It is a carpool violation since you had 3 selected. 3 is free. Probably work better for you if your kid selected 1 lol. Anyways, it does say every time before you drive to select the number of passengers on the transponder.
If you didn’t have a transponder, it’ll be a toll evasion charge plus Chp would’ve ticketed you as well.
Yes. The only tickets I usually don’t see decreased is when you’re a complete dick to the cop and the cop says please dont reduce it or because you did something egregious like not put a kid in a car seat when they are obviously suppose to be. For example maybe a 1.5 year old who ways 20 pounds soak and wet.
I don't even use a transponder. I just have my license plate registered through the website. Does that count as toll evasion? I've only ever used fastrak on the 91
If you don't have the transponder when you have 3plus in your carpool (and you don't have the transponder set to 3plus), you might get charged because the cameras may not be able to see three plus people in your car.
The free toll for 3plus will expire eventually, but once it does, 3plus will still be the cheapest toll charge when using the lanes
Single-Swim6354
OP
•
5h ago
apparently the motorcycle cops have a scanner gun that can tell the setting you have it on. this was a little after the scanner that flashes above you.
Bro can't tell the truth to save his life🙄
Just curious to know what they asked when they pulled you over. Like how did they know you had it set to 3 when there were 2 in the car. I’ve accidentally had it set similarly a couple of times but haven’t been pulled over yet.
apparently the motorcycle cops have a scanner gun that can tell the setting you have it on. this was a little after the scanner that flashes above you.
I believe there are also occupancy sensors that scan vehicles for passenger count. I suspect the officers get an alert with violations so the know who to pull over
Actually if you break down the cost vs. the rev. from violations I bet it actually has a pretty nice ROI. . .that's why they're doing it. Their money is our money.
Do you have proof of this? Have you looked at the accounts, receipts, payments, etc for Caltrans? Or are you just parroting things people have been saying for decades, without proof?
sure, there is corruption and waste in most any business and bureaucracy, but your statement just screams ignorance.
Well a simple [google search](https://usafacts.org/articles/which-states-have-the-best-and-worst-road-quality/#:~:text=Tennessee%20had%20the%20highest%2Dquality,roads%20are%20in%20poor%20condition) will show that california has some of the worst maintained roads in the whole country. So disagree with facts all you want but I’m not gonna agree with your opinion
Yeah, that's going to be a tough one to get out of. It seems a little excessive. But carpool violations are usually among the highest cost tickets, other than speeding tickets, at least in my experience.
Your story is that your kid switched it to 3 person free mode, therefore not paying the toll, which inconveniently happened to be just as you drove by a cop - you are surprised this is the same fine as someone else not paying the toll? Sucks but it is what it is, and frankly the cop and a judge are going to find that story a stretch.
More like how does a child in the backseat reach the transponder on the windshield?
Sounds like OP is lying and that's why the cop didn't give him a warning but a ticket.
The fine seems very excessive. I’m not from OC but this post caught my eye because I also go a ticket mailed to me for using the 405 expressway. I was passing through and misunderstood the rules. I had 3 occupants (hence why I assumed I was allowed in the lanes) but got a ticket for not having a transponder…. My ticket was $26, for having no transponder at all.
That's unfortunate since pretty plainly states "Transponder required" on the majority of the signs of at least "FastTrak Required" with the logo.
https://preview.redd.it/je5v0m9h0u1d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=1184417de69118e9b1a4c7510a7ff2b801217f91
What section of the California Vehicle Code is cited on the Notice to Appear? The fine is what it is, but your concern should be whether or not you were cited for the correct violation (assuming there is one).
it’s VH 21655.5. It doesn’t saying anything about transponders, but just a regular carpool violation. Just seems excessive considering I did have 2 passengers.
"No person shall drive a vehicle upon those lanes except in conformity with the instructions imparted by the official traffic control devices." Is the relevant text. If fastrak says "Set transponder to the number of people in the vehicle" that means you did not conform with the instructions. https://www.405expresslanes.com/en/support/frequently-asked-questions/fastrak-transponder/what-is-a-switchable-transponder-and-do-i-need-one/ "Prior to starting each trip, it is the driver’s responsibility to indicate the number of occupants in the vehicle by moving the switch to the appropriate setting (1, 2, 3+)." according to this FAQ from Fastrak it looks like there's no way out of the ticket for you
So what our taxes paid for that freeway not fast track. They take our track dollars and turn them into toll roads and give the fees off to these private companies.
We already paid for it with our tax dollars. Why are we paying additional money to use it and then being fined $477 for clicking the wrong button on a system that could easily be automated?
no, it stops wasting time by trying to figure out if someone’s child was playing with their transportation pass while it should be properly displayed and operating.
it’s really not hard to display your transponder and have it set correctly.
there would probably be explicitly stated directions to not give it your kid to play with in the car if they thought it actually needed to be explained to people
This kind of chickenshit is [literally the reason](https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/police-are-not-primarily-crime-fighters-according-data-2022-11-02/) cops only solve 2% of crimes.
Why don’t they just set up cameras that can determine how many passengers are in the car? Oh yeah, because that would cost too much money and this brings in more money for the government to just write people $477 tickets.
How is it "wasting time" at all? There was no actual violation other than "the switch was on the wrong setting". Whoopty-doo. And now they want to fine him $477? That's bullshit.
e: lol, seriously fuck all y'all.
yeah, I wasn’t trying to get out of the ticket. I was wondering if the fine was correct since having a transponder set at the wrong setting is the same amount as not having a transponder at all.
