Camera Based Tollway Rant-Caution!

Last summer my friend was flying into the Denver Airport. As is my custom, I googled driving directions. A tiny portion involved taking a toll road as you neared the busy airport. Fine, I thought, and put some extra ones in the passenger's seat. I put some quarters, dimes and nickels in a change jar, just in case.

 

Well, I got on the tollroad, never saw a booth. I wondered where the pay station was as I took an exit to get a burger and fries. I asked the clerk. She said, "there are no booths. they take a photo of your licence plates and send you the bill."

"You're kidding me, right?" I asked, stunned. "I'm from Idaho."

"Oh, they'll send you one all right," she assured me. "No one uses that road."

"How else do you get to the airport?" I asked.

She told me which frontage road to take and said it was easy. I followed her suggestion and never got back on the tollway.

 

Months passed. I didn't get anything from Colorado. I figured it was so little, maybe they just didn't persue out of staters. Wrong. I forgot all about it until a week ago.

 

I got a bill plus a $5 fine for not paying. I tried calling them. As you know, I'm living in Alaska now. They are closed when I get off work.

 

I thought about ignoring the whole thing.

What right do they have to assess me a fine when this was the first bill I ever saw. I know its been 3 months.....!

 

 

 

 

 

All sorts of fines mounting up to 65 additional bucks and criminal penalties were threatened on this same bill, eventually cumulating in not being able to renew my license. I ranted and raved to my patient housemate. She said, 'you're going to have to pay it." I knew she was right.

Check out this friendly website promoting that little stretch of toll way. I write this to warn you.....don't DO IT....take an alternate route, of which there are several.

https://www.expresstoll.com/Pages/Home.aspx

I paid my fine via credit card and vowed to do a public service by warning you all. Its not the toll. I was prepared to pay it. Its all the added fines and threats, the head ache and hassel because these people decided to install cameras and send bills rather than install little machines we could pay as we went, like other tollbooths.

I know, I know, times are changing. Big brother wants us all tied to virtual banking. Makes me sick.

There, rant done, thanks for listening.