Traffic fine balance and Fox news idiocy

[Something completely different]

I was reading a paper this morning when I came across this story (translated from German):

Finish buisnessman Anders Wiklöf had to pay 95.000 Euro (129.941 US Dollars) for being 27 km/h over the speed limit in an urban erea. This being one of the highest fines payed in the country where the prize of the traffic fine is determined by the persons income.

Now this is a very common practice all throughout Europe and as far as I know this happens in all of Scandinavia, Germany, France and others.

In some countries like Austria this does not apply and in some countris here (again like Austria) vehicles which were cought speeding but are company and not private property cause the fine to be sent to be payed by the company and there are no legal consequences fo the drivers (which various rich cocks abuse by having their mental dickenlargement of a sports dick on wheels registered as company rather than private property, thereby avoiding legal trouble and speeding all the time)

It is a practice that I really do aprove of, since at a certain point of income a fine for speeding isnt really a punishment. Thereby this law pritty much ensures that one cannot literaly buy oneself out of legal trouble.

But enought of Europe and it`s marxist traditions.

Let`s read through what FOX News has to say about this:

Europe Slapping Rich With Massive Traffic Fines

I am use to the "punishing rich people for being successfull is unfair" whining. Yet moving to "punishing rich people for speeding is unfair" is a step into a very very weird corner of stupidity.

After reading the headline I didnt even bother reading the rest, believing it to be rather predictable. But if you want, you may:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/01/10/...fic-fines/

[Minimalist]

It's FOX. Stupidity is what they do.

Remember they are preaching to an audience of trailer park denizens.

[CleanShavenJesus]

No shockers here.

[Autumnlicious]

It's FOX. Stupidity is what they do.

Remember they are preaching to an audience of trailer park denizens.

... who think they're just poor because of the big bad Government keeping them down.

[Darth]

The exact number with the decimal point and commas seems to have gotten lost in translation here.

A quick google of Anders Wiklöf reveals it was about 80,000 pounds or $130,000

The fox news article, from 2010 (so you've dug it up rather than it being an article inspired by this finnish chap), is mostly about switzerland and talks of fines with a maximum penalty of 16 million (In germany). The headline (which as I understand it is often not written by the same people who write the articles), is not a fair representation of the article in my opinion. The article doesn't talk of wealth redistribution, in fact the first paragraph goes as follows:

European countries are increasingly pegging speeding fines to income as a way to punish wealthy scofflaws who would otherwise ignore tickets.

So fox news, states that these fines, rather than being a result of Europe and Switzerland's marxist traditions, is a method of actually punishing rich lawbreakers. So far so good, no?

It then gives some examples and lists some countries with similar laws, before honing in on switzerland (who apparently had a problem with all the rich tourists who go buzzing round in rented ferrari's and such), giving lots of people who are in favour of this scheme quotes, before giving one group who have a proposed alternative (mandatory counselling/courses) a quote and then letting the Swiss people's party offer some criticism that the penalty for poorer people is now too low to deter speeders.

The article doesn't appear to offer any real criticism of the scheme to be honest, and again, it makes no mention of wealth redistribution. Quite frankly you walk away from the article more in favour of your position.

It is a practice that I really do aprove of, since at a certain point of income a fine for speeding isnt really a punishment. Thereby this law pritty much ensures that one cannot literaly buy oneself out of legal trouble.

Yeah, that's pretty much what the article says (or at least, what the people who are given the most quotes are saying)

Knee-Jerkers are gunna Knee-Jerk. I suggest you work on your future prediction abilities.