Man Jailed Over 50-Cent Toll

ROCHESTER, N.H. -- A Massachusetts man who insists his New Hampshire highway tokens are still valid just spent three days in jail because he insisted on using two tokens to pay a 50-cent toll. Thomas Jensen, 68, of Braintree, said the state broke a contract with him and everyone else who bought tokens by refusing to accept them after January of last year. He was convicted of theft of services for continuing to use tokens after they were phased out.

‘‘I gave the state of New Hampshire money for the tokens, and I expect to be able to use them,’’ Jensen told The Patriot Ledger.

Monday, a judge told Jensen he could pay a $150 fine, do community service or go to jail for three days. He choose jail.Jensen was driving to his New Hampshire summer home when he tried to pay the 50-cent toll with tokens, as he had always done.

The toll worker refused to take them and a state trooper at the plaza gave Jensen a citation.‘‘(The trooper) said, ‘Just give him the 50 cents.’ I said, ‘I did, I gave him two tokens,’’’ Jensen told the newspaper.

‘‘Over my dead body was I going to give the state another dollar for the tolls,’’ Jensen said.

After being set free Thursday, Jensen said he's considering a lawsuit. He said the state should just accept tokens until they're all used up.

He told the newspaper that the jail was a clean, new facility and that the food was better than expected. He said he spent his time in jail talking with other inmates.

Jensen never told his wife he was in jail. Beverly Jensen said she only found out when asked by a television news reporter.

‘‘I just get offended by people trying to do me wrong,’’ he said. ‘‘They stole the value of these tokens from me.’’