Woman Racks Up About 3000 Toll Violations

[mcs328]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051102/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Woman Has Nearly 3,000 Toll Violations

Wed Nov 2, 4:28 PM ET

DALLAS - The North Texas Tollway Authority says it has a forgiving attitude for Dallas-area travelers who sometimes pass through their booths without anteing up.

"We recognize that sometimes you get in the wrong lane, or you don't have money," said Clayton Howe, director of the authority's toll programs and services. "We don't punish people for that kind of activity."

But Evangelina Gonzalez apparently pressed her luck with nearly 3,000 violations since February 2004. Gonzalez, 41, owes a record $76,039, which includes a $25 administrative fee per violation, The Dallas Morning News reported in Wednesday editions.

A constable was sent to her home last month with an arrest warrant. She was booked into the county jail and later released on the condition she appear in court on the Class C misdemeanors.

Gonzalez could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday by The Associated Press. No phone listing for her could be found.

She stands accused of failing to pay 2,953 tolls on the Dallas North Tollway and Bush Turnpike.

Gonzalez isn't alone. Another violator has a $61,025 bill pending.

Howe said the tollway authority doesn't expect to collect all the fees from Gonzalez, but anticipates a fair assessment from a judge. The authority uses cameras and a database to catch offenders.
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Why didn't they do something sooner? I think she should pay a substantial part of it. If they get a reduction to like half it just says hey...I save money if I just disregard the violations until they come get me.

[MikeD]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051102/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Woman Has Nearly 3,000 Toll Violations

Wed Nov 2, 4:28 PM ET

DALLAS - The North Texas Tollway Authority says it has a forgiving attitude for Dallas-area travelers who sometimes pass through their booths without anteing up.

"We recognize that sometimes you get in the wrong lane, or you don't have money," said Clayton Howe, director of the authority's toll programs and services. "We don't punish people for that kind of activity."

But Evangelina Gonzalez apparently pressed her luck with nearly 3,000 violations since February 2004. Gonzalez, 41, owes a record $76,039, which includes a $25 administrative fee per violation, The Dallas Morning News reported in Wednesday editions.

A constable was sent to her home last month with an arrest warrant. She was booked into the county jail and later released on the condition she appear in court on the Class C misdemeanors.

Gonzalez could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday by The Associated Press. No phone listing for her could be found.

She stands accused of failing to pay 2,953 tolls on the Dallas North Tollway and Bush Turnpike.

Gonzalez isn't alone. Another violator has a $61,025 bill pending.

Howe said the tollway authority doesn't expect to collect all the fees from Gonzalez, but anticipates a fair assessment from a judge. The authority uses cameras and a database to catch offenders.
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Why didn't they do something sooner? I think she should pay a substantial part of it. If they get a reduction to like half it just says hey...I save money if I just disregard the violations until they come get me.

Exactly. She should be prosecuted and they should seize at least a portion of the money.

That stuff happens on the Dulles Toll Road here all the time. Folks just think they're above the law. If you don't want to pay the toll, then don't use the road. Period.

[bachviet]

How the hell did she do that for so long without getting any attention?

[mcs328]

Did some math and the toll she failed to pay is about 75 cents each. Each violation carried $25 admin fee. So she actually owes only $1945~ in tolls uncollected. The rest is just the admin fee. I say triple the damage which is about $6000 or revoke her license.

[guiseppewv]

That cannot be correct. If this was from Feb 1 2004 to Nov 1 2005 (approx 606 days) and she had ~3000 violations that would mean she would have to average ~5 violations a day. Is that possible?

[Butch]

That cannot be correct. If this was from Feb 1 2004 to Nov 1 2005 (approx 606 days) and she had ~3000 violations that would mean she would have to average ~5 violations a day. Is that possible?

She may be a delivery or sales person who is always in her car for work.

[mcs328]

Round trip for me includes going through 4 tolls, 2 each way. 75 cents for the main toll and then 50 cents for the exit toll each way. I know other co-workers that have additional toll taking something called The Greenway which charges more than 75 cents I think. So 5 violations a day is plausible.

[Jeffbx]

Also, if I remember correctly, on the N. Dallas tollway there are multiple toll booths all along the road... so if you're going a long distance, you can hit 5 all in a row just going from the suburbs into Dallas. HUGE pain in the a$$.

So I can see if she lived in the 'burbs & drove downtown every day, she could rack those violations up pretty quickly. However, I don't understand why they let it go for so long... you'd think after a couple hundred violations that someone would notice something.

[Cheesypuff]

gosh darn...in north cali...if the toll fee was only .75, I would be a happy camper!!!! damn that $3 toll crap.

[mcs328]

I've noticed in MD at least and the surrounding area that toll lanes are picking up speed. The ICC (intercounty connector) is being built a few blocks away although it's been on the agenda for like 30 years and now we are getting HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lanes from Arlington to DC.

So what makes a road "public" versus "toll-able"? I feel it's a nickel and dime scheme to squeeze blood from a commuter turnip along with red light cameras (although I like them) and speed cameras (I don't like these).

[Thesifer]

Did some math and the toll she failed to pay is about 75 cents each. Each violation carried $25 admin fee. So she actually owes only $1945~ in tolls uncollected. The rest is just the admin fee. I say triple the damage which is about $6000 or revoke her license.

I would say drop a lot of the Administration Fees. And charge 5-6k because It still shows a clear picture that you won't save money avoiding them. She will end up paying over 3000-4000$ more then if she had just paid the tolls to begin with.

[MikeD]

The ICC (intercounty connector) is being built a few blocks away

When did this start? Didn't know about it...

[mcs328]

When did this start? Didn't know about it...

Out of the two possible paths they chose the one 2 blocks away from me about 2 months ago. Last I heard it's awaiting federal approval and construction may start as early as spring 2006. It'll be a toll road. It's pretty much finalized and the federal approval which is expected to be rubberstamped according to some "groups" will be the last hurdle.

We have a lot of ICC protestors in our area because of the proximity of where it will be built and I was given a survey at one of the intersections that not if I wanted it or not but how long it takes me to get from point A to B and what time of day I drive and whether an on/off ramp would be a good place to build there.