We Love the Queue

It's not you. In Florida we love to sit in lines of traffic. There's no other way to explain it. A red light two lanes of traffic. One lane has ten cars sitting in it. The other? Empty. You pull into the other lane and wonder "What's the problem?" There isn't one. It's just us. Florida. Welcome.

The Text Gap

I haven't quite figured out how to take full advantage of this new phenomena yet, but I'm getting lots of opportunity to practice. So what is the "text gap?"  It is that large gap in traffic created by a driver who is texting and driving. To be safe while they are breaking the law they leave an unusually large gap between themselves and the car in front. I'm now watching for these gaps as they tend to be consistent in terms of a pattern that continues as the traffic moves on down the road. Watch for them and use them to move up in the queue. At a minimum use them to get ahead of the knucklehead texting and driving. The funny thing is that they always seem so annoyed that you had the nerve to get in front of them while they were texting, I mean driving.

What Is It With Us?

Show a little consideration for your fellow man or woman. I was reminded of that lesson this morning by the guy driving the giant dump truck that was pulling out of a driveway in front of me. Instead of continuing out ahead of me and leaving me behind him on a two lane road he stopped and waved me on ahead. A quarter of a mile further on he was already out of sight behind me. Now he could have just kept pulling out and I would have been stuck behind him for a very long and slow drive; but, no. He did me a small favor and I thank him.

I do usually try and drive this way as well and I'm sure most people don't even notice. If someone is trying to get out into traffic and I'm the only car they're waiting for I'll change lanes so they can pull out. People need to merge? Let's go. I slow down and open up big gaps and let the people go. I do try and keep moving as not to aggravate the drivers directly behind me; but traffic moves a lot better if we can all keep moving forward. If we could all see our way to being kind drivers and allowing others to join the queue we might all get there a little faster.

If you are looking to speed up your life get a Tolltraxx and skip the toll booth (if you can find one)

These Boots Were Made For Jaywalkin'

Here in Tampa we've spent thousands upon thousand of dollars to create safe crosswalks for pedestrians, without success; flashing lights, rumble strips, big neon signs and still the carnage continues. The problem? They didn't put the crosswalks where people actually cross the street. Make one from the McDonald's to Burger King across the street. Why? I don't know but that's where I see the people cross.

When I drove through Dunedin yesterday they have crosswalks every ten feet or so and the people use them. Believe me I know. Put the crosswalks where the people cross the street.

Why do I call this problem to your attention? You'll see the fancy, expensive crosswalks and assume that there is where the people are going to cross the street. Wrong. While driving in Florida you need to watch for pedestrians everywhere, all the time. 

I used to joke about the "invisible" pedestrian, dressed all in black at night. Here, that is the reality. Remember, black is very slimming, especially in death.

Save money and skip the rental car transponder. Get a Tolltraxx transponder and enjoy driving without worrying about any "toll shock" when you get home.

How Did I Miss This One?

If you are going to be driving in the Tampa Bay area this is probably the one tip that will save you from thinking that you've lost your mind. We change the name of the road you are travelling on every few miles. Start on Bearrs  Avenue, change to Ehrlich Road and then Gunn Highway without ever leaving the road or even changing direction. Happens all of the time without rhyme or reason. Good luck. It's us not you. For a less expensive trip leave the rental car transponder and get a Tolltraxx transponder, save time, hassles and money. What could be better?  I'd vote for ice cream.

On a Serious Note

Florida and Tampa have had an epidemic of wrong-way drivers on our highways and byways and it has not ended well, much much worse. We will be saying goodbye to Deputy Sheriff John Kotfila this Friday (3/18/16). He was killed by a wrong-way driver while doing his job and saving the life of another. You can read about it here.

This is a big problem here in Tampa; whether it is you or them, if there is oncoming traffic on your side of the highway PULL OVER and call 911. If there is more than one car coming at you don't move until the police arrive. Be safe. Drive happy. Say a prayer for Deputy Kotfila. Remember his sacrifice before taking that drink and getting behind the wheel. 

A Little Off Topic, But Not Too Far

It always amazes me when we complain that the government can't afford to keep the streets fixed, potholes filled, blah, blah, blah. And yet we have nothing to say when the government has the money to glue fake bricks to the street at different intersections.

Or, when they install speed limit signs that are electronic (solar) instead of the old school painted metal. What's the life expectancy on the electronic signs? I've seen problems crop up within 2 weeks of installation, the sign clocked me at 79 mph, I was doing 35 mph; the old sign, it's probably been ten years since someone ran it over.

And the last one are the new electronic highway signs

There is nothing better than sitting stopped on the interstate, this is Tampa, rush hour is 24 hours a day and you look up at the sign as it changes to tell me the travel time to the next exit. 5 minutes later I'm still sitting there reading the same sign wondering how long until the next update.

