Yes, submitter there are such a thing as 'fines'. For example, I once failed to refill the parking meter with 50 cents while at a convention center. I was written a ticket for $35. Did I cry about it? No, as an adult I paid the fine and made sure the meter got fed next time I went there.

Apparently the woman in the article failed to pay tolls dozens if not over 100 times. I feel no compassion for her. She thought she was scamming the system and got caught.

Con_Authority:

You DRTFA. She had a toll pass. she thought it was renewed automatically. the toll road commission did not notify her or anyone else for over 13 months because of a computer malfunction.

she is certainly liable for what she owes, but $15,000?

These are the same bureaucrats a lot of folks want to have run our healthcare system.

hahahahahahahaha

Let me know how that works out.......

she didn't pay attention to her bills, so in the end she will likely be held accountable.
But here's my question:
If the system is so good that it can track license plates, compile bills, and mail a notice, why are we forced by the state to 'fill' the i-pass with $40 at a time.
Casual drivers like me are punished for not using i-pass by longer lines and DOUBLE fees, all because I don't find it fiscally responsible to hand over $40 + $10 deposit for the device, as I only use the tollway 4-5 times a year. ($1.60 - $2.00 if I didn't have to pay DOUBLE penalty for using cash)
I guess you could argue that I am free to travel on other roadways, but it's pretty obvious to me that this system is not only flawed but so skewed in favor of the state that it is suppressive to law-obiding citizens.

Is there some reason I can't be billed for this service just as any other? Wouldn't it be ideal for the government to just keep a chunk of my money for any tax expenses that may arise?

Oh shiat. They already do.

Con_Authority: Apparently the woman in the article failed to pay tolls dozens if not over 100 times. I feel no compassion for her. She thought she was scamming the system and got caught.

You obviously didn't read the article, so I feel no regret for pointing out that you're an idiot.

Q314: she didn't pay attention to her bills, so in the end she will likely be held accountable.

Won't someone read the article before posting? Please? She didn't get a bill for over a year, then got one for almost $5k.

Welcome to the State of Corruption
Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor.

Isn't this usury?

John Paul Jones: Won't someone read the article before posting? Please? She didn't get a bill for over a year, then got one for almost $5k.

Since when did "the piece of paper didn't arrive" become a legal argument for "I did not check my i-pass balance"? "I did not check my bank account for the $40 deduction."

I'm sure she didn't get that notice, but unfortunately that doesn't mean she's innocent.

The controversy is not whether she received a bill, but why on earth she isn't allowed to just pay the actual amount.

She has to admit some fault here.

Q314: I'm sure she didn't get that notice, but unfortunately that doesn't mean she's innocent.

The controversy is not whether she received a bill, but why on earth she isn't allowed to just pay the actual amount.

She has to admit some fault here.

I completely agree -- however, if there isn't even an attempt made by the state to notify the person, then they can take their massive unpaid fines and shove them.

Q314: "I did not check my i-pass balance"?

Is there any way to check your i-pass balance?

Q314

She has to admit some fault here.

FTA: "Now, I will take responsibility. But $4,000, $15,000! This is ridiculous."

Would you like me to read the rest of the article to you?

real shaman: Con_Authority:

You DRTFA. She had a toll pass. she thought it was renewed automatically. the toll road commission did not notify her or anyone else for over 13 months because of a computer malfunction.

she is certainly liable for what she owes, but $15,000?

These are the same bureaucrats a lot of folks want to have run our healthcare system.

hahahahahahahaha

Let me know how that works out.......

Yeah, these are the EXACT SAME PEOPLE!!! And no one in private industry EVER screws up!!!! And GREED rather than a sense of public service is such a noble motivation leading to cheaper, better efficiency!!! (Hey, how's that Iraq war budget going?)

Nice to see you are such an original thinker!!!!

Chuck Wagon: Q314: "I did not check my i-pass balance"?

Is there any way to check your i-pass balance?

Better yet, why can't you set it up so once your account runs low it funds it automatically adds another $40?

Con_Authority: Yes, submitter there are such a thing as 'fines'. For example, I once failed to refill the parking meter with 50 cents while at a convention center. I was written a ticket for $35. Did I cry about it? No, as an adult I paid the fine and made sure the meter got fed next time I went there.

Apparently the woman in the article failed to pay tolls dozens if not over 100 times. I feel no compassion for her. She thought she was scamming the system and got caught.

Heck yeah! They should fine the driver 50 million dollars, that would show her.

i love reading what stupid arrogant people write on here like they are important and they didnt even read the article sad

For $200 an hour, I'll be happy to fix their computer problems.

