[767Jockey]

Are these "e-tags" mandatory? Here in New York we have something called EZPass which is a transponder type device that you can choose to use which allows you to drive through toll booths to avoid the long cash only lines at the booths. The tag identifies you and the toll is charged directly to your credit card without you stopping.

What you are describing was almost exactly the revenue raising scheme proposed by some short sighted politicians, misusing the EZPass tags. The very quick response from the EZPass users was a flood of EZPass transponders returned to the agency that issues them along with notes proposing that the director of the issuing agency perform various very creative yet anatomically impossible feats with them. The lines at the toll booths would have become a nightmare with almost all of the EZPass system shut down. The revenue raising scheme was quickly withdrawn.

They do however have one additional good use for these EZPass transponders now. The tags are read as we enter some of our more traffic delayed roadways. However they are completely deidentified. They are then read again as we exit at various points, and we now have some pretty neat traffic signs that tell you at the entrance to the roadway how long it will take you at current traffic conditions to get to various exits. It's all computerized and based on reading the EZPass transponders of everyone as they enter and exit the roadway in real time. It works really well.