Incertus

Perhaps I'm thinking about crappy drivers and traffic because I'll start the commute again next week, or perhaps it's just a coincidence that I saw both these stories on the same morning, but after reading the piece below, I think I'd like to see more places take up this theory of handling traffic violations.

In 2002 Swiss voters approved a system that replaces prison terms for some offenses, including speeding, with fines based on your income. According to the Zürich based Tages Anzeiger (english translation here), the 53 year old man has an annual income of more than $820,000 and is worth well over $20 million.

And another tip if you are caught and given a hefty fine in Switzerland, don’t make any big claims to try and get out of the ticket. The Testarossa driver was initially fined almost $90,000 by the local jurisdiction. That fee was raised to more than $145,000 by the next court. The driver had claimed diplomatic immunity saying he is diplomat from the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

Apparently that didn’t sway the courts and the fee was raised again to the $290,000 fine.

“The accused ignored elementary traffic rules with a powerful vehicle out of a pure desire for speed” the court said.

I have to admit that when I read this story, the first image that came to mind was the scene from "The Breakfast Club" where John Bender and Principal Vernon get into a pissing match which ends with Bender receiving seven (or eight) weeks of detention, depending on who's counting. But then I realized that I was siding with Vernon and I felt old, which wasn't cool at all. But then I realized that in no universe is anyone who drives a Ferrari Testarossa as cool as John Freaking Bender and it all worked out. I'm rambling.

I don't know where I'm going with this, really. I guess I just liked seeing someone with money and power get smacked down, even in some small way, by a locality that decided he deserved a smack.