Another Speeding Ticket

This is like the fourth speeding ticket I have gotten, and it really frustrates me because two factors have greatly reduced my chances of getting a ticket but STILL the Dutch government finds a way to send me a bill in the mail.

First, my car is dying and I can’t push it past 100kmh or it makes death rattles. Since the speed on the highways is generally 100kmp and you get a ticket if you are FIVE kilometers or more over the limit (which is like 3mph over the limit – ridiculous), this is a good thing. Second, I have been very careful about my driving since Ann told me if I got another speeding ticket I could not drive to the Hague for poker night and would have to take the train.

Today I got a nice letter in the mail from the Justice department who, through their incredible sleuthing and detective powers, discovered that I  was doing 89kmh in an 80kmh zone on the 29th of March 2006.

That’s like 5mph over the limit. That’s the level of error you get when some minor neuron in your leg fires and you press one milimeter harder on the gas for one second.

However, in their generosity, the letter states (in Dutch, I had someone translate) that they graciously reduced my fine to that of someone doing 86 in an 80 zone. So I only have to pay 21 Euros instead of the usual 36.

21 Euros. They probably lost money just on the cost of the special paper they print these damn tickets on.

Well, now I will get to pay my first bill via the online banking system of my Dutch bank account. Since there are no points on your license of speeding offenses the only penalty for speeding is monetary, ensuring that all those jerks with the S-class Mercedes and 7-series BMW’s will have no issue with speeding every day of their lives.

Then again, when they fine you just for the minor fluctuations in speed that may be caused by a muscle spasm or a shifting of your body weight in the seat, I guess it really would be unfair to start suspending people’s driving privileges due to multiple speeding tickets. So really I should be thankful…

>:(