Perhaps a racial slur and a vulgarity to go with your change? Believe it or not, a pile of complaints from drivers along the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway claim some toll collectors are doling out too much mean with their green.
TheSmokingGun.com obtained dozens of complaints filed with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Among them:
"Patron said that toll collector was rude. She called him the N-word."
"Patron dropped a dime. Toll collector called him a f---ing moron."
"Collector said I have a way to keep young ladies awake. He said I flash them. Are you interested?"
"I'm going to find out what the exact procedures are, but if I find out it happens, and it can be corroborated, I will personally rip the toll taker out of the lane," acting director of the New Jersey Department of Transportation James Simpson said.
The head of the toll collectors union said most of her hard-working members are friendly. Franceline Ehret says the driving public can actually be quite rude, but she acknowledged that's not a reason for inappropriate behavior.
"We don't want anybody that is going to make the rest of us look bad," she said. "Obviously, we want the Turnpike to have a good image. It's good for all of us."
Many times, toll collectors will not face proper discipline because the offended driver refuses to provide personal testimony about what happened. That is something to remember when filing a complaint about a rude toll collector.
