Susie Holland, a grandmother from Reno, Nevada, offered a ride to a Burning Man attendee heading to the popular summer art festival in the Black Rock Desert.

At 61 years old, Holland is now facing hefty fines amounting to potentially thousands of dollars after being caught in an undercover operation conducted by the Nevada Transportation Authority (NTA).

“I didn’t understand what was happening when I pulled in, and then they just surrounded me with three undercover Ford Explorers,” Holland recounted to the Reno Gazette Journal, part of the YSL News NETWORK. “They were coming at me quickly and aggressively, and I was just shocked.”

What led to this situation?

Holland’s idea to give rides stemmed from an experience last year when she helped a friend and a few other festival-goers who got stuck in muddy conditions at Burning Man.

She enjoyed the ride back as they shared their Burning Man stories, allowing her to experience the festival through their tales without actually attending.

“I’ve never been and probably never will go; it’s just not my scene,” said Holland. “But after talking, they suggested that I offer rides the next year.”

A few weeks ago, she decided to post a ride-sharing ad on Craigslist to assist those heading to Burning Man and possibly earn some extra cash.

Holland received an inquiry about her rates, and since she was unsure what to charge, she suggested $65 per person. The potential client then offered her $500, asking if she could return for them, but after that, she didn’t hear back for weeks.

“Something felt off,” Holland reflected.

On Saturday, she began to look into the rules since she had riders scheduled for the following day. She learned from other festival-goers that offering rides was common. While drivers need permits to enter Burning Man, she was told it was fine to drop people off at the gate.

“I thought I was being responsible. I even Googled it,” Holland said. “But the NTA never came up in any of my findings.”

“I didn’t know anyone who was aware of their existence,” she added.

Holland arranged to meet her riders at the Grand Sierra Resort’s back parking lot at 6:30 a.m. Monday.

Unbeknownst to her, the so-called Burners were actually undercover NTA agents.

“I was completely bewildered when I saw the black SUVs pulling up,” Holland said, laughing in disbelief. “I couldn’t understand what was going on. I’m 61 years old; I’ve never been in this kind of situation before.”

When the vehicles blocked her attempt to leave, she became increasingly overwhelmed as they blared their horns. Stepping out of her car, she was confronted by three agents — “tall, bald-headed guys with big badges” — who began searching her vehicle.

As they examined her car, one of the agents remarked that her Subaru was one of the cleanest he’d ever seen.

“I was left speechless, thinking, ‘Really?’” Holland replied.

They informed her that she could face fines of up to $10,000 for each violation and that she might be liable for $30,000 in total due to violations of state laws, including the requirement for a driving certificate and the illegality of advertising services that need a permit.

Her car was towed, prompting her to schedule a hearing with the NTA to get it back.

Holland reached out to John Routsis, a lawyer experienced with Burning Man cases, who agreed to assist her upon his return from the event. This left her without legal support for the hearing.

Routsis, who has been helping the Burning Man community for over a decade, noted that he had never encountered a similar case before.

“No one knew it was illegal to offer rides to Burning Man,” Holland stated.

What does the Nevada Transportation Authority say?

Teri Williams, spokesperson for the NTA, told the RGJ that she couldn’t reveal the number of individuals involved in the sting operation, its duration, or its start date.

Williams explained that it’s against the law for paid drivers to operate without the necessary licenses or insurance.

“As a law enforcement agency, the NTA is committed to protecting the traveling public, which requires regulating licensed providers and proactively identifying unlicensed activity,” Williams stated in an email.

“Ultimately, individuals engaging in commerce should understand the legal requirements for operating. It is their responsibility to be informed and compliant,” she concluded.

Is ridesharing common?

The short answer is yes, it’s quite common.

There are entire Facebook groups dedicated to ridesharing for Burning Man—many of which invite others to join them on their journeys, while it’s also common to find people willing to offer paid rides.

Holland mentioned that when she went to retrieve her vehicle from City Auto Towing on Tuesday morning, the clerk informed her that 18 vehicles had been towed that day as part of the sting operation.

City Auto Towing declined to comment to the RGJ.

“I recognize that I need to take responsibility for my lack of knowledge regarding the laws. I accept that,” Holland stated. “However, the manner in which they handled the situation was astonishing.”

They could have simply warned you with a light reprimand, indicating that your actions were inappropriate. There was no need for them to seize your vehicle and impose exorbitant charges. It’s hard for me to understand that.”

However, as per the law, the NTA is not permitted to merely issue warnings. They must cite individuals and confiscate their vehicles for noncompliance, even on the first infraction, according to Williams.

When a person is brought before the NTA, a hearing officer determines the penalty, considering factors such as whether it is a first-time offense or any extenuating circumstances.

Williams stated that the NTA’s enforcement is focused on ensuring the safety of both drivers and passengers.

“The NTA genuinely cares about its public safety mission,” Williams noted. “The potential risks to either the driver or the passenger could be life-changing.”

Holland had to pay $1,000 in cash to the NTA to reclaim her vehicle since they waived several fees due to it being her first offense. She also paid $500 to the impound lot to retrieve her car.

According to Holland, while agents were searching her vehicle, they mentioned that she could have faced charges amounting to $10,000 for three separate fines, totaling up to $30,000. However, the NTA informed her that her charges would be lowered, leaving her to now await the final invoice in a few months.

“Clearly, I’m just a grandma giving people rides to work,” Holland remarked. “But they know what they’re doing. We were just oblivious to the regulations.”

Jaedyn Young reports on local government for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Her work is fully funded by contributions and grants; You can share your story ideas and feedback with Jaedyn at jyoung@rgj.com.