The good thing about having a standardized statewide electronic toll collection system is that it’s interoperable between jurisdictions, thus allowing you to take advantage of price disparities among the different agencies and corporations that use it. San Diego and the Orange County toll roads require a $1 a month service fee, while the 91 Express Lanes require a start-up fee or a minimum monthly toll of $7. The San Francisco Bay Area toll bridges have neither a start-up fee, nor a monthly service fee.

In the last three years I’ve made only two trips on the 91 Freeway east of the 5, but both times I wanted desperately to pay for the privilege of driving past chumps in the Express Lanes. I’ve also been to the Bay Area a few times and have had to stop at the toll gate to pay cash like a commoner. Now I’ve found a cheap and easy way to get in that upper echelon of the electronically privileged. God bless the Internets.

NaBloPoMo 18