How about the added cost associated with these new signs? How many people does it take to monitor and update these signs? And best of all isn't everyone driving around with their cellphone in their hand? Carrying with them all of the traffic information that they could possibly need, in real time. I recommend Waze. It's the driving app used by the Uber drivers in New York City. At least the one's I rode with while I was there and it works great in Florida.

When you visit Florida get a Tolltraxx transponder for your rental car and skip the expensive rental car transponders.

This post is more like my posts on http://semiseedlesswatermelons.blogspot.com/ for stupid things examined. (Coming to a blog near you.)

What I'm Thinking is Not What...

You're thinking. So, I've just finished an on-line class offered by edx.org (a great site for an education on any subject) called

The Science of Everyday Thinking

and the major take away from this class is that when something happens to us or we see something happen we often apply what is called the Fundamental Attribution Error. Essentially, we don't judge the circumstances of the situation we judge the personality of the person. When we make a similar mistake we justify our actions based on our circumstances. Them: "That guy cut me off becauses he's a jerk." Us: "I had to cut in here because I'm running behind and can't be late to work again."  Personality vs.situation.  I'm working hard myself not to rush to judgement and following advice from another edx class 

Becoming a Resilient Person: The Science of Stress Management and Promoting Wellbeing

That is like Conscious Discipline for adults. The best take away from this class and as simple as it sounds is: look for beauty. When I'm sitting in traffic wondering what in the ... is happening I stop and just look around, clouds, cars, people you'll always be able to find something to help you chill out until it is time to go. Drive safely. Get a Tolltraxx transponder and drive better.

Random Lane Changes

Now, this is something that does seem to be uniquely Florida; people changing lanes for no apparent reason. You'll be driving along no one in your lane about to pass someone when the blinker comes on and they change lanes to drive in front of you. Maybe they were planning on making a left turn in the next ten miles, who knows. So, you move over to the right lane to pass them and carry on. Happens all the time. Welcome to driving in the sunshine state.

If you are renting a car, skip the rental car transponders. Get a Tolltraxx transponder and save. Buy that jumbo Margarita instead. Just don't drive afterwards. 

How is This Even Possible?

Took a road trip from Tampa to Port Charlotte today. Because of time constraints I didn't get to make my usual detour to Yoder's for lunch and the Selby Gardens for an afternoon visit; both in Sarasota and both well worth the visit. If there is time we always stop at the Ringling Museum; that is a great day, a trifecta, so to speak. Anyway, driving south and north on I-75 was an adventure, as always. The thing I can't figure out is how two, in this case three, cars can end up driving side-by-side at the same speed. Usually the speed limit, or slightly below, 63 in a 65 zone, 69 instead of 70. If they're all going the same speed how did the catch up to one another? Doesn't seem physically possible. And for those people driving as part of this rolling blockade, I would like to refer you to my earlier post here about being part of the problem and not part of the solution.

If you're visiting Florida and renting a car get a Tolltraxx  transponder to pay your tolls. Save money, avoid the lines and enjoy your vacation.

Sure You Can Merge, Get In Line Behind Me

Welcome to America. This issue seems to be more American than Floridian. We just don't know how to merge. We all drive up to the obstruction and then hope someone will let us in, but they never do. So we sit with our blinker on slowly, slowly inching over until someone finally relents and lets us over. Of course this behavior just screws up both lanes; because we know that no one will let us merge we get out of the blocked lane way before it's necessary. Making a small obstruction into a major conga line of traffic. If we could learn to merge we could  use both lanes right up to the obstruction and then quickly merge to one lane pass the problem and then get get back to two lanes. 

I've had the opportunity to watch how they handle merging in other countries. My favorite two are Italy and Mexico. General rules of the road seem to be in short supply but the traffic flows along because people allow the other cars to join the queue at any point and let them right back out again. The closest analogy I can give is swimming as member of a school of fish; swim left, swim right, the school shrinks at one intersection, grows at another, but it never stops moving.

The wackiest merging, if you can even call it that was in the Soviet Union, wait make that Russia. On the way in from the airport to Moscow I kept trying to figure out how the highway traffic was flowing. Cars were six across, two across, ten across I couldn't figure out what the traffic flow should look like. Then I noticed that there were no lanes painted on the roadway. People just made their own lanes as needed. Less like merging and more like roller derby.

If you're coming to Florida for a visit and renting a car. Get a Tolltraxx transponder to pay your tolls. Skip the rental car company transponders, avoid the fines for missing a toll, save money and enjoy your vacation. 

