Got charged for driving on a toll road and didn't even know it...

[haele]

17. Most of the time, you'll just go under one of those signs that go across all the lanes.

And that's where it starts. They have them on some of the California highways (especially ones built or extended after 1995) and HOV lanes, and while there's typically signage to warn you it's coming up in two/three miles, there's usually not a lot of options available that don't entail an additional half hour of driving. Only a few toll roads still have booths or ticket dispensors at the on-ramps/readers at the off-ramps.

What really sucks is when there's no access road or other local road that will run reasonably parallel to where you want to go if you don't have the cash or the transponder. You're stuck with a $4.00 to $8.00 invoice in the mail a week or so later.

Haele