You did something charitable without consulting the government first? Oh, the horror...

Paying it forward. Most of us know the term from a 2000 film starring Haley Joel Osment as a kind-hearted kid who starts a groundswell of good-will...of course, this being a Hollywood film, and violence almost a requirement, and knowing that no good deed goes unpunished, the boy is killed by the end. If I just spoiled a thirteen year old movie for you, then you should probably get out of the house more often.

Here in Georgia, we have a road called GA 400. It’s essentially an interstate running about 55 miles, from Atlanta to just south of Dahlonega. Near the south end of GA 400 is a toll plaza. Standard toll on the road for a passenger car is 50-cents. Depending on the vehicle, the toll can go over $2.00. Since the bulk of the traffic is standard passenger cars, it became common enough for a driver to pull up, hand the toll worker a dollar, and just say that they were paying for the car behind them.

Call it karma, call it good will, call it a random act of kindness…the state called it a practice that had to end. The government, you see, did not like the idea of people being charitable and paying it forward on GA 400.

The state’s decision came as a result, they claimed, of toll-workers keeping the “goodwill” money. That’s right, in the eyes of the state, if someone abuses charity money, you don’t deal with that person, you just shut down the charity. Which is exactly what they intended. Even though GA 400 will cease to be a toll road in 2014, the state was set to crack down on people who pay it forward. That is, until their decision was met with vigorous uproar by people who actually enjoy being kind to one another.

The state relented, it seems, sometime between 3:00pm Thursday and lunchtime Friday. State Senator John Albers (R-Roswell) issued the following statement:

“I would like to applaud ....the Executive Director of the State Road and Tollway Authority, Christopher Tomlinson for reinstating a popular goodwill measure at Georgia toll booths today. Georgia is well-known for our southern hospitality and charity, and it isn’t uncommon for Georgians to demonstrate random acts of kindness by “paying it forward” at toll booths statewide – particularly along the Ga. 400 corridor.

“The original decision ... to remove the ability for motorists to pay for the car behind them was simply unacceptable. I, along with countless other motorists who travel along Ga. 400 and desire to help others, am glad GDOT worked to resolve this matter immediately. This is a positive example of the branches of government working together and doing what’s right.”

The toll is set to end exactly 99 days from today, August 16.