Luke Claims A Victory

A while back, Luke raised the issue of the plain, unmarked envelopes that the Department of Transportation uses to send people their toll bills. Because the envelopes were unmarked, people like Luke didn’t realize they were bills – they assumed it was junk mail. The envelopes ended up in the trash, unopened, and those who threw them away ended up paying penalty fees.

Back in March we talked to the folks at the DOT about the issue, and they were polite but pretty noncommittal to changing the envelopes. They cited privacy concerns: The DOT was afraid that mail thieves would recognize the envelopes and steal peoples’ personal information.

This morning, though, Luke takes a victory lap. He received his latest bill from the DOT today, and guess what kind of envelope it came in? That’s right, an envelope clearly stamped with the DOT’s “Good to Go” logo!

ABOVE: The new, improved envelope

BELOW: The original, unmarked envelope