"They've" done it again! "You want me to what

[Niftymedi911]

Richard, here in Lee County, Fla. LeeWay (Lee County Transportation Authority) issues the "LeeWay Passes" which are equal to the "Sunpass" in the rest of the state. There are four tolled bridges in Lee county. Cape Coral Bridge, MidPoint Bridge, Boca Grande Brdg (privately owned by the Gasparilla Island Transit Authority) and the Sanibel Causeway. The CC brdg has tolls for westbound traffic heading into CC. The toll is $2.00. There is no toll coming from CC eastbound. The Midpoint brdg has tolls coming westbound from Fort Myers into CC. No tolls going eastbound. Toll: $2.00. The Sanibel Causeway is a network of three brdgs that span the mouth of the Caloosahattchee River when it enters into the Gulf of Mexico. That is also only tolled westbound heading towards Sanibel and is not tolled coming off the island. Toll is $6.00. The GITA, tolls $5.00 for coming onto the island but not off. All county vehicles, beit PD, Sheriff's Office, EMS, FD, have a Sun Pass installed in the windshield for tolls. County Employees do not pay out of pocket while in county vehices. However, when anyone is in their POV. Reguardless of circumstance, you must pay out of pocket. LeeWay bills the county agency responsible for the device and that comes out of their operating budget or account they have set up. It really sucks the most when you work Sanibel (Medic 5) for a month and have to go over the brdg every 3rd day and have to shell out the $6.00 each trip just to get to work.

[JakeEMTP]

As the Original Poster, I ask we try to stay on topic.

It has been pointed out that someone has to pay for bridge and tunnel maintenance, but can the number of emergency and city services vehicles be doing that much need for that maintenance?

I agree Richard. I don't mind pay to cross bridges and enter tunnels. I do however, HATE being gouged by the MTA. Considering the amount of traffic that crosses the GW daily, and how long it has been standing, why are the rates some sky high? When I drove semi I used to go to Long Island frequently. $50.00 for the GW and $45.00 for the Throgs Neck. Oh and the Throgs Neck toll was both ways. I'm sure they can afford to let emergency vehicles have a free pass.

At least they let me off Staten Island for free. Wait, what does that say?

[Richard B the EMT]

The Verrizano Bridge charges $10.00 to go from Brooklyn to Staten Island, but no charge the other direction. There is a charge, that I forget, from New Jersey to Staten Island, possibly one way only, but it has been a while from when last I traveled that way.

The George Washington Bridge charges for going to New York, but no charge to Fort Lee, NJ. Says something for Fort Lee, don't it?

However, the bridges and tunnels between New York and New Jersey are, I think, a dual state agency, the "Port Authority of New York and New Jersey". They may either be a part of the MTA, or the MTA is actually a part of them.

[dahlio]

There is a charge, that I forget, from New Jersey to Staten Island, possibly one way only, but it has been a while from when last I traveled that way.

Want to say the last time I was on the goethals, it was six bucks, but these things seem to rise weekly.

[Don1977]

I never knew I had a tail coming out of my ass, ate bananas and swing on trees...

How about this word....... "Firefighters" , Come on, I know you can say it........

[JakeEMTP]

How about this word....... "Firefighters" , Come on, I know you can say it........

Nope, can't do it. :wink:

[emtannie]

First, my apologies to Richard, as I am going to sidetrack his thread one last time.....

They say it everyday, as they take our jobs and the food out of the mouths of our families. But I understand you don't get that perspective much in Canadia.

Okay, you asked for it. You're stupid.

The context of the statement was that I don't have any more concern about firemonkeys dying in accidents than the civilians who die in the same accidents. That is equal compassion for all men, apparently something you either do not have or do not understand.

Dust, what I find incredibly disappointing is, as someone who has many times bemoaned the unprofessionalism in EMS, you defend your comment and position as "well they do it." The context of your original statement was not that your concern was equal for firefighters and civilans. Your specific comment was "Not that I care...." and then continued "unfortunately, ..." regarding the civilians..

