The Mass Pike & Mismanagement

This is one for the "you can't make this stuff up" list. Apparently, the Mass Pike was backed up for oh, 45 miles or so on Sunday, because many of the toll takers decided to "bang out" for the holiday and management did not feel compelled to call in additional help, because they are really desperate for money and hoping to conserve cash. In an all too typical fashion, the response from Alan LeBovidge, the Director of the Pike was to blame his customers. As noted in this article in today's Boston Herald:

LeBovidge acknowledged his agency could have done a better job placing signs ahead of toll plazas telling drivers which lanes they should be in. But the Pike chief shifted the ultimate blame from his own management decisions and his toll takers’ work ethic to the drivers who were caught in the mess.

“Not enough drivers had Fast Lane transponders,” LeBovidge said.

Clearly, Mr. LeBovidge has never driven on the Mass Pike. If he did, he would know that the Fast Lane does not run the entire stretch of the Pike! Even better than this response was his advice: drivers better get used to it, or get a transponder. Memorial Day, he said, is likely to be just as bad.

Good to see our government representatives doing all they can to serve the people. By the way, Mr. LeBovidge is reported to make $140,000 a year and gives it to charity. Oh, and those toll collectors who couldn't be bothered to make it into work on Sunday - the senior toll collector makes on average $57,500 a year plus overtime and benefits.