Some windshield coatings can block transponder signals

Q

I sympathize with the commuter whose transponder didn’t read on Highway 237.

We purchased a new car, and our transponder would not read in it, no matter where we placed the transponder. It worked fine in our other car. Now every time we use it in the newer car, I have to check online to see if our account was charged. FasTrak sent us a new transponder, which did not read either.

After several calls to FasTrak and the car dealer, I found that our windshield was one of many that had a coating that prevents the transponder signal from being read. There is a small area next to the rearview mirror that is supposed to allow the signal to pass through. I will be trying it soon, and hopefully it will resolve our issue.

— Jeff Hacker,

Palo Alto

A

You are right. Some windshield coatings seem to be blocking transponder signals. You run the risk of being charged as a solo driver this way. An option is to get a FasTrak transponder that attaches to the front bumper.

Q

I depend on the Posey and Webster tubes to commute. In spite of the fact that they were built in 1937 and go underwater rather than through rock, they have proven to be very sturdy and serviceable.

But driving back home to Alameda the other day, I compared the cleanliness of the Webster Tube to the Caldecott Tunnel from recent trips through there. The white tile in the Webster Tube is so coated with black dirt that people have been writing on the walls by presumably using a moist rag to spell out words.

I know from years of driving through them that the Posey and Webster tubes are not cleaned more than every few years. In addition, the lights are old, yellow, and dim, so that entrance on a sunny day does not allow you to see if there are stopped vehicles just inside the entrance.

What is the cleaning schedule for each tube? Our tubes are the lifeline, along with our four bridges, to get out of Alameda in a disaster, or for emergency responders to come to Alameda. — Maxie P.,

Alameda

A

The Posey Tube is being cleaned now, and the Webster Tube will be cleaned in March. The work will be done from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on alternating tubes. The work will last through March.

Q

I noticed blue lawn signs every 10 feet or so on Pearl Avenue in San Jose urging drivers to slow down or put their phone away. Kudos to those who put them up.

— Crystal Dill, San Jose

A

These signs can grab a driver’s attention.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/ mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@ bayareanewsgroup.com or 408-920-5335.