January 28, 2008
Despite having seven months mentally establish that she no longer requires spare change for tolls, Sarah Welton says she remains “tickled pink” to own an E-ZPass tag.
“Ever since I got that thing, I feel like I’m a part of this elite club,” said Welton, one of 685,000 Virginians who pass through the special E-ZPass lanes nearly 11 million times a month. “I can’t wait to go on my next date – the guy will be so impressed when I plow through at 10 to 15 miles an hour instead of having to stop.”
The catalyst for her purchase of the radio-frequency transponder, which allows tag-equipped vehicles to briskly pass through tollbooths, was a move to an office that is more easily accessed by Richmond’s Downtown Expressway rather than through city streets.
The 29-year-old - who admits she now considers herself to be “slightly higher on the commuter totem pole” than drivers who still use coins – said she hasn’t been this excited about a new product since she bought a $1,200 flat-screen television in November.
“Watching TV in high-def is great but gets same-old, same-old after a while,” she said. “Just don’t even talk to me about those full service-lane folks - I mean we’re not on [Interstate] 95 anymore, children.”
She’s not alone in her observation.
Nathan Plumey, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, said most “hip” products in the eyes of consumers typically have a novelty shelf life between two and five months.
An exception has been the E-ZPass, used by more than 13 million U.S. commuters. A recent study by Pew found that 30 percent of Americans “could not get enough” of the electronic tag, while 15 percent “love it more than my children” and the remaining 55 percent “would behead any person who tried to steal from my windshield.”
“Generally, beyond the five-month timeframe, one’s subjective perception of an item begins to wane and we’ll see gradual, interminable disinterest of said object,” Plumey added, noting consumers who have owned iPhones, Blu-ray DVD players or Toyota FJ Cruisers for at least five months have mostly grown accustomed to the products. “The E-ZPass, however, remains a blessing for millions even after years of utilization. I personally am on my second wife after the first said a pass wasn’t necessary.”
And while Welton has no immediate plans to travel by car anywhere along the East Coast, she said she is comforted by the notion that she could drive through tolls in 12 states without the need to locate spare change or waste dollar bills.
“That’s probably the biggest upside to having it,” said Welton, adding that she can’t wait to get her first credit card or sign up for high-speed Internet.
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