Tolls are one of those necessary evils for travelers and commuters, a fee that we pay to use roadways and fund future projects, as well as repairs to exiting ones. Obviously, not everyone is a fan of paying tolls, but the majority of us do it anyway – because, well, we have to, legally speaking. However, a group of folks in New York have been skirting tolls for years, though a handful – including at least one Ford Mustang driver – were recently busted for their crimes, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
On one single day last week, MTA Bridges and Tunnels officers nabbed a grand total of 21 violators – 17 of whom were stopped on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Those officers discovered that this bunch had racked up a whopping $400,000 in unpaid tolls and fines over the years, and wound up issuing 28 summonses to the offenders. Worse yet, those drivers wound up having their vehicles towed, too.
As for one Ford Mustang driver caught in the bust – a 30-year-old – he was also driving sans registration, which only added to his list of transgressions. “He got his father on the phone, and he was crying, and then he handed me the phone and said, ‘Here, talk to my father,'” said TBTA Officer David Rivera. “I just explained to his father that the car was unregistered, and we were taking it in. Most people are pretty calm until they realize they’re losing their car. Eventually, they give it up but, you know, it’s hard for a lot of people. Their car is their baby. Or it could be there they’re in the car with their family or they’re going to work, it’s, it’s bad sometimes.”
The Ford Mustang driver wasn’t the worst offender, at least, as that particular honor goes to the driver of a Mazda CX-5 that was stopped during the crackdown, at which point officers discovered that they had more than 500 violations dating back to May 2021, which adds up to a whopping $57,000 in unpaid tolls.
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Comments
Should impound those cars, and if fine is not paid in 30 days put them up for auction and return the excess profit to the owner.
Government shouldn’t have the ability to seize your assets over tolls. A total joke…only the illusion of freedom here in the USA unfortunately.
Why not? Liens are placed on assets all the time over unpaid fees.
Fact: tax and toll cheats make all the rest pay more to cover costs.
Illusion? Pay your bills and these things don’t happen.
Delusion is thinking you don’t have to pay for your share of society and then crying when the law catches up with you.
Think about… $57,000 for 500 tolls!
The reality of most toll roads is that it’s just an employment and revenue scheme… rarely a fund for maintenance/upkeep.
Likely it’s the fines and interest man.
AGREE!!!
Clearly you do not operate a business or provide a service…. if you did and your customer and clients decided to not pay you… you would still not be able to ever operate a business or provide a service. If freedom is as you say, an ‘illusion’, your version of it is no benefit to anyone.
👍 💯 correct.
Theft is theft Joe. You do the crime you pay the fine. If you think you are oppressed in the USA, take a trip to Russia or Iran. Confiscation of your car would be the least of your worries.
Spoken like a true big government marxist
No, just spoken like an adult who realizes good infrastructure costs money.
Whereas you are just plopping in with nonsense words that only support the scofflaw chavs who enjoy that infra on everybody else’s dime dude.
“a Mazda CX-5 that was stopped during the crackdown, at which point officers discovered that they had more than 500 violations dating back to May 2021, which adds up to a whopping $57,000 in unpaid tolls.”
Why would you live in a place that would cost more in tolls to drive in a year and a half than many people make in 1 year? That’s an insane price to pay to drive on any road for a year and a half.
More then likely, this included more in fines for late charges then in actual tolls.
This is Ford news? Theres 1000s of toll violators, So what?
30 year olds. Wasted generation of infantilized dolts.
I’ve observed it too. Many of our young adult population seem to regard traffic laws as mere suggestions. And the females are the worst offenders… Aggresive, no common sense it would seem.
Whatever happened to ‘Defensive Driving’, not to mention common courtesy?
It used to be that such ignorant and aggressive driving was prevalent mostly in the mid-Atlantic and northeast cities.
Today’s thinking seems to be ” it’s only wrong if you get caught”.
Agreed….. To your point, it would have been interesting to drill down on the detailed statistics as to who these toll evaders are.