Re: Paper Is Out, Cellphones Are In [Telecom]

|There's two separate issues. One is electronic payment, the other is |tracking. It's really true that ETC* is faster and cheaper, |particularly when they've installed equipment that allows toll |collection as people drive by at full speed. | |On the other hand, there's no inherent reason that ETC requires |tracking. At the Niagara Falls bridges, you buy an Express Pass for |cash at a toll booth, and refill it by presenting it back at a toll |booth with more cash. They're quite clear that it's a bearer |instrument, they don't know who you are, and if you lose it, tough |luck unless you saved a receipt so they know which pass to cancel and |reissue. The lack of cash payment for ETC is the issue, not ETC |itself.

The fact that they can cancel a pass if you have a receipt suggests that they can also track you, they just don't know who you are... initially. So maybe there are three issues. :)

Dan Lanciani ddl@danlan.*com

Reply to
Dan Lanciani
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I suppose so, sort of like a prepaid phone card, the card has a serial number so they can tie multiple uses together even though they don't know who you are. But like a phone card, you can have as many as you want.

On the other hand, in reality, nobody can cross these bridges anonymously at all. They're an international border, next stop after the toll is Canada customs.

Reply to
John Levine

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