Monique

This is a crossthread from the OT and 964 forums.

On 8th of Feb, we received a speeding ticket dating back to last May 17th!! Doh!! (8 months and 3 weeks after the fact) I was in N. Italy at the time so it is plausible.

My questions are:

1. Is there a time limit for issue of speeding tickets in Italy?
2. Given the interesting driving habits of the Italian gentry, it is always safer to "go with the flow". Not a valid reason for speeding but nonetheless a safer alternative on I roads.
3. The fine is excessive = Euros 148 for 18 kmh above the speed limit. 118 in 100 zone.
4. Is there evidence Italian police discriminate against foreign plates?
5. What if we elect not to pay the fine? What are the repercussions in the EU?

Anyone with concrete experience please speak up.

Ray Calvo

Re 5: Repercussions could be serious - your family could get a package of paper-wrapped trout (i.e., "you sleep with the fishes".)

If you don't pay, stay out of dark alleys.

(I'm allowed to remind you of this - I'm Sicilian descent and my godfather lives in Brooklyn)

Monique

Good take Ray. I need chuckles now. Yours helped.

I'll probably end up paying... my wife is a judge. She does not condone my behavior.

993RS

Monique,
I do not find the fine excessive (not by Swiss standards). I also have never heard that the Italian police discriminate cars with foreign license plates.

Monique

Thanks Phil. I don't like what you say but...

RS man

J-P,

Maybe if you drove a Ferrari they may have condoned your behaviour
Was it in your RS?

Harry

Monique

No Harry, was in our Seat Ibiza Sport. (130HP TDI 1000 kgs.) it is quick too... we still had our dog then and she turned green in the Porker

Bruce SEA 993

We had to pay all of our parking tickets when we dropped off the rental car. Was this a photo radar ticket that you didn't know you got. Dang...I hope a ticket doesn't follow me home!

Monique

Hey Bruce,

This could be good news... bad news.

If they send the pic to your house, you'd better hope the pax is your wife.

drmrfi

Just a little warning to you Jean-Pierre (and other europeans too)!
Be very careful if you ever drive in Finland.

The speeding fines are just absurd because they are based on persons income. For a millionaire it´s easy to get a fine of 100000 euros for little speeding, even when there´s no accident, no-ones hurt etc.


I was recently fined 900 euros when doing 124 km/h on 100 km/h zone.

Mika

(So you all know now that I´m no millionaire )

kkim

I've heard that before... but exactly how do they know what you are worth when writing the ticket or is the fine accessed later?

drmrfi

The cops use mobile phones, sending text-message (or sms or whatever you call them) and they get a return message telling persons income in last taxation!
Of course this only applies to Finns, so if you are a foreigner and a convincing liar also, you probably save a lot

Mika

GabiOsz

Jean-Pierre,

I can't offer much advice, but I'm interested to know how organized the continental european police forces are getting at tracing the driver, can they send fines from speed cameras to other countries now?

Monique

Hello Gaby,

FWIW, they found me and to ensure no misunderstanding exists, it was sent by Registered mail. They know where we live...

Flying Finn

J-P, sorry to hear about ticket but I must say 148 euros is peanuts, honestly that's not a lot at all so listed what Judge is saying and "pay up sucker" (you know copper builder, Jesse James?).

Oh, and terve Mika!