It appears that I was not the only one who "misunderstood" your comments. Your comments in this thread, directed specifically at firefighters, and those who have responded to your comments have been less than professional. How can EMS as a profession, be seen as professional when you, who claim to be such a professional, stoop to the derogatory comments and name-calling as you have demonstrated in this thread?

Now, Richard, I promise I will not derail your thread again....

I do have a couple of questions regarding this...

Is it possible that the writing of a single cheque for $10 million is cheaper than administration of hundreds of trips across these bridges in the course of the year and the charges for each individual trip? Just curious there... maybe that is where they are attempting to save money (however I doubt it).

Has the city given any firm figures on what the annual cost of maintenence is? Is part of the cost going onto a specific reserve fund to cover replacement cost when the bridge requires replacement? Again, just curious...

[Dustdevil]

Dust, what I find incredibly disappointing is, as someone who has many times bemoaned the unprofessionalism in EMS, you defend your comment and position as "well they do it."

That is not what I said. I was not defending my my post. It needs no defence. I was merely refuting your incorrect statement, which implied that the firemonkeys would never do such a thing to us. That's not defence. That's just fact.

The context of your original statement was not that your concern was equal for firefighters and civilans. Your specific comment was "Not that I care...." and then continued "unfortunately, ..." regarding the civilians..

It appears that I was not the only one who "misunderstood" your comments.

I don't believe I ever said there was only one person on this forum with a comprehension problem.

How can EMS as a profession, be seen as professional when you, who claim to be such a professional, stoop to the derogatory comments and name-calling as you have demonstrated in this thread?

This is not about EMS. It has nothing to do with EMS, until you brought it up. I'm not even in EMS. And I care not one iota what firemonkeys think of my professionalism.

[Richard B the EMT]

BACK ON TOPIC, PEOPLE!!!

I am going to mention that this comes as Mayor Mike Bloomberg is demanding that all city agencies must cut their expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year.

How?

When you have all our city agencies pared already to the bone, what next, cut bone?

I also mention that the MTA area that runs the subway trains is going to shelve the plans for the "Second Avenue Subway", needed for the East side of town, as the Lexington Avenue line has been filled to overcapacity from prior to when I rode it to High School in the early 1970s.

My mother tells me that the city started to build the Second Avenue Subway at least 4 times from 1935 or so, sold the bonds, and the plans got shelved back then, too.

If I have grandchildren, I wonder if they will have that train line in use for them.

Anyone good at fortunetelling have a clue?

[dougd]

Richard,

I'm still confused by one point here. The MTA is allowed to charge the city for vehicles going over their bridges and tunnels - even if they're running hot? (Your original post makes it sound as if responding units get charged by the EZ-Pass system.) Do they charge NYC when those units respond to an MVA on the bridge?

Amusing, although I do recall some tool booth collectors for the Ohio Turnpike Commission trying to charge a hazmat team and an emergency management director maximum tolls for their trucks because one of them had no ticket, and the other was attempt to exit at the same toll both they had entered at. Both units had responded to a tanker spill on the turnpike. After much arguing and a couple of rounds of phone calls, the issue was resolved. Important lesson: Always get a toll ticket and have it signed by a state trooper when you respond to an accident on their road. :roll:

The big headache for private ambulances in Cleveland is the red-light cameras. (And why, oh why, would you put a red-light camera two blocks from an ER entrance?) Where I work, we've often received tickets in the mail with a nice color picture, clearly showing an ambulance with emergency lights on, going through an intersection 45 or 60 seconds after the red time. It's a joke. My employer fights them if the lights are flashing, otherwise they bill the crew for the $150 fine. And has anyone noticed just how short the yellow time is at an intersection once a camera is put in? Gee, it's almost as if the companies running these companies are ignoring traffic engineering standards and setting them to ensure that more motorists blow the red by a second. :ky:

(And no, I haven't received one yet... I figure any green light that I come up to is probably stale enough that it's going to turn red on me before I get there...)