Got a photo radar ticket from Germany.

[Rick Lee]

I got "blitzed" in Bielefeld on June 4th at night. The speed limit was 100 km/h until 22.00 and then goes down to 80 km/h until 6.00.



I was nailed at 94 km/h after the speed limit drop because I couldn't read the times on the sign (going what I thought was the speed limit at night) until it was too late. I saw the flash and figured they'd try to stick my rental car co. with the ticket, who would then charge my credit card. Co-incidentally, it was my wife's credit card, which has no foreign transaction fees and she had it canceled for fraud a few days after my return. I never heard from the rental car co. The nastygram from the City of Bielefed is dated July 29th, I got it today and I was to pay a 20 Euro fine within a week. Obviously, I'm way late and I think my bank charges $40 for a foreign wire fee anyway. So I won't be paying this one. Flame away.

[stomachmonkey]

I'd pay it if I were you.

You certainly don't want to have issues the next time you show up at customs.

Don't you have friends in Germany?

Ask one to pay it and reimburse them.

[Rikao4]

agree with ST..
pay it..
you go back to often to have..

'ein kleines problem Herr Rick..'
I've got to scan mine..
got tagged in my Z numerous times..
the pics are quite good..

Rika

[Rick Lee]

Actually, the photo is pretty lame. Funny thing is, when I got to my friend's house minutes after getting flashed, I told her about it. She, in typical German fashion, told me she likes having that camera there because that road has so much noise pollution at night when people want it quiet. Uh huh. Then they might want to give some warning about the speed limit drop with a big digital clock next to it and well before the actual camera. The camera was inside the sign warning of the speed limit drop. I might ask her to pay it for me, but I don't know how I'm going to find out the current amount due without calling the place, which is then acknowledging that I know about the ticket and speak German like a native, thus giving me no chance of an ignorant tourist defense. Not that they'd make it go away from a phone call. But I really doubt they can do anything to me for this.

[RWebb]

wait -- aren't you the same Rick who is "very concerned" about a guy taking up 2 parking spots????

or has your user name been hijacked by a scofflaw?

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Actually, the photo is pretty lame. Funny thing is, when I got to my friend's house minutes after getting flashed, I told her about it. She, in typical German fashion, told me she likes having that camera there because that road has so much noise pollution at night when people want it quiet. Uh huh. Then they might want to give some warning about the speed limit drop with a big digital clock next to it and well before the actual camera. The camera was inside the sign warning of the speed limit drop. I might ask her to pay it for me, but I don't know how I'm going to find out the current amount due without calling the place, which is then acknowledging that I know about the ticket and speak German like a native, thus giving me no chance of an ignorant tourist defense. Not that they'd make it go away from a phone call. But I really doubt they can do anything to me for this.

If you call don't speak German.

Might get you a grace period and waiver of additional penalties.

Nothing they can do to you here in the sates but you travel to Germany frequently IIRC.

They will remember and don't be surprised if it pops up on your next visit.

I speak Schwäbisch, Stuttgart born and breed.

I've learned but to play dumb at customs.

Being born in Germany, traveling on a US passport and fluency in the language ='s a hassle getting into the country.

[krystar]

how did u get it? a regular snail mail letter? or was it certified mail?

[Rick Lee]

20 yrs. ago I blew off a visa renewal when I was living there because I wasn't planning to work anymore before I went back to the US. But then I decided to go back to work during spring break at the Bayer factory, for which I really needed a new visa. When I went to the police station, they chewed me out for letting my visa lapse (I had been there about a year). The Beamte asked me when I planned to leave. I said Aug. 14th. So he made my new visa expire July 31 just to be a dick and make me have to come back, which, of course, I did not. I've been back 10x since then and never been hassled.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by krystar

how did u get it? a regular snail mail letter? or was it certified mail?

Snail mail. Took over two weeks to get here. I ignore certified mail.

[JavaBrewer]

That fine is gonna seem like peanuts if you visit DE again w/o paying. Not sure if they will flag it at customs but certainly if you ever get stopped for ID. In case you have not heard but Germans are famous for implementing process and paying attention to details. YMMV.

[Rikao4]

and there is that compounding late fee..

Rika

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Snail mail. Took over two weeks to get here. I ignore certified mail.

Just mail them a cashiers check made out in dollars.

[Rick Lee]

Maybe I'll stay up real late tonight and call them to see if they can let the late fee slide and then I'll call my friend and have her pay it for me.

I still don't think they can do anything to me. In many thousands of km of driving there, I was only ever pulled over once and they didn't ask for my ID, just told me to turn off my foglights.....in a torrential downpour. Man, I thought I was doomed when I saw that cop get soaked walking over to me. Ooooh. Just remembered I have a good buddy there who's a cop, though he's in Merseburg, way to the east. Maybe he can tell me if I should blow it off.

[DanielDudley]

We are talking about a small amount of money here. Cheap insurance.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

20 yrs. ago I blew off a visa renewal when I was living there because I wasn't planning to work anymore before I went back to the US. But then I decided to go back to work during spring break at the Bayer factory, for which I really needed a new visa. When I went to the police station, they chewed me out for letting my visa lapse (I had been there about a year). The Beamte asked me when I planned to leave. I said Aug. 14th. So he made my new visa expire July 31 just to be a dick and make me have to come back, which, of course, I did not. I've been back 10x since then and never been hassled.

You had to leave to come back, ergo you were no longer in violation of your visa.

The ticket does not go away until you pay it.

Just send them a check for the initial amount regular mail with an explanation, "I would have paid immediately but it's been x # of weeks/months and I just received your letter now"

20 Euros hardly seems worth the potential hassle.

[slodave]

"20 euros hardly..."

But this is Rick we're talking about.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Just mail them a cashiers check made out in dollars.

and use certified mail

[red-beard]

You are screwing around about $43.35?

Send them a friggen check! Scratch out dollars and put Euros at the end. They will do the conversion, etc. All done, no drama. Make a copy of the letter and put the date you received it. They will wave the late fee.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Mail it to Greece on Germany's behalf.

[Zeke]

Any attempt to pay admits guilt. I'd send a check for $4.35 just to have some fun. You can tell them you don't know much about conversion of USD. Then send them 20 bucks. You can do this for the rest of the year.