Local drivers selfish stupidity

For the past several years, drivers in Merrimack, New Hampshire, have been whining about the inequity of the tollbooths at the exits off the Everett Turnpike within their town borders. Merrimack is a geographically big town. Even with the exits being miles apart, the Everett has three exits in town. Merrimack drivers think that they should be able to use the Turnpike to drive between the three exits without paying a toll.

While I would love to see an end to the toll booths off the Everett Turnpike in Merrimack, I do not see the inequity of their existence. When the Turnpike was built, it was understood that it would be a toll road. Prior to its construction, Merrimack residents primarily used Daniel Webster Highway to travel North-South. This is still a viable option for those who do not like paying .50 to get on the Turnpike in either direction.

If Merrimack were to get its way, perhaps Hooksett and Bow would stage similar protests regarding the tollbooths off 93 for their towns. If we didn't have tollbooths the few exits before the major divides between the toll and non-toll portion of our highways we would have to increase the tolls at those divides to make up for the lost revenue. And then, some cheap drivers would exit the toll road before the tollbooth and drive past the toll on a local road, and get back on just beyond the toll.

Currently, residents, with the support of Town administrators, are contemplating a toll protest which basically involves tying up the tollbooths by paying in pennies. The proposed protest will do nothing to solve the debate. Many unknowing drivers will become victims to this slow down at the hands of the protesters. In addition, the tollbooth operators will suffer unfairly in this scenario, since they will have to count the pennies.

I sincerely hope that the Town administrators reverse their support for this action. New Hampshire residents are the ultimate cheap Yankees. They really believe in "Live Free". However, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Someone has to pay for road maintenance and construction. Logically, it should be the drivers who utilize the roads the most. I just wish that Merrimack drivers would just shut up and grow up.