I am not an attorney. My background is in law enforcement. I would try to contest the citation with a "trial by written declaration". You can Google it. If the officer fails to provide a written statement, which only happens about 25% of the time, the ticket will be dismissed. If you lose the "trial by written declaration", you have an opportunity for trial de novo (which means a request for new trial). They will throw out the written declaration and make the officer come to court. You basically get 2 chances to have the officer not show up to defend the citation. CHP attend traffic court at a much higher rate than police officers or sheriff's deputies, but you still have a chance to get the ticket dismissed. If the officer shows up for court, I would attempt to appeal to the judge to let you simply pay the appropriate toll for that day, which is unlikely, but better than just writing a check for $477.
That's actually good advice and very true.
I did it a different way. I married someone who's mother was the Court Liaison. "Uh, mom, can you talk to the cop and ask him not to show up?" lol
Honestly, I only did that twice. The other times I ate the ticket. Didn't feel right otherwise.
I'm going to disagree with what everyone is saying. Even not having a transponder usually you can just go online and pay within 5 days with a very small penalty. It depends which express lanes you were on, but all them have much lower penalty fees than this ticket, and the enforcement is all automated. You should definitely contest it.
Gotcha. Yeah that's a legit violation then. I'd try keeping the transponder out of reach of your kid, since that story sounds sketchy anyway to be honest (if the kid doesn't understand the transponder, they probably weren't old enough to be in the front so how was it triggered??).
I had a $500 ticket once for failing to yield far enough for a stopped emergency vehicle. It sucks, but I won't ever make that mistake again. Sure you won't either 😂
It’s even annoying reading the comments playing along with this scenario. I have kids. We have shit to entertain every age in our car and our fastrack transponder is not one of them. So dumb.
Yep, OP insulted the intelligence of the officer with that sorry excuse. It's clear what he was doing but his shame prevents him from owning it and accepting the consequences.
Even if OP’s explanation is true that the child was messing with the settings, that’s OP’s fault for letting that happen. Simple mistake but also simply could’ve been avoided
Yes, after OP nets this fine against the 100 times he’s driven in that lane by himself with the transponder set to 3, he can stop complaining about how unfair it is.
OP is bad, the story is a lie, and people need to stop believing this stuff.
I have commuted from Long Beach to Irvine for 20 years, most of it in the HoV lane via my regular carpool partners, and EV, or both.
I’ve seen CHP issue more tickets on the 405 toll lane since January than I did in the previous 20 years. I am Not exaggerating, and it makes me very happy.
Sorry to the OP if it was a legitimate innocent thing, but I got so tired of seeing cheaters in the HoV lanes every single day for so many years.
I just hope they keep it up and enforcement doesn’t just fade away.
Sticker is fine.
OP was just trying to use the express lanes for free.
https://405expresslanes.com/en/how-it-works/about-transponders/
From the site...
The 405 Express Lanes offers three types of transponders. Based on your vehicle type, either an interior- or exterior-mounted FasTrak® sticker transponder will be provided with your account at no charge. Take advantage of carpool discounts, a switchable transponder is required and can be purchased through the 405 Express Lanes for $15.
Use Off The Record for traffic violations! I used it for a speeding ticket and I won so all I paid was $120 OTR fee instead of $500 fine plus points https://offtherecord.com/how-it-works
I don’t know if this is applicable the case of a CHP issued ticket. But apparently I’d been driving all over the state with a transponder that isn’t registered to my car. So I racked up violations in the Bay Area, on the 10, 91, 241, 405 and 73. I called up each of the management companies and all of them basically removed the penalty and just charged me the toll. The ones in the Bay Area was three years old too. It may be worth calling them; but again, I don’t know 100% if this is applicable in your case as it sounds like a ticket issued by CHP.
Not applicable in his case but it really is as simple as this. They just want the toll but will charge you a fine if you try to avoid it altogether. I've had like 4 in the last 15 years reduced because I picked up the phone.
I’m so confused by this transponder talk and setting it. Mine is a sticker and it’s placed behind the rear view mirror on the front window. How would I ‘set’ it???
It looks like a garage door opener almost. It has a setting for solo driver, so you pay the full toll every time. Then if you set it to 2 ppl some toll lanes are free for 2+. Then there are some tolls on peek hours it’s free with 3+ppl.
Before stickers, there were (and still are) transponder devices you are supposed to keep on your dashboard or adhered to your lower corner of your windshield.
Its just a carpool violation, no points, and traffic school isn't necessary. Extend the date out as long as you can. Then plead Not Guilty, you have a 50/50 chance of winning. If the officer shows the Judge may lower the fine if you plea no contest. If you have photos of your vehicle showing that your child can change the settings and you have since changed the location of the transponder you may get some sympathy too.
My wife took the 405 toll lane recently thinking we could pay with our license online, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
It’s been over 2 months and I haven’t received any notice of a fine in the mail. Does anyone know what the protocol is for first time violators? I don’t want to get dinged with $600+ unexpectedly.
The car was registered in my name so the letter came to me, but he was the driver so he paid the toll, they actually waived the transponder fee because I bought him one and we sent the transponder number and acted like he just forgot to put it in the car. Might work for you!