I have an Easy-Pass for the toll road here in Atlanta. It auto-bills me like 30 bucks when it runs out. And that depends on my driving. May be 3 months-maybe 6. I notice when it hits my credit card, but honestly, I don't monitor it any more closely than that. I don't know when the last time I saw it was, and I don't know when I will see it again. The point with auto-billing for the pass is so you don't have to worry about making the payments to keep it active. They even advertise it that way. So I sympathize with the lady.

And, and much as you all hate them, it will be evil, greedy LAWYERS who will once again swoop in and take the state of Illinois to the woodshed in court over this, saving this poor lady and others similarly situated.

State judges ARE elected officials, after all...


/Yay lawyers! ;)

And GREED rather than a sense of public service is such a noble motivation leading to cheaper, better efficiency!!!

I'd assume greed is a better motivator because you'll be hard pressed finding enough people interested in "a sense of public service". No doubt they exist, but not in sufficient quantities to support all current services.

More and more I am coming to despise governments.

It it really proportional to fine her several weeks of wages for unknowingly not paying fines? It it reasonable to expect someone to cough up $4,000 in two weeks under the threat of a $11,000 fine?

Governments just use fines (especially for traffic related stuff) to randomly grab money from the pockets of people who are well behaved responsible members of society.

"real shaman [TotalFark] Quote 2008-01-06 09:44:26 AM
Con_Authority:

You DRTFA. She had a toll pass. she thought it was renewed automatically. the toll road commission did not notify her or anyone else for over 13 months because of a computer malfunction.

she is certainly liable for what she owes, but $15,000?

These are the same bureaucrats a lot of folks want to have run our healthcare system.

hahahahahahahaha"



Actually, these ARE the same kinds of people WHO DO control our health care system now. Yeah, boy, those HMO's sure do operate from a completely altruistic perspective, don't they?...

Doesn't the i-pass beep or give you some sort of notification that it was used? And doesn't it tell you your remaining balance?

(I could be wrong, I just thought this was the case.)

If this is the case, wouldn't she have realized at some point that something was wrong?

When I was growing up, my public school taught me how to balance a checkbook and keep track of all my expenses so that something like this would never happen to me.

When I hear about an adult who uses the excuse "I thought that such and such would just happen automatically..." I'm reminded why this country is in such bad shape.

I'm all for paying for something that has already been paid for anyway. It's a great idea!

Seriously though. She thought that her credit card refilled the pass when it became empty. They waited thirteen months to bill her due to a "computer glitch" and jacked up the fine to a ridiculous amount. Farkers are trying to say that this is the right thing?! I don't get you people anymore.

I just had to pay a $1300 fine for this, so I find this amusing.

Seriously, I did. Unlike the lady in the article I was trying to rip of the toll system (and even with the fine I ended up SAVING money than paying the tolls). Like the lady in the article I did not receive anything until nearly a year after the fact.

You do NOT see a judge when you go to "court" for this. The state just has a lawyer there and tells you the fine needs to be paid in 2 weeks or else it triples.


/I would move out of state
//if not for family

Average toll with an I-PASS is $0.40. She went through roughly 450 tolls to rack that up. I-PASS Automatically deducts $40 from your credit card when your account reaches $10. Also, when going through an exit booth, there is a light which lights blue or yellow, corresponding to how much money is left in your account.

She thought she was riding a loophole and got caught. Good.

meh, she'll call the office, get clarification on the bill, and they'll come to an agreement on what and when to pay. true, the government seems to be dead-to-rights to collect something, but in real practice, the government won't take this woman for 15k. It just doesn't happen, because that's exactly the kind of thing that newspapers crave to report about, and they can get a LOOOOOOT of mileage out of a story like this.

btw, AWESOME pic, cretinbob

Hydrostatic_Equilibrium: Chuck Wagon: Q314: "I did not check my i-pass balance"?

Is there any way to check your i-pass balance?

Better yet, why can't you set it up so once your account runs low it funds it automatically adds another $40?

Checking your i-pass balance takes all of 30 seconds on-line. As far as I can tell, there is no automatic refill. It's called "Taking responsibility for your life." She should be held accountable for what she owes, as well as some fine, but this is ridiculous.

csdebaser: I'm all for paying for something that has already been paid for anyway. It's a great idea!

Seriously though. She thought that her credit card refilled the pass when it became empty. They waited thirteen months to bill her due to a "computer glitch" and jacked up the fine to a ridiculous amount. Farkers are trying to say that this is the right thing?! I don't get you people anymore.

So it doesn't bother you that in 13 months this person didn't notice a lack of account activity to cover her toll payments?

Either she isn't responsible enough to be an adult, or she did see that there was no account activity and decided not to mention it, hoping that the error was in her favor.

Of course, when the error turned out to not be in her favor, she starts whining.

