Pennsylvania Turnpike - Excessive Time?

I've used the PA Pike all my truckin' life. This week, I had the pleasure to use it again (<---sarcasm).

Got on from the Jersey side (276 - Exit 6 off the Jersey Pike) headed west. Picked up my Pennsylvania ticket at 11:46 pm. Drove over to he Valley Forge Plaza, as I have many times prior, and took my 10 hour break...safely & legally parked and secured at the service plaza. Got up, did my thing, then proceeded on my way. I had one more pick-up to make off the Lebanon-Lancaster exit this particular morning. I get off, exit through the far right "CASH" lane and the arrogant %$^#$@#$ in the toll booth wants to charge me for "excessive time" spent on the turnpike. Now the regular class 6 rate for my turnpike travel was 32.65...I don't know how much more he was going to charge me because I inquired of him "What the %&^$ do you mean "excessive time"? I just took my mandatory 10-hour break and not a minute more!?"

His reply was not typical of the majority of the toll takers that I have handed over thousands of Benjamins to over my years of driving big truck. This guy was an absolute, certified, homogenized, pasteurized ^&%$% in his reply. Quickly, he told me he didn't care what I was required to do or who told me I was required to do it. He said I had spent excessive time on the turnpike according to his computer and I would have to pay for it. I have no idea how much but it didn't matter at this point if it was going to cost me an extra Lincoln-headed penny...he wasn't getting it from me. I'm a nice guy but as I encounter attitudes that Mom & Dad didn't fix when they were kids...well, I consider it is my job to educate and inform where parents failed. "Call the cops, the DOT or your boss...or whoever you have to call. This is settled right here and now."...says me. "And I want the regulation...book, chapter and verse of that ruling because that will work to my advantage from this day forward. I will no longer have to break as long as I travel the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I can work all the overtime I want without fear of being punished."

He decides that this time he will let me go and rips off a small handout and tells me it's all on here (the form was labeled Customer Information). I pay my toll and pull out. After heading down to my last pickup, I notice this handout has absolutely nothing to do with "excessive time" explanation or anything else truck related other than "weight disputes", etc. So, I immediately put in a call to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to check on this. I will receive a call from them on Monday to verify this but while I wait, I wonder has anyone else had such an experience? I did some Googling today and found several instances of toll takers on the PA Pike being fired for playing with the axles, weights, times, etc and apparently there is a way for them to manipulate the detection device manually at times in certain situations. Bottom line...they can make the ticket/toll cost appear to be less while charging you the actual rate. Slip the diff into their purse and nobody is the wiser. Except, they get fired when audits are performed. I don't know if this *&^&%^ had bad intentions or not but I am certain he is absolutely wrong in his directive to me that I cannot take a 10-hour break anywhere on the Turnpike.

You?

 

I saw that 24 hour thing, Double R but I was on the Turnpike approximately 12 total hours with 10 of that being my 10-hour and approximately 80-85 travel miles so give me at most an hour and a half driving time for that.

This just sounded totally out-of-whack to me. I'll get the word Monday I guess from someone who is willing to put their name by the directive.

 

He can be identified by the info on the toll receipt which I will report to his higher-ups tomorrow.

Thanks for the heads up on the Hoosier turnpike.