Ever since I got my license nearly ten years ago, I make sure to pose for the camera every time I go through a toll. I've done it for so long, it has become a habit to make a kissy face or wave dramatically as I cruise through the EZ pass lane.

I'm not going to lie though, catch me on the wrong day and I may or may not shoot up my middle finger to the cameras as a speed through the flashing camera lights. I've done it a few times when I was younger but stopped when I realized that someone may actually look at the pictures that are being taken.

I always wondered who exactly is on the other side of those cameras. Who is the person or thing that reads the EZ Pass card or license plate number? Does an actual person ever see the faces of the people driving the cars? Will I get arrested or fined if I flip off the toll camera for taking my 2 dollars just to drive on a highway? All these questions have ran through my mind, so I did some digging.

I found out that it is perfectly okay to smile, wave or even flip off a toll camera. That's mainly because no human being will actually ever see your picture. According to PA Turnpike, the EZ pass transponder is a radio frequency device. As you drive into the toll area, an antenna mounted below the E-ZPass sign will read the transponder and that is how you pay. The picture is deleted right after.

In the case where you are going through a toll with no EZ pass or cash option, the cameras are designed to only take pictures of the front and back of your license plate. Your face is never captured.

“State law prevents, and the cameras do not take, an image of the persons in the vehicle. Only the license plate area is captured,” said N.H. Department of Transportation spokesman Bill Boynton said.

So there you have it....if you feel the need o flip someone off, it is perfectly okay to flip off a toll camera.

 

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