Perpetual School Zones

I know that these problems are not exclusive to driving in Florida, but... Here is one of my least favorite problems you might run across on your visit to the Sunshine state. School zones are everywhere, seemingly when there is no school within sight. One of my favorites is the school without sidewalks from the school to the street. No one walks home from that school yet here we sit crawling along. Just to add to the fun they actually have two driveways each with its own school zone separated by about fifty feet. But wait don't order yet it gets better. Another 500 feet down the street is a Junior High School with a school zone. Now these schools don't dismiss at the same time so the flashing lights announcing the school zone are not on. But people don't pay attention to the lights or lack thereof so they continue to drive all the way to and past the Junior high at 20 miles an hour, essentially turning what should be two short school zones into one horribly long one.

Another favorite is the school on one side of the street and the fire station on the other. So what you say. Well, the driveway for the fire station has its own traffic light to stop traffic so the emergency crews can get out. Makes sense to me. So why am I complaining? When the traffic signal is not being used it just hangs there flashing yellow and people driving along think they are in a school zone and drop it down to 20 mph creating a school zone that last about 12 hours a day.  

And then there are the days when everyone just feels like driving 30 mph in both lanes, side-by-side. That's Florida.

If you're coming for a visit be ready. Renting a car? Don't get ripped of by the rental car transponders. Get a Tolltraxx transponder, save your money and enjoy your vacation. 

The Best for Last? I Don't Think So.

Sometimes it seems that all of the different rental car companies are actually owned by the same company. Similar prices, policies, rules and regulations; maybe it's just a coincidence and I'm still hoping that it rains marshmallows. These might be the best of the bunch for transponder charges, you can check my math here. But even these rates pale in comparison to a Tolltraxx transponder.

Alamo Rental Cars

$3.95 fee per usage day (24 hr. interval) that customer incurs tolls, plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)

National Rental Cars

$3.95 fee per usage day (24 hr. interval) that customer incurs tolls, plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)

Enterprise Rental Cars

$3.95 fee per usage day (24 hr. interval) that customer incurs tolls, plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)

All Together Now

$19.75 maximum fee per rental period plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)

Nothing to decide at time of rental.

What Do I Do Now?

So you've just driven through the toll plaza in your rental car without a transponder, now what? I haven't tried this personally. My brother did this up in Indiana or maybe it was Illinois when he realized the error of his ways he contacted the toll authority with the time, date and toll plaza number. They allowed him to pay the tolls on-line and he managed to avoid the rental car company fees. That was there and this is Florida. If you've already made the mistake you are doomed. The toll authority does not offer any way for you to pay for your missed tolls. You are now in the hands of your rental car company. What's this going to cost you? Here are a couple of other blog posts with the costs detailed. Hertz here. Thrifty and Dollar, here and Avis and Budget, here.

Who is Responsible for this? No One Knows...

So, even though I've lived next to the Veteran's Expressway in Tampa, FL  for over twenty years and have been a driver on the toll  road since its inception how did I miss the fact that the toll authority was adding an express lane? Oh, that's right they forgot to tell us. I thought they were adding additional lanes both northbound and southbound and then this article appears. Who? What? Where? May as well add why? As if we as a country weren't splitting apart fast enough; now the Mercedes and Lexus' can drive away and leave the Toyotas and Hondas in the slow lanes. I have often thought that the right-of-way should be based on the cost of your car. Yo. Cadillac. You go first. I'll just wait here in my little Chevy. Which Chevy is cheap? Oh, that's right they all are. 

A Two for One Deal

Just when you think you've seen it all or maybe it's just fresh in my mind from having recently written the blog entries today offered a new twist. I wrote about the timing of the traffic lights changing based on location, time of day and traffic. Well this morning the guy at the light across from me waiting to make a left turn did a good job of timing the light and was out in the intersection in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, his red arrow changes to green at the end of the cycle not the beginning so ended up sitting in the middle of the intersection. The other problem is the guy behind him in the turn lane probably expected the first guy to back up out of the intersection, so he didn't pull up to the white line. Now, no one was sitting on the sensor to trigger the light which I  wrote about here. On a positive note both cars were gone an hour later when I went back through that intersection.

Change is happening all around us and often without our knowledge or permission. Things like the toll roads changing to electronic tolls only.  Who agreed to that change? The rental car companies have been making a killing since the switch was made; even though they blame the 

State and everyone but themselves.

Skip the rental car transponders.

