NEW YORK (CBS) ? There may be no such thing as a free lunch anymore, but if you work for the Port Authority there is such a thing as a free ride.
Thousands are getting E-ZPasses.
Drivers crossing the Hudson River on Monday were signing their own versions of the Beatles' song, "Ticket To Ride," which begins, "I think I'm gonna be sad …"
"I feel very bad," one driver said.
"It's quite unfair," added another.
The sad feelings, the anger exists because the Port Authority gives nearly 8,000 employees free EZ-Pass tags for its six bridges and tunnels. The Port Authority says it's like getting a discount if you work at Macy's or free cable service if you work for a cable company.
"In both the public and private sectors, beneficial use of a company's product is a fairly common standard and it's one that this agency and other transportation agencies have given to its employees for many decades," said Steve Sigmund of the Port Authority.
Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives isn't buying that rationale.
"When you get your free cable as an employee of Time Warner that doesn't infringe on the lives of anyone around you, but when your employee perks ends up adding to traffic on New York City and New Jersey streets that is something the directly impact the community," Norvell said.
Current employees get the tags. Another 3,506 retirees also get them. In addition, another 1,100 PATH employees ride the rails for free.
"I don't feel it's right for them to have it because we all work and everything, too," said Mejra Hamza of West Orange. "We get a little bit of a discount and they get it for free."
Added Andrew Zolov of Fairfield, Conn.: I'm not so sure they should get it for free. Everybody should be paying for something. Everything is getting really expensive."
Officials agree. The perks are over the top.
"Costs keep rising for everyday people," said NYC Councilman John Liu, D-Flushing. "The tolls keep going up and up. For the Port Authority to take the attitude that it's no big deal for 8,000 people, 8,000 of their employees to get this, that is an unbelievable lack of being in-tune with everyday reality."
The agency says many of the free E-ZPass tags are the result of collective bargaining agreements with unions and cannot be changed. However, it does intend to end the practice of giving them to non-union retirees.
