I’ve been tolled

 And, now to get your mind off the election and on to things that matter. 

Before you get excited looking at the title of this blog, that’s not a misprint – tolled: Yes, polled: No

A few weeks ago I did a trip to Sydney for a book launch. Now I’m paying for it. 

I go to/ through Sydney intermittently. I have an account with one tolling company that owns Sydney Roads, but obviously not with the 10,000  others that do – OK, I suppose that is an over exaggeration, but if you could see the number of notices that have landed in my mail box since the trip you would understand.

Here’s how the trip went:

 Day 1.

• ·         Canberra to Paddington
• ·         Paddington to the Hills district

Day 2.

• ·         Hills District to Brighton le Sands; and
• ·         Brighton le Sands to Canberra.

 I tried to contact Roam Express via their website the day after the trips to pay my toll.Their billboards said I could. But, either you cannot do it online, or the link is so obscure you need a higher degree in Information Surgery of the cunning of a hacker, to be able to get access.

Anyway, I used the ‘contact us’ button eventually, telling them I was trying to pay my toll, that I could not find any toll owing, and that I did not want to be charged an administration fee if a toll notice turned up thereafter. So, now there are seven separate notices from Roam Express for the two trips – each with a $10 administration fee.

I’ve sent them all back with a cheque for $19:70. That’s what the tolls were!

I failed to realise that Roam Express doesn’t do the tolls for the M5, nor for the Sydney Harbour Tunnel…that belongs to two other someones, so I’m still up for more tolls worth a total of $7:40 with a bill for $20 administration fee..

I don’t mind paying a toll, but I do mind being absolutely ripped off…and don’t get me started on what they do if you forget to pay.

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Art Work of the week
Just a random selection from the gallery today

Coffs Lillies. Acrylic on Canvas.