Reader asks: Why the transponder hate?
QI was reading about the benefits of FasTrak and it made me wonder why people have a problem with getting a transponder.
We got FasTrak in 2002 when my son attended college in San Mateo and he needed to drive over the San Mateo Bridge. My mother, now 96, had it before we did, as she was in SoCal and traveled on toll roads to visit friends. We got the switchable version of FasTrak a couple of years ago in order to periodically take advantage of toll lanes (we don’t use them often, but when needed, they come in handy).
I have it tied to my credit card, so I get a statement each month with details about the charges. It auto-renews, so the account always has a balance of about $20, no matter how much or how little we have used it that month. It is very convenient.
So, why do people have aproblemwithit?Ifit’s because it tracks which bridges and toll roads you have traveled on, they need to take a look at their Google account and see that their cellphone identifies exactly where they have been and when,withtime settings. Google can map out your route and how long you stayed at each location. FasTrak should be the least of their worries.
My advice: Get FasTrak and stop complaining.
— Ed Silky, Dublin
ASome don’t like the transponder if they don’t like toll lanes. Others don’t like fumbling around for the transponder if it’s not in a convenient place in the car. Some get upset when the transponder comes loose. And some don’t like the $25 fee for setting up an account.
QSorry, I seem to be out of it. I’m 91 and getting a bit slow. After the virus eases, I plan to start driving from Santa Rosa to Berkeley again. But what’s this about FasTrak and express lanes? We have FasTrak to get across bridges. Does one need it on fast lanes, say on Highway 101?
— Peter Neumeyer
AYou need a FasTrak transponder whenever you’re in an express lane on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. It can be a regular transponder or a Flex tag transponder. But get the Flex tag transponder if you don’t already have one.
QAnother reason that supports using a transponder for toll roads is the carpool lane. If you have enough people in the car, set the number on the transponder to the occupants in the car, and you drive in the diamond lane for free.
— Roger Mason, Martinez
AThat free ride number of occupants is three on Interstate 880 when the express lanes open Oct. 2.