The orange jumpsuit with “ALLPASS” in bold, black letters on the back was a baggy look, but the user kept pulling on it like something didn’t fit.
“This isn’t right. You have the wrong person,” he said.
“According to ALLPASS records, you cheated the toll system out of thousands of dollars,” the judge said. “If you can’t pay the price, then you must do the time.”
“I want a lawyer!”
“Not granted. I sentence you to six months of hard labor. We still have toll baskets around here. Your job is to scrape any gum or obscene stickers off all collection devices. Guard, take him away.”
What just transpired is a harmless soap opera today, but it could be a hard-hitting reality series tomorrow.
The Arlington Heights, Ill.-based Daily Herald newspaper recently hit the street corner with an “Extra, Extra!,” producing a three-part series on the misguidance of the Illinois Tollway’s open-road system.
Serving as this front-pager’s cover girl was Leslie Boudreau, who has been charged with owing the tollway over $15,000 in fines. She claimed to have never received any notice, which caused just over $179 in missed tolls to explode to the current $15,739 bill. It is frightening to see how the numbers inherited this super strength, but you should see the mask the tollway puts on during these so-called “hearings.”
If someone does have a dispute, they enter a plea to a hearing officer. According to the Herald, this officer tells the accused motorist that he or she is an attorney and not a tollway employee. The officer, however, does receive $50 an hour from the organization, which also controls what facts of the case are delivered to the bench. So, as you can guess, most of the cases rule in favor of the tollway.
It doesn’t paint a pretty picture, but of course even pictures created by the tollway are under scrutiny. According to the Herald’s investigation, the equipment used on the open-road tolling stage has a difficult time picking up specialized license plates. In the state of Illinois, tags that give money to a college or a special charity start with two letters stacked and a series of numbers. Often the stacked formation is missed, leaving the tollway to go after the owner of the numbers. We’re usually talking about two different people here.
The Illinois Tollway is a state agency, so what happens when someone is trying to escape the biased arm of the private law? Ever try contesting digits with a health insurance provider?
And will a private owner of a toll road invest in the Canon or generic brand of traffic cameras? I know the technology is out there for the sharpest of images, but buying into that program could cut into the bottom line.
I really do not mean to pick on the Illinois Tollway, because this line of thinking is prevalent among other toll institutions. But the fact that the worries and concerns of privatization are already plastering the walls of the public sector creates another part in a series of disturbing looks into the future. These investors are going to put up billions in an effort to churn out trillions. How do you think they are going to chase after money that is owed to them? It really creates a big, shady character for our industry. The pencil-neck bean counters in Washington aren’t delivering enough, so which way do we turn? The financial pressure is enough to throw you into a straitjacket. If it comes to that, make yourself useful and print “Send Money” on the back. Maybe somebody will listen.
