About a month back, on Sunday 11/05/2023, I was photographing a house on the east side of Wichita. On my way back, the GPS in my car led me onto the Kansas Turnpike, a toll road. But, there was a huge problem, my GPS took me directly onto the Turnpike without having to pass through a Toll Plaza, so I thought it was another highway, only realizing it was the turnpike after merging into traffic.
Of course, when I got to the exit, just 2 miles down the road, I pulled up to the Toll Plaza and realized that it was automated, and without a ticket from the entry point, I could not pay, this left me with one option, well, technically two, I could have smashed my way through the barrier, or back out of the payment lane and take the K-TAG lane, and as I expected when I made the decision, I received a $19.25 fine in the mail.
I paid the fine, as it’s really not worth my time to fight the violation over less than $20, despite being wronged. But, when I paid the fine, I made it clear with the following statement in their feedback form.
“I was going to dispute the charge as I got onto the Turnpike from S 127th St E, following GPS directions from E Harry, and there was no Toll Plaza to get a ticket, therefore I could not pay at the exit, leaving me no option but to use the K-TAG lane. I decided not to waste my time, and I chose to pay. This feels like entrapment, I should not be able to get onto the toll road without having to pass through a Toll Plaza.”
If it was a bigger fine, I probably would have fought it, even going to court if required, as I do feel it was entrapment, I should not be able to enter the turnpike without having to collect a ticket. How can I pay at the exit if I was not offered a ticket to get onto the turnpike? And why would I not just pay the $0.50 for the 2-mile jaunt on the toll road, it has now cost me 39 times that amount, through no fault of my own.
Here’s the journey that I made I that Sunday afternoon.
And here is the on-ramp, where I entered, you can clearly see there is no Toll Plaza to get a ticket.