"WTF is Going on With Toll Tags" The JB and Sandy Show

Hey, it's sandy and the holiday season is upon us. You know the song, It's the most wonderful time.

Of the year.

It's true, you get together with friends, you get together with family, but it's also a time to plan for the future. For me, this means taking stock of all the people who make my life easier. And my friends Scott and Stacy Feller and the team at Kangaroof they make that list every single time. They take care of all my roof he needs. They've done it for years, and you know, when you work with Kangaroof, you can always count on great service, fair pricing, and peace of mind.

What the hell is going on?

I've got a real ax to grind with the toll tag people to begin with, But now what does anyone know what we're supposed to be doing. Are we supposed to get a new toll tag? Yeah?

We are, And I found out the hard way all of a sudden. So we have four vehicles, you know, my daughter and then we have three cars. And I was getting all these bills in the mail tech for text from you know, not textag, a collection agency, I forget.

The name of it.

And I'm like, what happened to my text tag? Like what's going on here? So this is not right? And I tried logging into text Tag and their site is not functioning anymore. And I get on the phone with this collection agency and it was like over one hundred dollars and because you you pay more if they take your picture and then than you would if you have a tag.

Yes, oh yeah, okay yeah.

And then but these bills came over a month after the fact. I like this, just this happened last week, and I was getting these were photos from October, yeah, and with late fees, and I'm I'm like, what the heck's going on? So I got on the phone and we went through every vehicle, paid them off and apparently text tag is no more and you I tried to transfer it over online to it's now Harris County Travis or Harris Harris County.

It's Harris County.

Toll tag is now taking Austin.

Yeah, I think because it got so jacked up here in Austin.

It's HCTRA. And so I have ordered new tags for the cars. I haven't gotten them yet, and I'm sure we're racking up more of these fees that I'm going to get in January.

Right right, with late pees on them.

I did the exact same thing on Friday, like I a long time ago deactivated my text tag because I had that forty dollars threshold I was getting. I mean, the second it went under forty dollars. Twenty bucks was added to it, I mean constant charges. And I just figured out that it was easier for me to get

Getting them in December. Yeah, and late fee. It was.

It was all messed up, and now you're supposed to contact HCTRA and I just told I totally. First of all, I'm not paying any of these late piece. It was like three bills, and yeah, she took them off.

But I should have probably tried to fight that as well. I just paid them. But yeah, when you go on the Harris County site, it will it will when you're signing up, it will give you the option to move over your your text tag info and keep that tag. But I had to have the serial number off of every tag and I'm like, there's no chance I'm gonna get my daughter to send me that.

No, but I thought I got to notice it said that you would automatically be transferred.

Clearly that's not happening.

I thought that was the case too, and I just I racked up all these fees.

Let me ask you this, if you had if you were in the old system and you had some stuff that hadn't been paid, does that just go away now that we're down with the.

New people now?

Yeah, it goes to collections into collections.

And I say, extra, I've never understood why I get a bill because they ding me all the time on my credit card for twenty bucks.

It's like, you guys have my credit card. Why would I be getting a bill? Exactly. I don't understand it.

And it just I think there's whoever's running this has done a really terrible job.

I think that's why it's being transferred to the HCTRA.

I think it can't be straightened out at this point.

Not to mention, when they built all these toll roads around here, like out by your place in Cedar Park or on one thirty, all the toll booths that they used, I don't think they ever used them now nobody's well, they did for a very short time.

I remember the one on forty five. They had people there for like three days and then they decided not to use those anymore.

Yeah yeah, and you still you got to slow down and drive through. I mean it's nerve wracking, especially if you're pulling a trailer or something and they have all these ugly toll booths, Like why not just take these out?

Yeah?

Yeah, go ahead.

There was a phone number on the paper bill that I got, and it was a five one two number and I called it. It actually rings to Hctierry in Houston, and that lady was like, ugh, that's not the right number. That number is not supposed to be on that bill. Let me give you the right number to call.

She's like, I got a hold of a woman. She said, this is not the right number, and she gave me the correct number.

It's insane, Jamie. What website did you go to to get to I want to tag?

I just yeah, you.

Need to get a new tag. You need to go to h c t R A dot org, Harris County Toll Roy Toll Road Authority, h C t R A dot Org.

How embarrassing for the Central Texas UH Authority that they've screwed it up so bad they had to form it out to Houston.

Right, that's what I think is happening. Yeah right, I mean I.

Don't know, So did what did you end up doing, trist Did you just pay the bill or what'd you do?

So?

I got them to take all the late fees off. But one of the bills was for you know, I got a new car in May. It was for paper tags that I haven't had since July.

That was one of geez.

