NJ.com – by James KleimannFORT LEE — A tractor trailer driver with a “James Bond-styled” big rig was arrested Wednesday morning on charges he attempted to game the license plate readers at the George Washington Bridge EZPass tolls.
According to Port Authority spokesman Joe Pentangelo, Pablo Ortega, 45, of Queens, entered the George Washington Bridge toll lane in his red 1997 Peterbilt tractor and trailer at about 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The vehicle’s front bumper was hydraulically lifted, “which made the front license plate impossible to [be] viewed by EZPass cameras,” the spokesman said.
The rear plate was also obscured with grease and unreadable, Pentangelo said.
Ortega, an owner-operator who was transporting Gummy Bears, pressed a black toggle switch on the vehicle’s dashboard to mechanically move the bumper, Pentangelo said.
The spy-style kit cost Ortega about $2,000, Pentangelo said.
He was arrested and charged with tampering with public records and possession of burglary tools.
Authorities don’t know how many times he may have evaded the tolls.
http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2015/02/watch_trucker_uses_retractable_james_bond_bumper_t.html
As an electronics guy, I have had a few people ask me to install plate concealers. I have not ever done it. Its always the dumbest crooks who ask…Just a matter of time for it to come back on me.
I’m not in the business, but I do know a little bit about electromechanical things.
$2000 seems a bit steep to me.
I agree wholeheartedly with your decision to avoid building them but I’ll bet either of us could come up with something cheaper.
What do you think?
Oh yeah. Id charge that kind of money but it would take less than $100zollars and most of a afternoon to install.