger when overlayed on a signal light. 😉