Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: rpm on November 24, 2004, 07:47:02 AM
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source (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6574777/)
Free pass for drivers on Pennsylvania Turnpike
Toll collectors strike on busiest travel day of the year
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:46 a.m. ET Nov. 24, 2004
PHILADELPHIA - Toll collectors on the Pennsylvania Turnpike went on strike Wednesday, just as Americans were hitting the road for Thanksgiving.
The strike was announced by union leaders. Anticipating a walkout, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission decided to waive tolls on Wednesday and have nonunion employees staff tollbooths Thursday.
Negotiations have been rocky between turnpike officials and unions representing toll collectors, maintenance workers and office employees.
In a joint statement, Teamsters locals 77 and 250 said managers refused to meet with union leaders Tuesday night, saying members should simply accept management’s offer.
“We truly regret the inconvenience to the traveling public, but everyone should remember that we were left with no realistic alternatives,” according to a statement released by two Teamsters locals.
Management described its offer made Nov. 15 as generous and criticized union leaders for not sending it to the membership for a vote. Management issued a statement Monday saying the offer includes a fully paid health care package as well as annual pay increases. It did not say how large the increases were.
The union’s statement said management was offering less with each successive proposal and accused turnpike officials of trying to provoke a strike.
Union members had been working under the terms of a contract that expired Sept. 30, 2003.
A turnpike spokeswoman could not be reached for comment; her voice mail said she was taking Wednesday off and would not return until Monday.
[soapbox]I used to drive that God forsaken highway. They should pay you to drive on it. Most toll roads are huge scams. They were paid for long ago and are now cash cows designed to bilk Americans forced to drive on them.[/soapbox]
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If you decide that you'd like to try and recreate the experience of driving in New Jersey, New York State and Pennsylvania... just roll down your window and chuck money out of it every 200 feet.
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The PA turnpike doesn't have all that many tolls. The NJ turnpike is where you grab your ankles.
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Originally posted by Nash
If you decide that you'd like to try and recreate the experience of driving in New Jersey, New York State and Pennsylvania... just roll down your window and chuck money out of it every 200 feet.
NY state isnt really all that bad, we have the Thruway which you have to pay tolls on when you exit, other than that the rest of the state is clear untill you get to the city.
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Originally posted by RTStuka
NY state isnt really all that bad, we have the Thruway which you have to pay tolls on when you exit, other than that the rest of the state is clear untill you get to the city.
Ny is that bad...try going over ANY bridge in or around the "city"or Long Island
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Back in the 80's it used to cost me $100 in tolls to send a truck into NYC from almost any direction. What's worse the roads were horrible. I'm sure it's more expensive and worse condition now.
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Originally posted by rpm
source (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6574777/)
[soapbox]I used to drive that God forsaken highway. They should pay you to drive on it. Most toll roads are huge scams. They were paid for long ago and are now cash cows designed to bilk Americans forced to drive on them.[/soapbox]
maintaining roads isnt exactly cheap...
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Originally posted by vorticon
maintaining roads isnt exactly cheap...
That's what fuel taxes are for.
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Yeah the PA turnpike isnt that bad. When I was heading from Shepherdstown WV to Pittsburgh PA, we'd get our ticket in Breezewood, and pay when we got off in Pittsburgh. Not to pricey either. 3 or 4 bucks I beleive.
But I do agree, its a crappy road. "Jersey Walls" Everywhere, its no fun to have a concrete barrier on one side and an 18 Wheeler on the other.
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Originally posted by Nash
If you decide that you'd like to try and recreate the experience of driving in New Jersey, New York State and Pennsylvania... just roll down your window and chuck money out of it every 200 feet.
NJ Turnpike and Lincoln Tunnel, $50-$100 a month easy back in the early '90s. Freak'n 80% of it in quarters.
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What's a toll booth?
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Originally posted by Nash
If you decide that you'd like to try and recreate the experience of driving in New Jersey, New York State and Pennsylvania... just roll down your window and chuck money out of it every 200 feet.
In NJ the turnpike tols arent bad. We only have em at the exits.
The Garden State Parkway on the other hand. thats a pretty accurate discription in some sections.
I hate the parkway. Would rather drive 20 miles out of the way then take it.
You NASCAR wannabies you want to try a challange?
Come drive on NJ's parkway.
Parkway drivers had a name for NASCAR drivers.
They call em "Amatures" LOL
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Originally posted by ra
The PA turnpike doesn't have all that many tolls. The NJ turnpike is where you grab your ankles.
the only Tolls NJ's turnpike has it at its exits.
You must be thinking about the parkway
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Originally posted by Torque
NJ Turnpike and Lincoln Tunnel, $50-$100 a month easy back in the early '90s. Freak'n 80% of it in quarters.