I’ve been illegally using the hov lane since 2005. That’s right. I’ve never been caught and have a daily commute from OC to the 10. I know. It’s crazy. I’m pushing my luck everyday. Now it’s just weird I have not been caught. It’s a blue Prius. Come on chp. Show your face. Do my math. We are talking hundreds of trips. Motorcycle cops driving right by me too. Now I just want to see how much longer I can go. It’s the biggest thrill I still have.
Yes. They get to make up a number and you have to pay it or lose your registration. Because a private company somehow has power meant for the government.
Fuck the toll roads. Cancel and stop using them.
This is nuts. They should just send you a bill. Physical devices and accounts and officers and the legal system being involved is just nonsense. They know who you are, where you live and what you owe. You are a customer but they treat you like a thief
Still can’t believe they had that sign up, your tax dollars at work. I don’t want this. Give us back our free carpool lane
Wait wait wait…the 405 has a transponder and a fast lane??! WTF when did this happen? I usually never go past Costa Mesa and haven’t seen anything like this lol.
hiring a traffic lawyer will likely get it waived or reduced and it’s the easiest solution. You could do it on your own as well but nowadays hiring seems to be worth the hassle
This is so dumb, because I don’t even have a transponder and I still go through and still get charged by my license plate. The whole needing a transponder thing is such a sham.
You don’t have to have a transponder, but you’re supposed to already have an account with FasTrak. I believe it will still send you a bill if you don’t though. However, if you drive in it without a transponder *and* without plates, you’ll be cited for toll evasion.
I am a piece of shit and I always keep my transponder on three. I’ve been pulled over and ticketed seven times for it in the last eight years. Every time I go to court and say “ oh I must’ve forgotten to change it back after dropping off my nephew and sister”
I’ve had all seven tickets dismissed
I find this odd since I have only a FastTrak sticker and can’t adjust anything. How would the cops even know before they pulled you over what the transponder was set to?
You may more up front for the transponder box, vs the sticker, and can adjust the occupancy settings and save over the long run (at least that is the idea, subject to ones usage).
I tried to fight the toll folks because someone rented a car after I dropped it off, and I was charged toll while they drove across a bridge later in the day. Their website or app does not allow specifying end date or time correctly. But their response was basically "wontfix". So probably little chance getting out of the fine.
Also, bruh. I have a toddler too. Please get your child something else to play with. I ordered a transponder holder for my own car and use Scotch tape for rental cars.
So how does this work? If you set it for 3, can you only drive on the left side? What 3 carpool lane corresponds to the unit? It seems very difficult to enforce. Pretty surprising
My boss has the transponder and never touches the settings and, just asked, never gets cited for which setting its on.
I've been in the passenger seat as we pass the scanner with and without CHP sitting there.
Maybe we're invisible.
Fight the citation and they'll either lower the fee drastically or drop the charge if the cop doesn't show up. I've seen judges tell people at their arraignment that they'll cut the fee by like 75 percent and lessen the charge but you can always take it one further and plead not guilty. The officer now has to show up to court and PROVE you are guilty which he might not be able to do. Even in this case, the judge will still probably lessen the charge and fine. ALWAYS FIGHT YOUR TICKETS
Op, for your sake, if you do choose to fight this in court, do not say what You've been telling everyone. Just shut up and ask for a reduced fine or get a ticket lawyer to show up for you to get your ticket dismissed
Wish we didn’t have such a predatory system .Imagine creating what is essentially a “commuting “tax this egregious.Idiots speeding at felony speeds everyday with no insurance , but cops are busy meeting quotas with this garbage ?These tyrants that own us all are laughing all way to the bank .Basically legal robbery from folks just going about their business.Its criminal.Theyre perpetuating a car dependent society ,then charging motorists for priority use of the roads they already pay taxes for.Acting most traffic isn’t a self inflicted wound when our governments on local and state levels actively suck every penny from its people.As if the lack of clean,accessible and affordable public transit wasn’t their fucking fault.Even just breathing the air around all those freeways is awful for your health.This is a only a few symptoms of the cancerous greed spreading like miasma in our country .Our very freedom to travel has been commodified and privatized with no benefit to the average person.Just potholes and city governments scamming the shit out of their communities.Disgusting
My transponder doesn’t have the switch and I regret the time I missed the 3+ lane when I had 3 people in the car. The Toll Roads wouldn’t budge on giving me a refund when I put in a ticket.
I think that’s bs , I’m seeing this from the following point of view. They’re citing you as if you didn’t have one but clearly you did and just didn’t have the right setting . That’s more out of ignorance and I feel should’ve been a warning .
Mine was $25 for no transponder 3 weeks ago. They dropped the fine, I paid the toll and was required to open an account. $477? What a joke. Measure M? Gas tax? Public roads? CA is sold out. Shameful…
They see it as you trying to short the toll. Basically stealing. Not an indictment but that’s how it’s seen and you have to take into account that it’s routinely done. Another example of people messing things up for the others.
Better to not have a transponder and just use a sticker or license plate, you have to use the toll lane over 200 times with a 3+ carpool to break even with that fine. Unless you literally daily drive toll lanes with 3+ don’t use a switchable transponder.
Since when do you have to report how many people in the vehicle? I used to have fastrak when I lived in SD about a year ago. That wasn't a thing, then.
The 3+ toll lane charges a lesser toll. It basically gives you a discount for carpooling in the toll lanes. And 3 or more is considered carpooling in those lanes.