But I paid them and I was like, and at this point, I am one percent of today, I had a zero balance with you, except whatever's going forward?

Is that correct?

And she said yes, And I took photos of the screen, I wrote down her name. I took photos of confirmation numbers. Hell, who knows if that it will actually be the case or not.

But that ac RTA was not the website that was on during the Longhorn football game though.

That was.

It was something to tag so I don't remember what it was. It was like super short.

Too text tag, Oh go ahead.

It was just like a five second commercial.

Yeah, I'm on text tag dot org right now, you.

Say site even functioning.

Yeah, it's functioning now, but they it's not a lot because it's being worked one, because that's that's where I would go to pay.

The paper bills.

I'm letting y'all know that I feel like I'm paying half as much in tolls by not using my tag and just paying my bills as they come in, as I ever did.

On the credit card. The credit card got dinged constantly.

You feel like you don't get it doesn't pick up your plates every time or something.

No, no, no, no, it's still picking up my plates, but it's not charging my credit card. I'm paying like about I'm paying less per month, around fifty dollars a month, versus when they were charging my credit card each month. They would charge at least like eighty bucks each month on my credit card to.

Keep it above forty. It never used the bottom forty, you know what I mean?

Yeah, I don't know.

It was a bottom four pretty much the reserved for.

If the three of us are having problems with it, I've imagined a lot of people around here are having problems.

Yeah, now, I say, don't pay it. You're so screwed up. Why should I.

Pay you those to collections and then it's on your on your.

Credit adding fees. Yeah.

By the way, the election people, you can negotiate with them. You don't have to just say pay whatever they say. If I say, if I pay you right now, how much of a deal will you give me? Be ready to pay though, because that deal is going to last for about I don't know a moment, but they will.

They will negotiate with you because they're trying to be paid too. I should have pushed back. I just paid it.

Always push back JB always, always, always.

Yeah, there's nothing that makes me better than a late fee when it's not late.

Absolutely not.

All right.

So you guys say that the eight c R t A R t R A site is the place to go. So I'd like to know where I signed, where I agreed to this. Where did I agree to pay you to use this road? I never did.

I never did.

Well, you don't have to. You don't have to. They show you different routes.

So I remember years ago they had an amnesty day for people that were way that were in deep on their toll tag stuff.

Oh yeah, well you remember that.

I was crappy for all the people who actually pay.

They're told though, Hey, don't get me started. I'm just feel the same way with studios. So it took me ever to pay that off. And then people are just getting him wiped out, like are you getting me?

Yeah right, I know.

It doesn't seem fair, not at all. It's the JB and Sandy Show. We'll do it again tomorrow seven until eight o'clock. Make sure that you're here for it. Wednesday it will be from eight until nine o'clock. How traveling with Tricia has kind of become a pain in the butt. I'll tell you about that in just a second. But a couple of things that are happening tonight in Austin. Disas and Zeri is playing at the Paramount Theater tonight at nine o'clock. I would imagine that show is sold out.

I got it. I got in a social media pissing match with him, really because he bitches about Austin the growth and then he leaves and comes back. He's done it several times. He went to Connecticut for a while, which I think that's where he's originally from, and came back, and then he went to Memphis. He actually lives in Memphis, and he comes back and he just bitches about Austin and I I should normally don't get in social media

To get very good. Yeah.

Did he respond to that?

I lost interest. I don't remembers always. Girlfriend black put me on blasts girlfriends.

Not embarrassing at all. A guy's in.

A back and forth and then his girlfriend.

Jumps, what's crazy?

She's normal size?

Uh.

You talked about the growth in the population of central Texas. I just happened to saw this on kix and where population increased most in Texas Round Rock was number five on the list, Number two Georgetown number four in the United States. By the way, number four in the United States. Wow, the biggest population boom in Texas. This doesn't surprise me because I was doubt Jamie and I you are both down there last year. New bron Fels is number two

It's it's got a lot of charm to it. I like that part of Texas.

It does.

If you just get off I thirty five and check out New brom FLEs, it's pretty cool actually, So yeah, number.

Two in the United States.

Tu being the river with New Brompos. That's the only reason we ever went there was to go and get on the bus with all the tubes and tube down the river.

Were people still doing it? Yeah, worst fast that's which I've never been to.

Have it either, you're kidding. No, I've never been Native Austin and you've never been to worship. I know, weird, right, Maybe that sounds like it's perfect for you.

Worst fest. Oh.

I used to love going and because in college I was studying German and I would go talk to the old people. Yeah, yeah, and I'd get drunk and talk to the old people in German. I had to get the courage to try my German out and they just love it. That's fun because it's it's just every generation that slips away, you know, right.

Yeah.

