Help Me Hank: Fast Lane Foul Up

You've got to love the Fast Lane. While the other guys are waiting in line and searching for change, you're zooming through! Your transponder tells the computer you're a paying customer--and the tollbooth even says thank you.

That’s why Lynn Dale of Weston Fast Lanes it to work every day.

Lynn Dale
"You just shoot right through."

Like thousands of others, Lynn pays her tolls by credit card, so when her tollbooth light said, "call fast lane" she did, but that road led nowhere.

Lynn Dale
"It was the classic case of no people, just wait-wait-wait-ring-ring-ring."

She got the light a couple more times, still nothing.

Lynn Dale
"I was told to leave a message and she'd call me back."

What arrived was violation notice: it had a snapshot of her car taken by the Fast Lane cameras, and said she hadn't paid the turnpike toll. Penalty: $50. Lynn made another phone call--nothing.

Lynn Dale
"Really frustrating."

And then another violation notice arrived, and another one and another one, and another one!

Lynn Dale
"It was not only $50, then it was $70. Then it was $90 a pop, times about 45 violation notices and I couldn’t get anyone to tell me what the problem was."

Finally she got a pike person to explain her credit card had expired. OK, easy fix, all paid—violations dismissed.

But then, the mail arrived.

Lynn Dale
"I got a letter from the registry saying they wouldn’t be renewing my car registration."

Turns out the Fast Lane told the registry Lynn still had six outstanding violations!

Lynn Dale
"And that’s when I called 'Help Me Hank'."

That’s when we called bob bliss--the Fast Lane's problem-solving PR guy.

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"She says no one called her back what about that?"

Bob Bliss, Mass Pike
"Somebody should have absolutely called her back."

We showed him the so-called "outstanding violations".

Hank
"What happened to these six?"

Bob Bliss
"I don't have a good answer to that."

But when Bob Bliss calls, the Fast Lane responds, and all of Lynn's ticket troubles were instantly dismissed.

And now Lynn, with a renewed registration is back to - you knew we'd say it -life in the fast lane.

Lynn Dale
"The Fast Lane is terrific."

Officials do insist the Fast Lane works perfectly - literally - 99 percent of the time. So what consumer battle are you fighting--maybe I can help!

Click here to contact the Mass Turnpike Authority about the Fast Lane.