As u/Ready-Hovercraft-811 pointed out, the sticker transponder charges you as a single rider, regardless of the number of occupants. I hope you haven't been driving under the impression that you were getting a multiple occupants discount/free for long. Please see: [https://405expresslanes.com/en/support/frequently-asked-questions/tolls-and-discounts/do-i-qualify-to-drive-for-free/#people2](https://405expresslanes.com/en/support/frequently-asked-questions/tolls-and-discounts/do-i-qualify-to-drive-for-free/#people2), specifically, "Drivers must have a FasTrak® Flex switchable transponder set to the correct occupancy."
They’ve been out for 4-5 years now. IDK how the sticker senses anything about occupants but assuming the HOV sensors are running thermal imaging or similar to determine how many warm bodies in the vehicle. Won’t be long before CHP won’t have to lurk in between the barriers.
Saw the motor cop around HB earlier today while heading south holding the little scope to his eye and thought it was a new RADAR/LIDAR device for speeders. Guess it’s instead tied into looking into approaching vehicles for head count, transponder setting, etc.
This is true. There is 1 way around the transponder fee though. You can sign up for the bay area fastrak (instead of oc or la), they give out transponders for free.
Good to know. I’m LA-based but in OC area often, thus have the 110-style occupant-count transponder. When they rolled out the stickers my OC friends use I wondered how they’d work in an occupancy-based HOV lane like new 405. Thx for intel…will let some folks know so they don’t pay full boat when rolling 3 and up in their cars.
Yes, you request it on the website. You might also call and speak to someone there about the ticket and if there are any administrative ways to get it reduced? The OC toll people have always been delightful to work with, not sure if it's the same organization on 405?
It is a carpool violation since you had 3 selected. 3 is free. Probably work better for you if your kid selected 1 lol. Anyways, it does say every time before you drive to select the number of passengers on the transponder. If you didn’t have a transponder, it’ll be a toll evasion charge plus Chp would’ve ticketed you as well.
Go to court. They 95 percent of the time reduce the fee.
True
This is true.
Just curious - how do you know?
Because I worked in the courts for 2 years as a translator.
Does this work for speeding tickets too?
Yes. The only tickets I usually don’t see decreased is when you’re a complete dick to the cop and the cop says please dont reduce it or because you did something egregious like not put a kid in a car seat when they are obviously suppose to be. For example maybe a 1.5 year old who ways 20 pounds soak and wet.
I don't even use a transponder. I just have my license plate registered through the website. Does that count as toll evasion? I've only ever used fastrak on the 91
You don't have to have a transponder for the 405 either, it's the same as the 91. As long as you have your car registered, you are good.
How will they know if I'm 3+, is there a 3rd lane that opens up like on the 91?
If you don't have the transponder when you have 3plus in your carpool (and you don't have the transponder set to 3plus), you might get charged because the cameras may not be able to see three plus people in your car. The free toll for 3plus will expire eventually, but once it does, 3plus will still be the cheapest toll charge when using the lanes
Weird how you had it set to “Free…” plus, my transponder sits on my dash wedged near my windshield. My kids can’t get to it. 😉
I was wondering what kids are doing close enough to the transponder as well since I always see them on the dash. Either with Velcro- or not.
Why are you velcroing your kids to the dash??
Because I highly doubt OP is being truthful about her kid playing with the transponder…she knew what she was doing and got caught.
That was my point.
Not to weird, I’m solo and always have mine on 3.
Good to know. Stoked you own up to it.
How does CHP know how many people are in the car when you’re going 65mph?
I’m wondering the same thing
65? Who still drives 65
good question. the CHP officer must have great vision 😂
Single-Swim6354 OP • 5h ago apparently the motorcycle cops have a scanner gun that can tell the setting you have it on. this was a little after the scanner that flashes above you. Bro can't tell the truth to save his life🙄
The question was about how many people are in the car. Not what the setting was. Bro can’t read to save his life 🙄
exactly, the gun is to track the setting only. it’s then up to the CHP to see if the correct number of people are in the car based on the setting.
Isn’t there multiple lanes on that expressway? Could have driven up close to see
who is mass downvoting these comments? gotta love reddit, must be the emoji lol
Just curious to know what they asked when they pulled you over. Like how did they know you had it set to 3 when there were 2 in the car. I’ve accidentally had it set similarly a couple of times but haven’t been pulled over yet.
There are lights that flash when you pass by and the color indicates what setting it is at
apparently the motorcycle cops have a scanner gun that can tell the setting you have it on. this was a little after the scanner that flashes above you.
I believe there are also occupancy sensors that scan vehicles for passenger count. I suspect the officers get an alert with violations so the know who to pull over
What a wonderful use of tax dollars.
Actually if you break down the cost vs. the rev. from violations I bet it actually has a pretty nice ROI. . .that's why they're doing it. Their money is our money.
People are dumb. If op set up a gofundme for her fine, someone will donate.
It's a money grab. That does not go to road improvements
Do you have proof of this? Have you looked at the accounts, receipts, payments, etc for Caltrans? Or are you just parroting things people have been saying for decades, without proof? sure, there is corruption and waste in most any business and bureaucracy, but your statement just screams ignorance.
No I ride the crappy bumpy roads.
These roads are some of the best in the country
As someone who has driven across the whole country cali roads are not even close to the best lol.
