This might seem like a minor problem to some, but I assure it was a big deal for us on a recent trip from our home in Florida to Hill Country, TX. One of the Supercharger stops (which happens to also be a Tesla showroom and Service Center) is in Houston. Anyone who has never driven in Houston, let me tell you, the only place in my long driving experience that has more traffic, faster drivers, etc. is Boston! Anyway, I was following the turn by turn directions on my 17" display to get to the supercharger. I was driving north on Hwy 8. I was in the far left lane trying to pass and the traffic was VERY heavy. Suddenly, a sign popped up saying "Last Exit before Tolls -- NO CASH!!" There was no way short of a panic stop that I was going to make that exit. So I did the only thing I could do --- drive on. I tried to get off at the very next exit, but there was no toll booth, just a whole bunch of cameras. So I decided to press on. It was like that the rest of the way. Apparently, I had to have an RF-ID device called "Easy Pass" or some such. I gather it's a lot like Sun Pass in South Florida which I bought on a recent trip down there.
Then, I tried to find the option in Google Maps that lets you avoid tolls. There appears to be none. I expect to receive a fine by mail in the next few weeks, and I am told it will be a whopper. Allegedly, Texas Highway Patrol is really cracking down on toll violators, especially those from out of state.
I found the Tesla shop [with supercharger] and asked the Tesla sales people for some local advice and since it was a weekend, they told me there is no way to talk to a human at Easy Pass. So I asked for advice on a way to leave town by avoiding toll roads. There is nothing EASY about Easy Pass.
But on the return trip, the very same thing happened. This time, at least, I was quick enough to leave the recommended road before the toll started. But then, it was trial and error. I'd drive up some other road shown on the map hoping it was not also a toll road. This process ended up taking about an hour longer than the time predicted on the Google Maps screen the first time. We managed to find our way without the benefit of GPS turn by turn instructions, but it took forever, trying one route to check to see if it, too, is a toll road.
Can anybody advise if there is, in fact, a way to avoid tolls, or at least see by a color code whether the suggested road is a toll road before getting hit with a big fine. I haven't had a ticket in over 40 years and I don't relish the idea of paying for this one.
The car did not have one hiccup on the drive (2756 miles in all) and the Superchargers were supreme! It was really our first long trip in the new Model S and I LOVED every minute except for this little incident. If this turns into a $50 fine or worse, I'm likely to pop a blood vessel!
Then, I tried to find the option in Google Maps that lets you avoid tolls. There appears to be none. I expect to receive a fine by mail in the next few weeks, and I am told it will be a whopper. Allegedly, Texas Highway Patrol is really cracking down on toll violators, especially those from out of state.
I found the Tesla shop [with supercharger] and asked the Tesla sales people for some local advice and since it was a weekend, they told me there is no way to talk to a human at Easy Pass. So I asked for advice on a way to leave town by avoiding toll roads. There is nothing EASY about Easy Pass.
But on the return trip, the very same thing happened. This time, at least, I was quick enough to leave the recommended road before the toll started. But then, it was trial and error. I'd drive up some other road shown on the map hoping it was not also a toll road. This process ended up taking about an hour longer than the time predicted on the Google Maps screen the first time. We managed to find our way without the benefit of GPS turn by turn instructions, but it took forever, trying one route to check to see if it, too, is a toll road.
Can anybody advise if there is, in fact, a way to avoid tolls, or at least see by a color code whether the suggested road is a toll road before getting hit with a big fine. I haven't had a ticket in over 40 years and I don't relish the idea of paying for this one.
The car did not have one hiccup on the drive (2756 miles in all) and the Superchargers were supreme! It was really our first long trip in the new Model S and I LOVED every minute except for this little incident. If this turns into a $50 fine or worse, I'm likely to pop a blood vessel!
