In September my friend and I took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit relatives. We went there via the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. When we got to the bridge, there was a toll booth right there to pay.
We went on the Ohio and Pennsylvania Turnpikes, and whenever there was a toll, the booth was right there.
We decided to come back the other way, through Illinois. When we got on the toll road, we paid the toll. After we drove a while, we saw a sign for a toll booth but never saw the booth. It was night and there was lots of traffic.
I’m 67 years old and live in northern Wisconsin. I’ve never driven on the Illinois Tollway before. When we got to the fourth toll booth sign, we did notice the booth off to the right. We wondered if we were supposed to go off the road, but we didn’t know for sure.
About a month later, I got a notice that I had missed four tolls; it would have been $4.10, but since I didn’t pay in seven days, $80 was added on. So why wasn’t I notified right away so I could pay the $4.10? I did appeal it, and wrote a letter much like this one, but it was denied.
I’m a law-abiding citizen, and I wasn’t out to cheat the tollway of $4.10. I live on $910 a month, and having to send the $84.10 really hurt my budget. I feel that my appeal letter wasn’t read. I know if I plan to travel in the future, it will not be anywhere near Illinois.
— Pat Crass, Phelps, Wis.