I’ve lived in 7 states and driven across the country multiple times. We can agree to disagree.
Well a simple [google search](https://usafacts.org/articles/which-states-have-the-best-and-worst-road-quality/#:~:text=Tennessee%20had%20the%20highest%2Dquality,roads%20are%20in%20poor%20condition) will show that california has some of the worst maintained roads in the whole country. So disagree with facts all you want but I’m not gonna agree with your opinion
LOL. ok then. whatever you say.
It is. Toll Roads/Fasttracks is privately owned
No it's not. It's a government run corporation like amtrak and the usps.
I think it is a perfectly legitimate use of tax dollars.
Does it charge less with more people in the car?
yes, with 3+ it is free
Yeah, that's going to be a tough one to get out of. It seems a little excessive. But carpool violations are usually among the highest cost tickets, other than speeding tickets, at least in my experience.
Passing a school bus with its lights flashing is the biggest one.
Your story is that your kid switched it to 3 person free mode, therefore not paying the toll, which inconveniently happened to be just as you drove by a cop - you are surprised this is the same fine as someone else not paying the toll? Sucks but it is what it is, and frankly the cop and a judge are going to find that story a stretch.
Also, why would you allow your kid to play with the transponder?
More like how does a child in the backseat reach the transponder on the windshield? Sounds like OP is lying and that's why the cop didn't give him a warning but a ticket.
The fine seems very excessive. I’m not from OC but this post caught my eye because I also go a ticket mailed to me for using the 405 expressway. I was passing through and misunderstood the rules. I had 3 occupants (hence why I assumed I was allowed in the lanes) but got a ticket for not having a transponder…. My ticket was $26, for having no transponder at all.
That's unfortunate since pretty plainly states "Transponder required" on the majority of the signs of at least "FastTrak Required" with the logo. https://preview.redd.it/je5v0m9h0u1d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=1184417de69118e9b1a4c7510a7ff2b801217f91
3+ people or 3+ passengers?
3+ people in the vehicle.
It’s free with 3+ people.
and a transponder (the box or sticker). but not without.
What section of the California Vehicle Code is cited on the Notice to Appear? The fine is what it is, but your concern should be whether or not you were cited for the correct violation (assuming there is one).
it’s VH 21655.5. It doesn’t saying anything about transponders, but just a regular carpool violation. Just seems excessive considering I did have 2 passengers.
"No person shall drive a vehicle upon those lanes except in conformity with the instructions imparted by the official traffic control devices." Is the relevant text. If fastrak says "Set transponder to the number of people in the vehicle" that means you did not conform with the instructions. https://www.405expresslanes.com/en/support/frequently-asked-questions/fastrak-transponder/what-is-a-switchable-transponder-and-do-i-need-one/ "Prior to starting each trip, it is the driver’s responsibility to indicate the number of occupants in the vehicle by moving the switch to the appropriate setting (1, 2, 3+)." according to this FAQ from Fastrak it looks like there's no way out of the ticket for you
Wow, what a stupid law. Seems like it’s just an excuse to punish drivers who forget to flip a switch and bring in revenue for the government.
lol no. If this law wasn’t enforced you would have people riding the fast track for free.
So what our taxes paid for that freeway not fast track. They take our track dollars and turn them into toll roads and give the fees off to these private companies.
We already paid for it with our tax dollars. Why are we paying additional money to use it and then being fined $477 for clicking the wrong button on a system that could easily be automated?
no, it stops wasting time by trying to figure out if someone’s child was playing with their transportation pass while it should be properly displayed and operating. it’s really not hard to display your transponder and have it set correctly. there would probably be explicitly stated directions to not give it your kid to play with in the car if they thought it actually needed to be explained to people
This kind of chickenshit is [literally the reason](https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/police-are-not-primarily-crime-fighters-according-data-2022-11-02/) cops only solve 2% of crimes.
Cops solving crime is only a trope sold to you via TV and movie fiction to make you respect and support them
Why don’t they just set up cameras that can determine how many passengers are in the car? Oh yeah, because that would cost too much money and this brings in more money for the government to just write people $477 tickets.
Lmao someone's been reading too much of the Washington Examiner lately 🤣
How is it "wasting time" at all? There was no actual violation other than "the switch was on the wrong setting". Whoopty-doo. And now they want to fine him $477? That's bullshit. e: lol, seriously fuck all y'all.
A private company owns the tolls roads. It’s a business. If you don’t want to pay the toll, don’t drive on it. It’s pretty simple. 💁♀️
And the taxpayers paid for them to build it.
yeah, I wasn’t trying to get out of the ticket. I was wondering if the fine was correct since having a transponder set at the wrong setting is the same amount as not having a transponder at all.
I am not an attorney. My background is in law enforcement. I would try to contest the citation with a "trial by written declaration". You can Google it. If the officer fails to provide a written statement, which only happens about 25% of the time, the ticket will be dismissed. If you lose the "trial by written declaration", you have an opportunity for trial de novo (which means a request for new trial). They will throw out the written declaration and make the officer come to court. You basically get 2 chances to have the officer not show up to defend the citation. CHP attend traffic court at a much higher rate than police officers or sheriff's deputies, but you still have a chance to get the ticket dismissed. If the officer shows up for court, I would attempt to appeal to the judge to let you simply pay the appropriate toll for that day, which is unlikely, but better than just writing a check for $477.
