Shunpiking

Shunpiking is the practice of avoiding toll roads, or turnpikes, and driving nearby free roads to save a few bucks.

Shunpiking is of interest in Oklahomans. The Sooner State is full of toll roads, including a stretch from the Missouri-Kansas line to Oklahoma City that shadows the Mother Road.

I learned about shunpiking through Dan Rodricks, who writes a blog for the Baltimore Sun. He gives a couple tips on how to avoid tolls in his region. A reader has chimed in, too.
There’s also a fledgling Web site devoted entired to the practice, called Steve’s Shunpiking. To show his heart’s in the right place, Steve’s not shunpiking just to be a cheapskate. He wrote Rodricks in an e-mail:

“I travel the country and I started the web site almost for my own wants […]  I am a gear head (car nut) and would travel places with beautiful back roads.  I have been driving Corvettes since the late 70’s.  I know the most common definition for shunpiking is to avoid tolls. I had seen a definition that said something like ‘to take a back road to avoid tolls and major roads.’  Well, if you are not in a hurry, then there is great value in touring the ‘back roads.’  And I mean touring.

“I wanted to get some input for scenic back roads when I travel.  I think there are other roads like Route 66 out there. I am working in Alabama now and took back roads through Memphis to northern
Alabama.  I saw possibly eight little towns that aren’t even on maps.  I grew up in a small town in central
New York and really enjoy the atmosphere of small towns. So, not only can shunpiking save you money, it can also reaquaint you with
America.”

There are no entries on Steve’s Web site currently, but he’s encouraging readers to e-mail shunpiking tips. Once he gets content up, I wouldn’t be surprised if his site becomes popular.

And you know this is inevitable: A computer geek will figure out a way to hack into  Pikepass and other electronic systems and drive toll roads for free. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s happening already.