when you first reach Riften and you have to pay the toll at the main gate YOU DONT HAVE TO DO IT instead go to the side and swim till you reach a stair well that leads to Black Briar Meadary you can slip into Riften through there and avoid the toll

You also don't have to pay the toll anyways....just tell them that you know what they are doing.....

*reads post*

You assume that you have to pay the toll, you can persuade or even intimidate the guards into letting you in without paying the toll.

also the check to bribe or intimidate the gate guards always succeeds even at lvl 1 w/ 15 speech. at least in my experience anyways. i have the same experience pursuading the white run guards. i always take those option at low lvls for the free skill ups

One good thing about sneaking through the meadery is that you can avoid that scripted force greeting by Maul that always happens the first time you enter the city by the gate. That guy is almost as annoying as the Vigilant of Stendarr in Markarth who always force greets you ever time you walk by him.

I think sneaking into a town of thieves is more poetic than lying to them to get in the gate.

That isn't lying to them because what they are doing is blatantly obvious, I could debate that with you all day but I don't want to even risk it.