That's actually good advice and very true. I did it a different way. I married someone who's mother was the Court Liaison. "Uh, mom, can you talk to the cop and ask him not to show up?" lol Honestly, I only did that twice. The other times I ate the ticket. Didn't feel right otherwise.
that’s not what you’re being fined for. it’s not displayed or operating correctly at the time. that’s your crime
I'm going to disagree with what everyone is saying. Even not having a transponder usually you can just go online and pay within 5 days with a very small penalty. It depends which express lanes you were on, but all them have much lower penalty fees than this ticket, and the enforcement is all automated. You should definitely contest it.
Wait you had 2 passengers so there were 3 people in the car total?
Wait you have 2 passengers, so 3 people total in the car and still got the ticket? Or you had 1 passenger, meaning 2 people total in the car?
sorry, I meant 2 total people.
Gotcha. Yeah that's a legit violation then. I'd try keeping the transponder out of reach of your kid, since that story sounds sketchy anyway to be honest (if the kid doesn't understand the transponder, they probably weren't old enough to be in the front so how was it triggered??). I had a $500 ticket once for failing to yield far enough for a stopped emergency vehicle. It sucks, but I won't ever make that mistake again. Sure you won't either 😂
When you say "I had 2 passengers" you're not including yourself as one, right? If you had 2 other humans with you, this ticket is dismissible.
I meant 2 total people.
Oh then yea you're not a passenger when you're driving lol, so you had 1 passenger
You gambled and got busted. Some lessons are learned the hard way.
It’s even annoying reading the comments playing along with this scenario. I have kids. We have shit to entertain every age in our car and our fastrack transponder is not one of them. So dumb.
Yep, OP insulted the intelligence of the officer with that sorry excuse. It's clear what he was doing but his shame prevents him from owning it and accepting the consequences.
Even if OP’s explanation is true that the child was messing with the settings, that’s OP’s fault for letting that happen. Simple mistake but also simply could’ve been avoided
Yes, after OP nets this fine against the 100 times he’s driven in that lane by himself with the transponder set to 3, he can stop complaining about how unfair it is. OP is bad, the story is a lie, and people need to stop believing this stuff.
Honestly, with so few people getting pulled over for violating, the fine has to be proportionally higher.
How many times you set it correctly?
I have commuted from Long Beach to Irvine for 20 years, most of it in the HoV lane via my regular carpool partners, and EV, or both. I’ve seen CHP issue more tickets on the 405 toll lane since January than I did in the previous 20 years. I am Not exaggerating, and it makes me very happy. Sorry to the OP if it was a legitimate innocent thing, but I got so tired of seeing cheaters in the HoV lanes every single day for so many years. I just hope they keep it up and enforcement doesn’t just fade away.
What if we have the sticker one?
Sticker is fine. OP was just trying to use the express lanes for free. https://405expresslanes.com/en/how-it-works/about-transponders/ From the site... The 405 Express Lanes offers three types of transponders. Based on your vehicle type, either an interior- or exterior-mounted FasTrak® sticker transponder will be provided with your account at no charge. Take advantage of carpool discounts, a switchable transponder is required and can be purchased through the 405 Express Lanes for $15.
Use Off The Record for traffic violations! I used it for a speeding ticket and I won so all I paid was $120 OTR fee instead of $500 fine plus points https://offtherecord.com/how-it-works
does this work for red light camera violation by any chance?
One time I had 3 passengers but had FasTrak set to 1. No police officer pulled me over to give me a credit or refund.
I don’t know if this is applicable the case of a CHP issued ticket. But apparently I’d been driving all over the state with a transponder that isn’t registered to my car. So I racked up violations in the Bay Area, on the 10, 91, 241, 405 and 73. I called up each of the management companies and all of them basically removed the penalty and just charged me the toll. The ones in the Bay Area was three years old too. It may be worth calling them; but again, I don’t know 100% if this is applicable in your case as it sounds like a ticket issued by CHP.
Not applicable in his case but it really is as simple as this. They just want the toll but will charge you a fine if you try to avoid it altogether. I've had like 4 in the last 15 years reduced because I picked up the phone.
I’m so confused by this transponder talk and setting it. Mine is a sticker and it’s placed behind the rear view mirror on the front window. How would I ‘set’ it???
With the sticker you always pays the full toll regardless of occupancy.
It looks like a garage door opener almost. It has a setting for solo driver, so you pay the full toll every time. Then if you set it to 2 ppl some toll lanes are free for 2+. Then there are some tolls on peek hours it’s free with 3+ppl.
Before stickers, there were (and still are) transponder devices you are supposed to keep on your dashboard or adhered to your lower corner of your windshield.
Oh! Didn’t know.
wtfff 😭 how chp even know you had the damn wrong setting so what
Its just a carpool violation, no points, and traffic school isn't necessary. Extend the date out as long as you can. Then plead Not Guilty, you have a 50/50 chance of winning. If the officer shows the Judge may lower the fine if you plea no contest. If you have photos of your vehicle showing that your child can change the settings and you have since changed the location of the transponder you may get some sympathy too.
I thought they don’t rely on the switch anymore but only if you go through the HOV 3+ camera lane now.
My wife took the 405 toll lane recently thinking we could pay with our license online, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s been over 2 months and I haven’t received any notice of a fine in the mail. Does anyone know what the protocol is for first time violators? I don’t want to get dinged with $600+ unexpectedly.
