Tech Made Simple

Hot Topics: How to Fix Bluetooth Pairing Problems | Complete Guide to Facebook Privacy | How to Block Spam Calls | Snapchat Symbol Meaning

We may earn commissions when you buy from links on our site. Why you can trust us.

author photo

Golden Gate Bridge Toll Collection Goes Fully Automated

by Fox Van Allen on March 28, 2013

Image: Bernt Rostad, Flickr

As time passes, certain standbys of the past are forgotten in favor of something better. Payphones collect nothing but grime on city streets these days, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone still willing to sell you a pager.

Today, you can add the toll collector to the list – San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge has let 28 employees go in lieu of an entirely automated, cash- free collection system. Drivers now have two options for payment. You can sign up for a transponder linked to your bank account, or you can just blow right through the toll.

Don’t worry, though – passing through the toll without a transponder won’t get a ticket. In that situation, a camera will catch your license plate as you pass and send a bill for the $6 toll directly to your home. The cameras can catch drivers’ plates a speeds as high as 100 miles per hour.

Though the new system may be convenient, it isn’t perfect. Privacy advocates are upset over the implications of license plates – and the movements of law-abiding citizens – being tracked by the government.

What do you think: Would you like to see a system like this implemented on the toll roads you drive? Is the convenience worth the invasion into our privacy?


Topics

Travel, News, Travel & Entertainment, Blog


Discussion loading

Home | About | Meet the Team | Contact Us
Media Kit | Newsletter Sponsorships | Licensing & Permissions
Accessibility Statement
Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookie Policy

Techlicious participates in affiliate programs, including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which provide a small commission from some, but not all, of the "click-thru to buy" links contained in our articles. These click-thru links are determined after the article has been written, based on price and product availability — the commissions do not impact our choice of recommended product, nor the price you pay. When you use these links, you help support our ongoing editorial mission to provide you with the best product recommendations.

© Techlicious LLC.