TollBoothGuy
5 Years Experience
Brooklyn, NY
Male, 33
I spent just short of five years as a toll collector on the western end of New York State. Ask me anything, but please don't pay me in pennies.
We classify vehicles based on height and axles on the ground. Anything below 7'6" is classified a 'low' and anything above 7'6" is a 'high'. So an average car is classified as a 2L while an average tractor trailer is classified as a 5H. Luckily, we don't have to take weight or commercial status into consideration when classifying. I know that a different system was in place preceding my arrival and that it had been become somewhat complicated, so this system was installed in an effort to simply the process. (Something about noting the number of passengers on buses, etc...)
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Tim,
I'm going to level with you. There are no prospects. The boredom is perpetual. GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN, MAN!
Alright. Now that I've got that out of my system, I can give you some actual advice. I'm not sure about your actual employment situation, or for that matter, the structure of the toll system that employs you. However, the future facing any toll collector on this side of the Atlantic, is well, not great. Part-time employees rarely see opportunity for advancement, and when they do arise, hours are not great and relocation is often involved. Full-time employees often have a little more going for them in terms of benefits and job security, but not a whole lot of organizational growth prospects. Even if you are up for some kind of advancement, organizations like this often work at a very bureaucratic pace.
So where does this leave us, Tim? I'm not sure, actually. I had the benefit of doing the job while in college, giving me some hope for the future. When I spent a full year post-graduation still at this job, I nearly had a complete breakdown. The job is good for a certain type of person. I was not that person, and it doesn't seem that you are either. Even if it provides for you, if it doesn't engage you, challenge you, and fulfill you, it isn't worth your time. Use your time around the job productively. If you have other interests, pursue them. Use the job for what it is in the interim, and set goals. Big goals. Goals that your co-workers will shrug at and laugh off. You're outgrown this challenge, Tim. On to the next.
(And if your personal situation prohibits a new path, read as much as you can while you're out on the road, and be good to all that cross through your booth. You never know what's around the corner...)
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I don't really know anything about operations at the Triborough Bridge but this might shed some light on your experience:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triborough_Bridge_and_Tunnel_Authority_Police
It looks like these officers may collect tolls from time to time, which might explain the potential ticket. Pure speculation from my perspective, though.
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I'll be honest, I'm not sure if anyone can be held liable in that situation. Usually when any kind of incident happens out on the road, drivers can request to make a report to whatever law enforcement agency has jurisdiction. Personally, I'd never instruct a car to back up out of a lane unless absolutely necessary and I would physically get out of my booth and back everyone up so that this kind of situation has as little chance of happening as possible. Sorry to hear about the damages to your vehicle.
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I took no extra security precautions while I was out on the road. I never felt particularly unsafe, even during solo shifts.
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Those lots are reserved for employees and other authorized individuals and are not to be used by the general public. If you have to stop off for a second that's generally okay, but you would not be able to park your vehicle there for any significant length of time.
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Nope! In our system, collectors are audited based on what they their expected cash total is versus what they deposited. A deficit that small would not be flagged for review. Through the course of a shift, collectors are often shorted by some amount of change by a number of cars and conversely sometimes cars drop too much in our hands and drive off. Oddly enough it generally evens out well enough. There were a couple times where I got shorted a bit and threw a dollar or two in my tray because I never made it back.
Don't sweat a penny though. Trust me, we ALWAYS have pennies laying around.
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