So Tricia and I are taking a trip this weekend. We leave Wednesday afternoon, and Landry, our fifteen year old daughter, is going with us, and we're going to Washington, d C. And we're going for a couple of reasons, but one of the big reason is that we're going to the Army Navy football game, which is in Landover, Maryland, just outside of Washington, d C. I went to the game last year with a buddy of mine and it was so cool and so fun. I promised Tricia and Landry

He's like, yeah, dude, just stay there. It's all yours. Have at it.

We're like, thanks, that's cool. It's like thirty minutes to the game from there. It's an hour into Washington, DC. You can take a train from there to get into Washington. And so we're gonna do that. And so Tricia hits me up with this. She goes, hey, will you test text Sean, my cousin and ask him if he has a fan, and she shows not a ceiling fan, you know, the kind that you plug in. And so Tricia cannot sleep without a fan. And so I send a text message to my cousin Sean. I'm like, hey, dude, you

You just go to Walmire.

Yeah where we go. Yeah, I.

Mean, I just need one that makes noise and blows some air, so you can get one for twenty fans.

Job.

Well, I know, I know people who advertise it's super quiet. I don't want that fan fans sound fans, but for traveling twenty bucks.

Maybe for a fan, and then it's our parting gift to our hosts. See, it's our thank you gift.

I saw maybe you just like talking in the back of it.

I am Tricia.

Did so much of that as a young tiiny Tricia.

But he reassured me that Tricia will have a fan.

I'm always like, if you don't have one, it's cool. We'll get one on the way to the house. It's fine.

Meanwhile, it's a super nice place.

Of those Dison fans with no blades, it's super quiet.

You would hate that.

Part of it is the noise. It's like my white noise machine. You know people play white noise. I like the sound of the fan and I have one called the Vortex Nato Nato, the Bornado. You can't hear anything. Somebody could be playing there in a rock and roll band in the living room and I can't hear it.

My Fani is so loud. I love it.

Yeah, we've got you handled and taken care of. By the way, Oh, I didn't send it to you, Trisia. The uniforms for the for the for Navy this weekend. Yeah, we're pretty are super cool. Oh really really they.

Change it up.

They do a special uniform for the Army Navy game and this year it's super cool. It's like Stolen Crossbones and it's a tribute to the to the to the Jolly Rogers Pirates. Yeah, which then became an air squadron. It's a super cool video and they're talking about there, you know, it's cool, like this is a big recruiting tool for the Navy and for the Army right the football game. So they put out these bad ass promos

Is there anything?

Is there anything more frustrating than sending your kid a playlist or a video and then asking them about it later and they're like night and watch.

It like a slap in the face.

Yes, it really is and it wasn't that long ago when Landry she throws the shot put. So I was sending her shot put videos. I got in trouble for that. I had to stop doing that. God forbid.

They'll call you out if you don't watch what they sent you, right, yeah, yeah, all over me?

Yeah, and how.

Many I'll send.

I'll be like, dude, you ever responded to any of the funny reels I've sent you?

She's like, it's too much. You send me too much. I'm like, they're hilarious. You have to watch them.

But then if I don't immediately respond to when she sends me, she's like, are you going to look at it?

Are you going to say something? It's not very lopsighted.

Right. So we're gonna be gone this week and we're looking forward to it.

Though.

What is the one thing you want to see in Washington, d C? Trisha?

So there's two. I can never have one answer. I want to see the sharp shooters on top of.

The White House because I think that's so hot, it's so cool. And I want to go to the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Yeah, we're gonna do that for sure. That happens. I looked it up. It happens every hour on the hour, and I bet they do it on time. I bet they're pretty accurate. I bet our daughter won't be doing that is a job in the future. It's very on time challenged in the mornings.

Have you ever been to DC. I have not.

I know that's a shame. I would love to go hit the museums and Smithsonian and all that. Like I just I don't know why I haven't done it. You need to make it happen.

It's one of those things that I've been a lot, and I've been to a lot of the museums, and I love museums.

I love them.

And there's always that one person at the museum that gets right up next to the display so nobody else can see it. I'm convinced that's the exact same person that gets right next to the where you claim your luggage at.

The airport to get the luggage. It's the same person, same.

Person, the same person who stopped in the middle of the grocery store aisle.

It's the same person.

Yeah, So I'm looking forward to It's gonna be a lot of fun. So nice. That'll be that'll be great.

It's the JB and Sandy Hour. We do it again tomorrow seven until eight o'clock. Thanks for being with us today. Grabbed the podcast. If you haven't able to be here for the whole hour, search the Sandy Show on the iHeartRadio app and look for the ones label the JB and Sandy Show.

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K h F I H D two and K two seven six e L Austin.

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