You're better off with a Tolltraxx transponder. A one-time $7.50 service fee ($3 of which is refundable) and a $.50 fee per toll. Use it a lot, use it a little, don't use it at all. No daily fees, ever.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign

If you are driving along with miles and miles of empty road ahead of you, look in your rearview mirror. If there are fifty cars queued up behind you that's a sign to get out of the way; you are now officially part of the problem.  If five cars pass you in the right lane, you are part of the problem; move over to the right lane and carry on. If the car in front of you has driven away and you don't move until the car behind you hits the horn, you are part of the problem. Put down your phone and drive. The biggest problem with traffic today is us. We don't know how to drive. Add in the fact that the whole act of driving has changed and nobody bothered to tell us doesn't help the situation. 

Things like the toll roads changing to electronic tolls only.  Who agreed to that change? The rental car companies have been making a killing since the switch was made; even though they blame the State and everyone but themselves.

Skip the rental car transponders.

You're better off with a Tolltraxx transponder. A one-time $7.50 service fee ($3 of which is refundable) and a $.50 fee per toll. Use it a lot, use it a little, don't use it at all. No daily fees, ever.

A Driving Tip to Save You From Yourself

When you're visiting Florida, cruising around in your rental car or private vehicle visiting our beautiful beaches there are things to watch out for. I can't say that they are all Florida or even Tampa specific  but that's where I live and that's where I see them. One recent quirk is in the timing of the traffic lights. The light cycle, left turn arrow first, one direction first, etc. changes depending on the day of the week and time of day. Just when you're used to making your left turn first at the intersection, the turn arrow stays red. Don't panic, wait for the light to cycle through. If you're still sitting there through a couple of light changes, check to be sure you're sitting at the big white line painted on the street, or not sitting in front of it. That line is the spot that the sensors look for to determine whether to change the light; either pull up to the line or back up, carefully. 

If you're driving on any Florida toll roads or thinking about it, remember that many are now all electronic. Skip the rental car transponders.

You're better off with a Tolltraxx transponder. A one-time $7.50 service fee ($3 of which is refundable) and a $.50 fee per toll. Use it a lot, use it a little, don't use it at all. No daily fees, ever.

Opting into Your Wallet, Automatically

Avoiding excessive toll charges can be difficult when you don't have a choice in the matter as with these three companies.

Avis, Budget and Payless Rental Cars

Automatically opted in

Avis: $3.95 fee per rental day plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates) $16.75 maximum fee per rental month (30 days) plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)

Budget: $3.95 fee per rental day plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)

  

Payless:  $2.95 fee per rental day plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)    $14.75 maximum fee per rental month (30 days) plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)

Visit Florida and save your money when you use one of our many toll roads with a Tolltraxx transponder. 

Fox Rental Cars, Different Name Same Results

This fee is applicable to each day of the rental and cannot be purchased only on certain days. Maximum PlatePass fee of $134.85 per rental agreement (15 days). If not enrolled at time of reservation or at the rental counter, and user incurred toll charges by utilizing a dedicated or express lane, customers will be charged an administrative fee $15 per toll plus the cost of each toll, with a maximum admin fee of $90 per rental agreement. These fees and tolls are charged separately after the completion of the rental. Customers may add the service when they return their vehicle for the original daily rate, but they must do so by returning to the rental counter BEFORE the rental agreement has closed.

Hello Dollar and not so Thrifty Rental Car Companies

$10.49  flat fee per rental day.

$52.49 maximum weekly fee.

PlatePass® All-Inclusive Tolling must be sold for the length of the rental contract. It cannot be purchased only on certain days. PlatePass® All-Inclusive Tolling is a duration-based model and provides unlimited toll road access for a low daily fee per the length of the rental agreement.
  
Customer must either OPT-IN or DECLINE at time of reservation or at the rental counter. All daily charges are included on their receipt when they return the car. No billing is done after the fact unless they fail to select the tolling option and still uses SunPass. EPASS or LeeWay ONLY Lanes.

If not enrolled at time of reservation or at the rental counter, and user incurred toll charges by utilizing a dedicated or express lane, a $15.00 administrative fee + toll is assessed for each infraction to a maximum fee of $105.00. These fees and tolls are charged separately after the completion of the rental.

$10.95 a day for all of your tolls sounds pretty good until I tried to figure out how far I would have to drive to make this plan worthwhile.  I didn't check to see if this plan covers bridge tolls, if it does I would use it to go visit Sanibel Island, a $6 toll.  Of course once on the island I'd remember that I needed something at Publix, over the bridge I go. Once I got back to Sanibel I would get a hankerin' for an Egg McMuffin at 2 in the afternoon, hello mainland. Going to one of the beautiful Sanibel beaches, better go get that bikini wax I've been wanting... you get the idea. You're better off with a Tolltraxx transponder. A one time $7.50 service fee ($3 of which is refundable) and a $.50 fee per toll. Use it a lot, use it a little, don't use it at all. No daily fees, ever.