It's been a wile... I remembered something that’s worth sharing….
In many countries running a red light is considered a very serious offence and the driver often pays a considerable amount of money as a fine and gets his license suspended for numerous months. You might find this rule unfair sometimes ( when you are the one ) or fair when you notice a black 2008 M5 BMW roaring down the main boulevard running red lights like a mad bull.
Well..some countries found another way to punish drivers that roar their 507 bulls over red lights...
Ok now without prolonging the discussion let me just tell you that I was caught by the camera jumping a red light. Yeap..pictures never lie...and there were four of them...
I went online and checked the traffic violation rules and saw the punishment: 800 to be paid and 15 days car confiscated! What? 15 days confiscate the car?..but the car didn't jump the red light by its own...why take her away...take me...I pushed the pedal..... !
Confused about this new development I decided to wait a couple of months hoping the systems will contract a virus and my fines will be swiped away in the cyber net. It didn't happen!
Here I was on a very hot and humid day outside the Police station. I went inside and approached a nice gentlemen with the voice of a guilty man " I came to pay my dues. I jumped a red light and came to leave my car ". The gentlemen say " Sorry Sir but there is no room for your car in the compound."....this came to me as a shock... no room in the Police secured parking....The officer saw me staggering and said " Maybe if you come after two weeks we can find something.. "
I was reaching a new level of facts interpretation and in a blink of an eye the discussion shifted in the most unusual way. This is a first for me! I literally started to beg the gentlemen to take my car…normally I would beg the police man to spare me from a big fine or from taking my license away but noooo!....this time I was begging him to take my car….After approximately 15 min he told me to come after 16:00 cause maybe then spaces will be available…
Now don’ think that like a mad person I went to the Police station to get my car impounded with no reason…no no no…the thing is that you cannot register the car if you don’t have all you fines paid. In order to pay your fines you have to clear the traffic violations. Jumping a red light it is a traffic violation that requires to have your car impounded for 15 days…so I went back at 17:00 and was able to leave my car for the required period…
Rushing out of the station as I was late for a meeting I asked myself …“ Who is the traffic menace here…me, the driver…or the car?”. I had my license in my pocket and could easily rented another car only to jump another red signal…
Makes you wonder now… no?
