Ever thought about what happens if you skip paying at the toll booth? You could get a ticket if you try it once. But keep dodging the toll, and if your unpaid total hits $25,000, you might find yourself in hot water. The next time the cops pull you over and check your record, there’s a real chance you’ll take a one-way trip to jail. Imagine the surprise on your face! It’s like playing tag with the law, but eventually, they catch you. Want to avoid this sticky situation? Keep reading to dodge this sticky wicket.

This week Benjamin McClellan was arrested at the Goethals Bridge after going through the toll plaza without paying. Police noticed that he had changed to characters on his license plate with black electrical tape. He also had a suspended license for an unpaid traffic ticket. A subsequent investigation determined that he had allegedly run up $25,000 in unpaid tolls at bridges in all five boroughs.

He has been arraigned on theft of services, driving without a license and other charges. Bail has not yet been set and no attorney named, so for now, McClellan isn’t talking.

It might seem like a minor thing to evade paying a tool. Or maybe you just like “sticking it to the man” every now and then. But consider yourself warned: police and toll authorities take it very seriously when someone evades paying the toll. The money collected in tolls go toward costs of building or maintaining roads and bridges. If you don’t pay you are actually stealing from the rest of the drivers who are paying.

Do yourself a favor and just pay the toll. It helps if you know in advance how much the toll will be and have exact change ready. If you regularly use a toll road consider getting a monthly pass. This will make your trip through the toll plaza faster and sometimes you can get one for a discount if you pay in advance.