Personal responsibility...we could use a little more of that around here.

I hate Illinois Nazi's.

I had a similar problem with the Houston toll authority. My toll pass was linked to my credit card. When my credit card company sent me a new (unsolicited) credit card - with the same card number and account number - it caused the toll computer to de-link from my old credit card. I had no idea this had happened. I ended up driving through 12 toll booths over a one week period w/o knowing my toll pass had not recharged. Got a nasty letter from the toll authority and promptly called. I told them what happend and offered to pay the tolls and whatever administrative fees I owed. Total amount of the tolls was $28.00 - they added a $100 "penalty" for each individual toll booth I passed through without paying as well as another few hundred for administrative costs. Needless to say I was stunned. I told them I would not pay and quit using the toll roads immediately. About 6 months later they cited me to appear at a "hearing" (and I use that term very loosely) to "enforce" payment. Being the lawyer that I am, I looked at the statute governing the hearing and learned not only did I have no defense whatsoever - if they said I owed it, I owed it - I was actually prohibited from arguing I should have to pay less than they believed I owed. The statute also provided that if I didnt pay I could not register the vehicle in Texas. (The fines, costs, etc... follow the car NOT the person which is how they avoid due process and other constitutional issues.) I appeared at the "hearing" and told them my story. A surly "hearings officer" told me I owed the money as well as another $300 (approx) for contesting the matter. Her "judgment" would be final in 30 days. I promptly went out, sold my car and bought a new one. Havent driven on a Houston toll road since. Got a letter from a collections agency 9 months ago - $2100. I called the lawyer at the collections agency, told them what happended and invited them to try to collect. I have heard nothing since. Big government is NEVER the answer to any of societies problems. Bastards.

The IL tollway system was supposed to roll into a freeway system by 1982. The voters of the 1950's actually bought that horse puckey, too. Guess it didn't work out so well. God, I hate politicians.

Hydrostatic_Equilibrium: Chuck Wagon: Q314: "I did not check my i-pass balance"?

Is there any way to check your i-pass balance?

Better yet, why can't you set it up so once your account runs low it funds it automatically adds another $40?

That's how you can set it up. If it's not working correctly I am not sure how you will know. You can look at your credit card bill to see deductions, but for someone who takes the tollway infrequently that doesn't work too well. $40 in tolls can last me for more than a year. Judging by the numbers in the article, I imagine that this lady used the tollway quite a bit more than I did.

madcat407: Doesn't the i-pass beep or give you some sort of notification that it was used? And doesn't it tell you your remaining balance?

(I could be wrong, I just thought this was the case.)

The early versions of the i-pass transponders did have this. The new ones have no display nor do they make any noise when used.

Hunkered in her idling SUV outside the tollway's headquarters, Leslie Boudreau frantically sifts through papers that say she owes $4,619 for blowing $179.50 in tolls over the last year.

See, I have known women like this. The front seat of the car has unopened bills strewn about, along with about 23 empty latte cups, hair scrunchies, etc. If she has kids at least one important notice from the school probably is also in the pile. They might hold a decent job and they might be wonderful people, but they are absolutely a fail if they try and organize information such as this, its like they just refuse to try.

And then look around for their father figures (real or imagined) to sort it all out for them or tell them they're cute and it's all taken care of.

I really hate driving in IL because of the tolls.

Plus, all the IL people that come up to WI drive like assholes...

/Cheesehead

I certainly would not pay it. When my ePass runs low, it keeps a record of the money I owe and takes it out of the money I refill it with. Then they send me angry letters reminding me that it's a PREPAY system, not a credit system. To which I send back a mental "F*ck you!" They make money off the prepay system and they currently make $55 a month in tolls off of me, so they can float me ten dollars every once in a while.

If it was attatched to her bank account, she owes nothing. If it wasn't and she still refilled, she owes only the lost amount.

lostcat: csdebaser: I'm all for paying for something that has already been paid for anyway. It's a great idea!

Seriously though. She thought that her credit card refilled the pass when it became empty. They waited thirteen months to bill her due to a "computer glitch" and jacked up the fine to a ridiculous amount. Farkers are trying to say that this is the right thing?! I don't get you people anymore.

So it doesn't bother you that in 13 months this person didn't notice a lack of account activity to cover her toll payments?

Either she isn't responsible enough to be an adult, or she did see that there was no account activity and decided not to mention it, hoping that the error was in her favor.

Of course, when the error turned out to not be in her favor, she starts whining.

Personal responsibility...we could use a little more of that around here.

You mean like that lame "oh, sorry about that" excuse for the computer glitch that billed her unknowingly for thirteen months and jacked up the fine? Who takes the bullet for that?

