Over the past few months, New York City drivers have noticed something odd when using popular navigation apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze. With plans for Manhattan’s congestion tolls still pending, many have observed these apps rerouting vehicles through toll booths even when it seems completely unnecessary. This pattern has raised eyebrows and sparked debate among frequent drivers who feel they are being led down a detour designed to rip them off.
Picture this: You’re driving down the highway on a relatively quiet day with little traffic. Suddenly, your navigation app tells you to exit the highway and takes you through a toll booth. But just as you’re clear of the highway, the app tells you to make a U-turn, only to send you right back through another toll booth and finally put you back on the highway you were on. Sound familiar? This bizarre sequence of events has happened to us five times in the last month alone.
What makes it even more confusing is that these diversions happen even when there are no accidents, road closures or heavy traffic. The roads are clear, but the apps still divert drivers off the main route and through unnecessary toll roads. This raises the question: is there more to this than meets the eye?
Some drivers are wondering if this could be a deliberate attempt to generate additional revenue for the state through tolls, backed by the very tech giants we rely on for our daily commutes. It may sound far-fetched, but the frequency and consistency of these unnecessary detours has led many to question the true motives behind their navigation apps’ routing algorithms.
We want to hear from you. Have you experienced similar issues with your navigation app rerouting you through unnecessary toll roads? Do you think this could be part of a bigger plan, or is it simply a system glitch? Join the conversation on our social media channels and share your thoughts with us.
