I don't understand why more people don't get these things. I got one when I didn't even commute on the Mass Pike; I just hated waiting in line to pay the tolls. And as a single person, I had another reason, which is the safety factor of not having to fumble for toll change while driving (if I hadn't thought to get it out before I started the trip). So everytime I zip past the backed-up lines of cars waiting to pay the toll, it just reaffirms that I made the right decision.

As I recall, when I got my transponder, they did say the fee was for the lifetime of the device. I think they guaranteed at least a 5-year lifetime, and promised to replace it free if it died any earlier than that, but it was clear that you would have to pay the fee again after 5 years. I guess most people didn't read the fine print if they're feeling outraged. I just figured that $27.50 divided by 5 comes out to $5.50 a year, which is a small price to pay for saving so much time and aggravation.