I'm sorry, but anyone in power to create a bill that large and take someone's license away two weeks after the first notification has no sympathy in my book when it comes to mistakes like that. You say she needs to step up, but they don't?

Nobody wants to point out that their mistakes was even bigger.

Ecobuckeye: Average toll with an I-PASS is $0.40. She went through roughly 450 tolls to rack that up. I-PASS Automatically deducts $40 from your credit card when your account reaches $10. Also, when going through an exit booth, there is a light which lights blue or yellow, corresponding to how much money is left in your account.

She thought she was riding a loophole and got caught. Good.

Don't use the tollway much do you? The ramp light only tells you that the pass has been read, has nothing to do with how much you have left in your account. I still can't find anyplace on the I-Pass site that allows for automatic updates.
After reading about this screw up, would you really want to allow these morans to post a charge to your card whenever they got around to it?

Actually, there is an auto refill option.

I know my dad and sister's IPass autorefills it for them.

I can understand *some* of the blame being on the state. Some toll roads don't have the blue/white lights (the express ones where you don't stop). However, if the lady didn't notice 40 dollars being taken or never checked her balance, some blame goes on her.

In the end, she'll probably pay a 1k fine or something. She did break the law after all...

ComicBookGuy: real shaman: Con_Authority:

You DRTFA. She had a toll pass. she thought it was renewed automatically. the toll road commission did not notify her or anyone else for over 13 months because of a computer malfunction.

she is certainly liable for what she owes, but $15,000?

These are the same bureaucrats a lot of folks want to have run our healthcare system.

hahahahahahahaha

Let me know how that works out.......

Yeah, these are the EXACT SAME PEOPLE!!! And no one in private industry EVER screws up!!!! And GREED rather than a sense of public service is such a noble motivation leading to cheaper, better efficiency!!! (Hey, how's that Iraq war budget going?)

Nice to see you are such an original thinker!!!!

The amusing thing is that the massive backlog and computer failure was caused by a sub-contracted private company.

so yeah, yeah, yeah. me too, subby. here we go.

I'm not gonna read this article but this fnMORAN LADY NEEDS A GOOD DOSE OF AMERICAN JUSTICE.

reading sucks, but judging this woman I utterly disdain for no reason was both easy and rewarding to me personally.

FTA: Hunkered in her idling SUV...

See, this isn't about tolls, it's about Global Warming. They're just collecting her carbon tax.

operationdinosaurfingers: reading sucks, but judging this woman I utterly disdain for no reason was both easy and rewarding to me personally.

Are you stoned or something?

zilbel1038: I really hate driving in IL because of the tolls.

Plus, all the IL people that come up to WI drive like assholes...

/Cheesehead
I really hate driving in IL because of the trolls.
FIFY
/Another cheesehead
//Go Pack

Q314: John Paul Jones: Won't someone read the article before posting? Please? She didn't get a bill for over a year, then got one for almost $5k.

Since when did "the piece of paper didn't arrive" become a legal argument for "I did not check my i-pass balance"? "I did not check my bank account for the $40 deduction."

I'm sure she didn't get that notice, but unfortunately that doesn't mean she's innocent.

The controversy is not whether she received a bill, but why on earth she isn't allowed to just pay the actual amount.

She has to admit some fault here.


RTFA!!! she said exactly that!!

Tom Joad: Don't use the tollway much do you? The ramp light only tells you that the pass has been read, has nothing to do with how much you have left in your account. I still can't find anyplace on the I-Pass site that allows for automatic updates.
After reading about this screw up, would you really want to allow these morans to post a charge to your card whenever they got around to it?

Incorrect. There are 2 lights. One light comes on to verify that you were billed. The second light comes on if your account is low.

There's really only one solution....pop-up nail strips in the roadway. That'll learn them toll scofflaws.

ComicBookGuy: Yeah, these are the EXACT SAME PEOPLE!!! And no one in private industry EVER screws up!!!! And GREED rather than a sense of public service is such a noble motivation leading to cheaper, better efficiency!!! (Hey, how's that Iraq war budget going?)

I assume you are being sarcastic.

Self motivation (greed) is a very powerful force, much more powerful than a sense of public service.

Self motivation makes busines owners, managers and individuals try to do things as efficiently/cheaply as possible. This efficieny then scales to the rest of society. Sure private business/individuals screw up sometimes, and that is where the government steps in to protect other people.

But people in government/public service are not motivated to be efficient. Greed guides them to protect their jobs, improve their position, get more power etc. They dont care about spending money, it doesn't cost them anything.

And who protects people from the government? Nobody does apart from the voters every few years. Otherwise, they are a law unto themselves. If they want to make a law fining people $2000 for jaywalking, or institute some random tax, people have no choice but to bend over and take it.