PROVIDENCE, RI — A Rhode Island man who lost his front license plate thought it had simply shaken loose, then decided the car looked cleaner without it and never reported it missing. Two years later, a Massachusetts toll bill landed in his inbox and showed him the plate had ended up somewhere else.
Jay, who posts as @.jaydave, explained the situation in a video that has drawn more than 361,200 views. His caption summed up the mood: “Lowkey screwed.” What started as a minor inconvenience turned into a reminder that license plates can create real problems long after they disappear.
How a missing plate turned into a Massachusetts toll charge
Jay said he first noticed one of his plates was gone about two years ago and assumed it had fallen off while driving. Instead of treating it as a possible theft, he shrugged it off and kept driving with only one plate. He later said he even liked how the car looked without the front tag.
The problem surfaced when EZ-Pass Massachusetts sent him a bill for a toll he says he never drove through. Jay said he does not live in Massachusetts and checked his own schedule before pushing back. “I made sure I was at work during the time that it was committed,” he said. The charge pointed to an event that clearly did not match his own movements.
The plate had been photographed on a Ford F-150
Getting help was not simple, Jay said, because he had to work through automated phone systems before reaching a web chat. Once he connected with an agent, he was told the plate had been photographed on a Ford F-150. Jay said he has never owned that truck and does not plan to…