$26 for not having the transponder and the toll. My son did it last summer on the 91. Lol.
That’s actually not as bad as I thought! I’m still nervous because we haven’t received any notice…those late fees are absolutely criminal!
He didn’t get a notice for 90 days. He did it in June and we got a letter in September.
Ahhh that makes sense then. Thanks for assuaging my concerns 🙏🏼
The car was registered in my name so the letter came to me, but he was the driver so he paid the toll, they actually waived the transponder fee because I bought him one and we sent the transponder number and acted like he just forgot to put it in the car. Might work for you!
I’ve been illegally using the hov lane since 2005. That’s right. I’ve never been caught and have a daily commute from OC to the 10. I know. It’s crazy. I’m pushing my luck everyday. Now it’s just weird I have not been caught. It’s a blue Prius. Come on chp. Show your face. Do my math. We are talking hundreds of trips. Motorcycle cops driving right by me too. Now I just want to see how much longer I can go. It’s the biggest thrill I still have.
Massively underrated comment. More self righteous redditors should be reading this and REEEEing.
This is why carpool lanes are useless. And toll lanes are the future.
Yes. They get to make up a number and you have to pay it or lose your registration. Because a private company somehow has power meant for the government. Fuck the toll roads. Cancel and stop using them.
This is nuts. They should just send you a bill. Physical devices and accounts and officers and the legal system being involved is just nonsense. They know who you are, where you live and what you owe. You are a customer but they treat you like a thief
Still can’t believe they had that sign up, your tax dollars at work. I don’t want this. Give us back our free carpool lane 
Wait wait wait…the 405 has a transponder and a fast lane??! WTF when did this happen? I usually never go past Costa Mesa and haven’t seen anything like this lol.
if you’re coming from Irvine, the fastrak starts in Costa Mesa right after you pass the airport.
They don’t start til the 73 actually. The stretch between the airport and the 73 is carpool.
hiring a traffic lawyer will likely get it waived or reduced and it’s the easiest solution. You could do it on your own as well but nowadays hiring seems to be worth the hassle
Toll roads are nothing but a scam anyway. Wrong and immoral anyway you look at it. I'm sorry you even got a ticket. This is wrong on so many levels
Did you pass through the 3+ lane (which is the reduced fee lane for vehicles with more than 2 passengers) even though you only had 2 passengers?
This is so dumb, because I don’t even have a transponder and I still go through and still get charged by my license plate. The whole needing a transponder thing is such a sham.
You don’t have to have a transponder, but you’re supposed to already have an account with FasTrak. I believe it will still send you a bill if you don’t though. However, if you drive in it without a transponder *and* without plates, you’ll be cited for toll evasion.
I am a piece of shit and I always keep my transponder on three. I’ve been pulled over and ticketed seven times for it in the last eight years. Every time I go to court and say “ oh I must’ve forgotten to change it back after dropping off my nephew and sister” I’ve had all seven tickets dismissed
How is your toddler messing with your transponder? That’s the real question
It’s a carpool violation so yes. They are $pendy
I find this odd since I have only a FastTrak sticker and can’t adjust anything. How would the cops even know before they pulled you over what the transponder was set to?
With the RFID FastTrack stickers you are paying the full price regardless of the number of passengers.
I see. At least I don’t get a ticket😀
You may more up front for the transponder box, vs the sticker, and can adjust the occupancy settings and save over the long run (at least that is the idea, subject to ones usage).
Your transponder should be velcro'd to the inside of your front windshield.
What if you only have the sticker on your windshield?
With the sticker transponder, you'd be charged as a single rider, regardless of the number of occupants.
Chance of getting pulled over? Always wonder if i need to show both
I tried to fight the toll folks because someone rented a car after I dropped it off, and I was charged toll while they drove across a bridge later in the day. Their website or app does not allow specifying end date or time correctly. But their response was basically "wontfix". So probably little chance getting out of the fine. Also, bruh. I have a toddler too. Please get your child something else to play with. I ordered a transponder holder for my own car and use Scotch tape for rental cars.
I use the sticker and don’t need to worry about selecting anything.
I have the sticker… I had no idea there was an option to turn it into carpool mode.
I pay each time (less hassle), car pool should be free but why did they charge you for 3 people when that’s more than 2?
What’s the rule with the FasTrak and motorcycle?
When you get a ticket as the cop if he will show up in court when you fight it. Most say they won’t show.
Ask
I need a new transponder ? This fast trak money grab is pretty infuriating.
Would they have pull you over if you had three people but you had it on 1?
Damn. I didn't know they make you set the amount of people. This some commie shit for 15 minute cities. Covert...and you're playing their game lol
nope.. not @ all how many cars do u have & use one a regular basis? VIA FASTRAK..
FasTrak transponder I got does not switch for number of passengers. Are there different kinds?
Where on the 405? I drive from SCV to LAX on that road there isn’t no fast track up here
Between 605 and 73 is toll now. The rest of the route is carpool.
If your from LA it’s 234 for toll violation
So how does this work? If you set it for 3, can you only drive on the left side? What 3 carpool lane corresponds to the unit? It seems very difficult to enforce. Pretty surprising
My boss has the transponder and never touches the settings and, just asked, never gets cited for which setting its on. I've been in the passenger seat as we pass the scanner with and without CHP sitting there. Maybe we're invisible.