Trust me. The guys vacuming your car at the car wash are stealing your quarters
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Originally posted by Mini D
What's a toll booth?
something that is found in yankee land and florida.
whole thing is nothing but a racket. legal extortion. or whatever.
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Originally posted by Nefarious
But I do agree, its a crappy road. "Jersey Walls" Everywhere, its no fun to have a concrete barrier on one side and an 18 Wheeler on the other.
Hehe - everyone from outside of the state says this.
By contrast, driving elsewhere gives a northeasterner a sense of being naked. :D
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I was an owner/operator (I owned and drove my own semi truck) for 10 years, the tolls you pay in a car are nothing compared to trucks. Just to cross the Goerge Washington bridge in New York cost $25 and to drive the length of the Penn turnpike is about $130.
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hehehe
is the problem here the toll or the unions who control the labor for those tolls?
sounds like the mob bosses, er union leaders, wanted to disrupt holiday travel with their walk out stunt...
and why is a toll taker a union position to start with? sounds like any high school/college kid could make change for alot less than some union thug is demanding...
sounds like they are pushing for more electronic pass booths - hard to get their "dues" from a machine...
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Eagler, the article said the workers have been working under the old contract which expired in Sept. of 2003.
"sounds like the mob bosses, er union leaders, wanted to disrupt holiday travel with their walk out stunt..."
Actually....no. Nobody wins in a strike; indeed, do the math and you'll see if the strike only lasts a month it'll take the Membership years to make up for that loss economically. Union people know this; when they vote for a strike they're willing to sacrifice their own well being for the long term interests of organized labor.
"and why is a toll taker a union position to start with? sounds like any high school/college kid could make change for alot less than some union thug is demanding..."
You're right, Eagler- the job is definately not rocket science.
Sure, we can can hire high school/college kids to do the job- we can also hire kids to be grocery clerks and delivery drivers for less, too. And they work for no benefits. As technology makes jobs easier, or less mentally taxing, our middle class is disappearing. You may not like Unions, but they maintain a middle class lifestyle for millions of Americans. I'm glad we have them.
"sounds like they are pushing for more electronic pass booths - hard to get their "dues" from a machine..."
Right again, Eagler- most Union contract negotions are more about protecting jobs than they are about wage and benefit increases. Unions recognize there's strength in numbers, so they don't want to see their bargaining units slashed. Makes sense.
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That's why it took me 2 hours to make the 45min drive home tonight. Bastards. (And I don't even take the turnpike, traffic was spilling back onto other highways.)
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Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Trust me. The guys vacuming your car at the car wash are stealing your quarters
From lower Manhattan to Trenton everyday, he ain't gonna make much.
In memory, i did mistake the TurnPike fer the Parkway tho.
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How much do these toll booth guys make anyway?
eskimo
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Originally posted by Saurdaukar
Hehe - everyone from outside of the state says this.
By contrast, driving elsewhere gives a northeasterner a sense of being naked. :D
that and outside the northeast particularly in the south we gotta watch out for "sun delays"
And people who ride their brakes...
Going UP HILL
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Originally posted by Torque
From lower Manhattan to Trenton everyday, he ain't gonna make much.
In memory, i did mistake the TurnPike fer the Parkway tho.
Off you alone no.
If you have one of those little coin dispensors or keep your change in a little depression in the center console or cupholder they are probably taking one or two or 3 at a time.
Now think about it this way.
This time of year a carwash can do up to 2-3,000 cars a day.
A large chunk of them have those little coin thingies or keep their coins in those other areas.
Even if only 100 of them gets a single quarter in change snatched from them thats $25.
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Here in Illinois, especially Chicago, the trick is to know where to get on and get off on a highway to avoid and go around tollyways.
Get this, my brother who works for a towing company along with DOT, says they'll be doubling the price of tolls and increasing the number of I-PASS tollways.
So far they're pushing this hard in Illinois because:
THEY CAN TRACK YOU (mainly for shipments and truckers who lie in their records and timesheets)
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I miss Chicago. Im stuck in this lame 50k a year job here in Minnesota.
MN sucks.
I am actually gonna quit my job and get back to to east side.:cool:
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On no other road can I make a 3 hour trip in 2:15 without the turnpike...
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Originally posted by eskimo2
How much do these toll booth guys make anyway?
eskimo
not sure but my guess is that the average is more than the average public school teacher makes
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The news tonight said a senior tolltaker makes $21 hr
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I make half that working at Hooters as a busboy and all I do is stare and pretend to work.
Those tollboothers should make a lot more, talk about claustiphobia, dirty coins, cars, people, people who don't speak english, have money, etc.
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Originally posted by RTSigma
Those tollboothers should make a lot more, talk about claustiphobia, dirty coins, cars, people, people who don't speak english, have money, etc.
Look at the tears! :rolleyes: