Ez Tags

[Mark F. Barnes]

Hey Sully go into you EZ STore control panel and set up what options you want for delivery, they have a lot of bells and whistles now.

[Flashman]

Hey Sully go into you EZ STore control panel and set up what options you want for delivery, they have a lot of bells and whistles now.

If you really want a reason NOT to have an EZ Tag (I have one, by the way) here it is:

They track your car. That is how the TransStar website gives current speed for any given segment of a car.

Since we have red light cameras, how long will it be before you get tickets via EZ Tag readers?

Think about it...

[Mark F. Barnes]

Only the ones braking the law have anything to worry about then.

[houstonmacbro]

Only the ones braking the law have anything to worry about then.

That's kind of a weird argument. I mean, I am not breaking the law but it doesn't mean I want the government (local, state or national) snooping on everything I do.

With your logic you could justify the government tapping your phone lines (because you are not a terrorist so what difference does it matter), tracking your Internent usage (you're not building a bomb so it doesn't matter), and seeing what books you rent at the library (because you're not renting books or videos on how to build a bomb).

I mean, c'mon ...

[Mark F. Barnes]

Well see that's where me and you differ. I feel like I have nothing to hide, they want to tap my phone, go for it. Track my Internet usage be my guest. See what you fail to realize is, they are more than likely doing it anyway. If you really knew what all the government did, you would probably hang yourself if it bothers you that bad. You see, tapping my phone and tracking my Internet is not against the law. It's just not admissible in court without a warrant. I really don't worry about who's keeping up with what I do. With the availability of information these days, and the technological advances of surveillance of the present times, I don't really gives a rats behind. I have nothing to hide. I pay my taxes, I don't surf kiddo porn, I don't use 900 numbers or threaten Joe Horn or anyone else for that matter over the phone. I really do not care. Now if nude pictures of my wife show up on the Internet, or heaven for bid my daughters or sons, I will cross that bridge when it comes to that. I do not have one nude photo of my wife of my own, "She don't play like that", and if my grown daughters or sons have made a notorious "Pam and Tommy" tape I pray to God I never have to view it.

But hey everyone has issues of one kind or another, with the government and what they do or don't do. Mine just doesn't have to happen to be with whether they are watching or monitoring me. Mine is more along the line with how much of my tax money they waste on crap, and parties and hunting trips, bought and paid for by yours truly. And the 100's of millions of dollars that are fixing to be blown next November to elect another set of crooks to blow my money on whatever they see fit. You see I'm not particularly partisan as far as Red or Blue, Left or Right, I think they are all worthless. We just have to try and minimize the lessor of two evils so to speak. Believe me Bro EZ TAG is the least of your worries, or at least it should be as far as I am concerned.

[TheNiche]

I mean, c'mon ...

What expectation of privacy should you have when you're in public?

It'd be one thing if they wanted to embed a GPS unit in the EZ Tag that fed them the position of your vehicle every second of every day because there would be cases in which you may be on private property and secluded from view, such that the only basis that they'd have for looking at your vehicle's location would be that you provided consent. But in the current form, they can only track you as you move about a public realm, and anybody can do that, with or without your consent.

[editor]

I have wondered how hard it would be to remove the new ones. If your windshield was going to be replaced (happens frequently here in Houston), could the installers remove it? I got my wife's windshield replaced a few years ago and they were able to remove and replace the inspection and license tags (don't ask me how). They were in perfect condition.

I had two windshields replaced in Houston. Both times the EZ tags were transferred to the new windshield.

[sifuwong]

I have an EZ-Tag for my vehicle. If i want to get another one for my younger sister and have it charged to my account, will i have to make another deposit or can i just have it deducted from my current account. I don't think it makes sense for them to charge my credit card another $40 but not sure how that would work.

[Mark F. Barnes]

I have an EZ-Tag for my vehicle. If i want to get another one for my younger sister and have it charged to my account, will i have to make another deposit or can i just have it deducted from my current account. I don't think it makes sense for them to charge my credit card another $40 but not sure how that would work.

Just get a second tag on the same account, I have 4 on mine, just get her plate number and vehicle type, done deal

[CDeb]

If you really want a reason NOT to have an EZ Tag (I have one, by the way) here it is:

They track your car. That is how the TransStar website gives current speed for any given segment of a car.

Since we have red light cameras, how long will it be before you get tickets via EZ Tag readers?

Think about it...

HUH?

If you're going to get all "conspiracy theory" on us, at least get your facts straight.

The only way they can track your car is by seeing which toll plazas you went through at what time. That's how you get billed.

Your EZ Tag has ZERO to do with Transtar. Speeds reported on TransStar are sensed by either inductive loops in the freeway pavement or radar mounted on sign bridges across the freeway. Your EZ Tag cannot be used to tell how fast you are going. The device just doesn't work that way.

[Timnwendy]

I had two windshields replaced in Houston. Both times the EZ tags were transferred to the new windshield.

How recently did you do that? They only started the new $15-buy-your-own EZtags in 2006. That's when the new rules on them took affect.

[Mark F. Barnes]

How recently did you do that? They only started the new $15-buy-your-own EZtags in 2006. That's when the new rules on them took affect.

My wife had her windshield replace in 2007 in her 4 door Jeep with the new flimsy tag in place. They changed it out just as they did the inspection sticker and registration sticker. With a razorblade scraper and a deft hand. Not an issue.

That's kind of a weird argument. I mean, I am not breaking the law but it doesn't mean I want the government (local, state or national) snooping on everything I do.

With your logic you could justify the government tapping your phone lines (because you are not a terrorist so what difference does it matter), tracking your Internent usage (you're not building a bomb so it doesn't matter), and seeing what books you rent at the library (because you're not renting books or videos on how to build a bomb).

I mean, c'mon ...

[Timnwendy]

My wife had her windshield replace in 2007 in her 4 door Jeep with the new flimsy tag in place. They changed it out just as they did the inspection sticker and registration sticker. With a razorblade scraper and a deft hand. Not an issue.

Very interesting, since HCTRA says they won't work if scraped off and reglued. I'll remember that, thanks for the tip.

[ssullivan]

Hey Sully go into you EZ STore control panel and set up what options you want for delivery, they have a lot of bells and whistles now.

Thanks. Will do that -- didn't realize they have the ability to e-mail you a receipt. That will work for me. When they first started the airport program, that was not an option.

[Captain Impossible]

I just got mine in the mail yesterday, and ended up using it on the Hardy Toll Road this afternoon. I don't know why you wouldn't get one.

[jamesf]

HUH?

Your EZ Tag has ZERO to do with Transtar. Speeds reported on TransStar are sensed by either inductive loops in the freeway pavement or radar mounted on sign bridges across the freeway. Your EZ Tag cannot be used to tell how fast you are going. The device just doesn't work that way.

Not true. The EZ Tags are the primary source of information for the Transtar website. That is how the travel time is calculated. This is from the Houston Transtar website:

The system uses vehicles equipped with transponder tags as vehicle probes. The main source of vehicle probes are commuters using the "EZ-Tag" automatic toll collection system installed by the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA). Transponder tag readers are placed at 1 to 5 mile intervals along freeways and HOV lanes. Each reader senses probe vehicles as they pass a reader station and transmits the time and location of the probes to a central computer over a telephone line. As the probe vehicles pass through successive AVI readers, software calculates average travel times and speeds for a roadway segment. The averages are made available to software which provides the data for the Houston TranStar web site.

http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/aviinfo/avi-hou.html

[CDeb]

Not true. The EZ Tags are the primary source of information for the Transtar website. That is how the travel time is calculated. This is from the Houston Transtar website:

The system uses vehicles equipped with transponder tags as vehicle probes. The main source of vehicle probes are commuters using the "EZ-Tag" automatic toll collection system installed by the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA). Transponder tag readers are placed at 1 to 5 mile intervals along freeways and HOV lanes. Each reader senses probe vehicles as they pass a reader station and transmits the time and location of the probes to a central computer over a telephone line. As the probe vehicles pass through successive AVI readers, software calculates average travel times and speeds for a roadway segment. The averages are made available to software which provides the data for the Houston TranStar web site.

http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/aviinfo/avi-hou.html

AH, OK, you mean average speeds over the course of a long segment, while I was talking about instantaneous speeds at one spot.

I knew they could use EZ Tags for average speeds, but I didn't know they were now doing it. They had always used radar and loop detectors before (and still may be to supplement the data).

Might I offer some advice, though: If they REALLY wanted to track you, they wouldn't need your EZ Tag.

[Flashman]

AH, OK, you mean average speeds over the course of a long segment, while I was talking about instantaneous speeds at one spot.

I knew they could use EZ Tags for average speeds, but I didn't know they were now doing it. They had always used radar and loop detectors before (and still may be to supplement the data).

Might I offer some advice, though: If they REALLY wanted to track you, they wouldn't need your EZ Tag.

The point is that they know your car. They know your speed (I am sure you are aware of the Mean Value Theorem, the basis of all Calculus) and if they want, they could ticket you for exceeding the speed limit on any given section base on the EZ Tag.

I am not worried about "them" tracking me, I am worried about getting a ticket without due process.

[Mark F. Barnes]

The point is that they know your car. They know your speed (I am sure you are aware of the Mean Value Theorem, the basis of all Calculus) and if they want, they could ticket you for exceeding the speed limit on any given section base on the EZ Tag.

I am not worried about "them" tracking me, I am worried about getting a ticket without due process.

Due process doesn't begin until you get the ticket Percy Foreman. If you happen to get a ticket you contest it, take it to court and get all the due process your wallet can stand.

[T 2 THA C]

I remember a story where a guy was going through a divorce and was suspected of cheating and the guy's wife's lawyer pulled up his ez tag records showing when he went through toll gate exits and at what time and it turned out he was not were he said he was. LMAO its crazy what info you can get these days.

[Flashman]

Due process doesn't begin until you get the ticket Percy Foreman. If you happen to get a ticket you contest it, take it to court and get all the due process your wallet can stand.

Well, OK then.

I use the Transtar system but am still not happy about them collecting the data. But as I said above, I use the EZ Tags, too.

But I don't have to like it.

Percy Foreman your own bad self.

[Nate99]

Without congestion, the average speed on the North Belt has to be 75 mph.

I could definitely see fines being levied against anyone whose time between toll plazas was less than that at which a car travelling the the speed limit would have taken. Seems a logical extension of red light cameras to me. Automated revenue generation.

I think though, that speed limits are more universally looked upon as a joke by the voting public than red lights, making such measures less politically workable.

[Trae]

This is what should happen to the Westpark Tollway:

Monthly Invoice

No toll tag? No problem. Drivers without a toll tag also are welcome to use State Highway 121. There

[JLWM8609]

This is what should happen to the Westpark Tollway:

http://www.texas121.org/english/pay.htm

They say the congestion is already bad. Imagine how much worse it could get it such a plan were implemented.

[Trae]

Why would it be any worse? You still have to pay.

[memebag]

I just got mine in the mail yesterday, and ended up using it on the Hardy Toll Road this afternoon. I don't know why you wouldn't get one.

Because I'm cheap. I don't ever drive on toll roads.

[brain]

Is there ay difference between EZtag and TXtag ?

[liammclaren]

All these toll roads, and yet I've still yet to see a reduction in the gasoline tax, which supposedly pays for highways...hmmm....now txdot wants to turn existing roads into tollways...hmmm....

[gto250us]

Having an EZ tag is not a good idea if your regular job is a get-away driver. It's just one more way for the man to keep tabs on you. I will never have one.

[CDeb]

Is there ay difference between EZtag and TXtag ?

Just the agency who sells them. I could be mistaken, but I believe you can use any Texas agency electronic toll tag on any toll road in Texas. Your HCTRA EZ Tag will work in Dallas and Austin (I've used mine in Austin) and a TxTag will work in Houston.