Kudret Topyan saw something out of his 14th floor window last year that so excited him he set up a video camera to capture the action while he was at work. He's no Peeping Tom, though. He's an economist.
What intrigued Mr. Topyan from his apartment in Fort Lee, N.J., was the cat-and-mouse game being played out at the nearby George Washington Bridge leading into Manhattan. Carpoolers hoping to catch a ride were being intercepted by police—even though ride-sharing, as in other cities, is a legal way to save money.
To many commuters who use the bridge, the pull-over practice smacks of highway robbery. Tolls rose in September to $9.50 for E-ZPass customers and $12 for those paying cash. They will each rise $3 more by 2015.
"I remember when it was 50 cents," to cross the famous suspension bridge, says saleswoman Marilyn Hamburg. "It's outrageous!"