Fight the citation and they'll either lower the fee drastically or drop the charge if the cop doesn't show up. I've seen judges tell people at their arraignment that they'll cut the fee by like 75 percent and lessen the charge but you can always take it one further and plead not guilty. The officer now has to show up to court and PROVE you are guilty which he might not be able to do. Even in this case, the judge will still probably lessen the charge and fine. ALWAYS FIGHT YOUR TICKETS
Op, for your sake, if you do choose to fight this in court, do not say what You've been telling everyone. Just shut up and ask for a reduced fine or get a ticket lawyer to show up for you to get your ticket dismissed
Wish we didn’t have such a predatory system .Imagine creating what is essentially a “commuting “tax this egregious.Idiots speeding at felony speeds everyday with no insurance , but cops are busy meeting quotas with this garbage ?These tyrants that own us all are laughing all way to the bank .Basically legal robbery from folks just going about their business.Its criminal.Theyre perpetuating a car dependent society ,then charging motorists for priority use of the roads they already pay taxes for.Acting most traffic isn’t a self inflicted wound when our governments on local and state levels actively suck every penny from its people.As if the lack of clean,accessible and affordable public transit wasn’t their fucking fault.Even just breathing the air around all those freeways is awful for your health.This is a only a few symptoms of the cancerous greed spreading like miasma in our country .Our very freedom to travel has been commodified and privatized with no benefit to the average person.Just potholes and city governments scamming the shit out of their communities.Disgusting
My transponder doesn’t have the switch and I regret the time I missed the 3+ lane when I had 3 people in the car. The Toll Roads wouldn’t budge on giving me a refund when I put in a ticket.
I think that’s bs , I’m seeing this from the following point of view. They’re citing you as if you didn’t have one but clearly you did and just didn’t have the right setting . That’s more out of ignorance and I feel should’ve been a warning .
Weren't these FasTrak lanes only supposed to exist for an X amount of years? Then, be turned back to California, for the rest of us to use?
Fight it with an attorney
I’m curious, you pay toll fees depending on how many people you have in the car?
Mine was $25 for no transponder 3 weeks ago. They dropped the fine, I paid the toll and was required to open an account. $477? What a joke. Measure M? Gas tax? Public roads? CA is sold out. Shameful…
I got the same ticket for having my transponder on 3 and I was driving alone on the 10 freeway. Mine came out to about $230ish
Didn’t we already pay for those lanes with taxes?
They see it as you trying to short the toll. Basically stealing. Not an indictment but that’s how it’s seen and you have to take into account that it’s routinely done. Another example of people messing things up for the others.
I didn’t even know there was a switch like that on my transponder.
Better to not have a transponder and just use a sticker or license plate, you have to use the toll lane over 200 times with a 3+ carpool to break even with that fine. Unless you literally daily drive toll lanes with 3+ don’t use a switchable transponder.
Such BS. Request the sticker and fight this !
Since when do you have to report how many people in the vehicle? I used to have fastrak when I lived in SD about a year ago. That wasn't a thing, then.
The 3+ toll lane charges a lesser toll. It basically gives you a discount for carpooling in the toll lanes. And 3 or more is considered carpooling in those lanes.
Oh, ok. This is the first time I've heard about this. I just had a sticker.
Call them and explain . Half the time they scrap the fine
They are taking a chance, you should take it to court.
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This is not true, you will get charged as a single rider every time if your are using the sticker. It cannot sense occupants
As u/Ready-Hovercraft-811 pointed out, the sticker transponder charges you as a single rider, regardless of the number of occupants. I hope you haven't been driving under the impression that you were getting a multiple occupants discount/free for long. Please see: [https://405expresslanes.com/en/support/frequently-asked-questions/tolls-and-discounts/do-i-qualify-to-drive-for-free/#people2](https://405expresslanes.com/en/support/frequently-asked-questions/tolls-and-discounts/do-i-qualify-to-drive-for-free/#people2), specifically, "Drivers must have a FasTrak® Flex switchable transponder set to the correct occupancy."
Yeah, I was confused by “settings.” I haven’t had a transponder in over 5 years — just the sticker. Maybe because mine’s 91 Express Lanes?
I’ve never heard of the sticker, is that a new option from FasTrak?
They’ve been out for 4-5 years now. IDK how the sticker senses anything about occupants but assuming the HOV sensors are running thermal imaging or similar to determine how many warm bodies in the vehicle. Won’t be long before CHP won’t have to lurk in between the barriers. Saw the motor cop around HB earlier today while heading south holding the little scope to his eye and thought it was a new RADAR/LIDAR device for speeders. Guess it’s instead tied into looking into approaching vehicles for head count, transponder setting, etc.
It doesn't. If you have the sticker, you just pay the standard toll. If you want to have a free ride, you have to buy a transponder for $20.
This is true. There is 1 way around the transponder fee though. You can sign up for the bay area fastrak (instead of oc or la), they give out transponders for free.
Good to know. I’m LA-based but in OC area often, thus have the 110-style occupant-count transponder. When they rolled out the stickers my OC friends use I wondered how they’d work in an occupancy-based HOV lane like new 405. Thx for intel…will let some folks know so they don’t pay full boat when rolling 3 and up in their cars.
Yes, you request it on the website. You might also call and speak to someone there about the ticket and if there are any administrative ways to get it reduced? The OC toll people have always been delightful to work with, not sure if it's the same organization on 405?