Swedish man gets $1 million speeding ticket

[AndreaGail]

:o
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=138563&sectionid=3510212

Swedish man gets $1mn speeding ticket
Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:02:56 GMT
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Swiss police impounded the Mercedes of a Swedish man, who was driving at 290 km/h (180 mph) in Switzerland
A Swedish driver who was caught driving at 290 km/h (180 mph) in Switzerland is likely to receive a world-record speeding fine of one million dollars.

The 37-year-old man, who was driving his Mercedes SLS AMG, was clocked along the A12 highway between Lausanne and Bern in Sweden last week.

Swiss police arrested the driver and confiscated his car.

"Nothing can justify a speed of 290 km/h," BBC quoted local police spokesman Benoit Dumas as saying.

"It is not controllable. It must have taken 500 meters to stop," Dumas added.

The man defended himself on the grounds that his car's speedometer may have been faulty.

"I think the speedo on the car, which is new, is faulty," the driver told police.

The Swiss law calculates the cost of a speeding fine based on the size of the infringement as well as the income of the driver.

Prosecutors say that, under the law, the Mercedes-driving man is likely to be fined CHF 1.08 million (USD 1 million), the highest speeding fine ever.

The driver had previously escaped being clocked by numerous speed cameras on his journey simply because he was going too fast and the instruments were incapable of clocking any speed beyond 200 km/h.

The camera that caught him driving at close to 300 km/h was a new generation of radar machines that was recently installed.

The world's previous ticket record stands at USD 290,000.

[Phoenix]

Good!

180 mph is in no way reasonable & proper by any definition. It's the equivalent of shooting off a firearm towards an occupied area. You might not hit anyone, but then again, you may very well.

I'm sure there will be whiners who try to defend this bullshit. "Freedom" and the typical bollocks.

[1970 silver art]

May I should try the "faulty speedometer" excuse since I got pulled over for speeding.............

Cop: "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

1970 silver art: "No sir. I do not know."

Cop: "Well, you were going 85 MPH in a 45 MPH speed zone"

1970 silver art: "HOLY COW!!!!!! Really? But.....but......but my speedometer said that I was going only 45 MPH"

Cop: "Hmm........Ok. Here is what I will do. I will let you off with a warning but you might want to get your speedometer fixed"

1970 silver art: "Yes sir. It will not happen again sir"

Cop: "Have a nice day."

................it appears that the "faulty speedometer" excuse worked for me in my situation. :D :D :D :D :D :D


Oh BTW............Please accept my apology for being delusional when writing this post. ;D

[Ponce]

Went to driving school in CA and this guy was there for going 175 OVER the speed limit....255 MPH....some kind of Italian fancy car.........Lanborgini?

[LuckyStrike]

Went to driving school in CA and this guy was there for going 175 OVER the speed limit....255 MPH....some kind of Italian fancy car.........Lanborgini?


There are only 2 production cars out (Veyron SS, and SSC Ultimate Aero) that go that fast and I think it's highly unlikely he was driving either of them.

[LuckyStrike]

Good!

180 mph is in no way reasonable & proper by any definition. It's the equivalent of shooting off a firearm towards an occupied area. You might not hit anyone, but then again, you may very well.

I'm sure there will be whiners who try to defend this bullsh*t. "Freedom" and the typical bollocks.


How is that at all equivalent? It's more like just shooting a gun. Sure it can be very deadly if you shoot at someone, but if you shoot at a range it's not that dangerous at all.

People who get their panties in a twist over speeding generally have never driven anything capable of it and therefore IMO aren't qualified to pass judgement.

[Ponce]

I did do 175 mph in my little 1970 British GT-6 while going to Vegas.....spedometer only read 160 and I was way past it.

[Phoenix]

Good!

180 mph is in no way reasonable & proper by any definition. It's the equivalent of shooting off a firearm towards an occupied area. You might not hit anyone, but then again, you may very well.

I'm sure there will be whiners who try to defend this bullsh*t. "Freedom" and the typical bollocks.


How is that at all equivalent? It's more like just shooting a gun. Sure it can be very deadly if you shoot at someone, but if you shoot at a range it's not that dangerous at all.


This wasn't his private freeway, where he can do 400 if his turbojet-powered car can handle it. One minor mistake, and someone dies. Probably not just him. I stand by what I said. I can imagine he passed by plenty of other cars. These freeways are not for NASCAR.




People who get their panties in a twist over speeding generally have never driven anything capable of it and therefore IMO aren't qualified to pass judgement.


People who need to drive 180 to "prove" their "manhood" probably should wear panties.

Few drivers are qualified to handle anything over 80 let alone over 100. And just because this SOB thought he could "handle" it doesn't mean that another "ordinary" driver should be at risk because he thinks he's greater than them.

I supposed you don't have a problem with drunk drivers, either.

[Phoenix]

Went to driving school in CA and this guy was there for going 175 OVER the speed limit....255 MPH....some kind of Italian fancy car.........Lanborgini?


Someone was full of bovine excrement.

Even on I-5 between the Grapevine & Patterson or north of Woodland it would be difficult to find an open, straight stretch devoid of cars to achieve 255, let alone having the vehicle & tires capable of it.

[LuckyStrike]

Good!

180 mph is in no way reasonable & proper by any definition. It's the equivalent of shooting off a firearm towards an occupied area. You might not hit anyone, but then again, you may very well.

I'm sure there will be whiners who try to defend this bullsh*t. "Freedom" and the typical bollocks.


How is that at all equivalent? It's more like just shooting a gun. Sure it can be very deadly if you shoot at someone, but if you shoot at a range it's not that dangerous at all.


This wasn't his private freeway, where he can do 400 if his turbojet-powered car can handle it. One minor mistake, and someone dies. Probably not just him. I stand by what I said. I can imagine he passed by plenty of other cars. These freeways are not for NASCAR.




People who get their panties in a twist over speeding generally have never driven anything capable of it and therefore IMO aren't qualified to pass judgement.


People who need to drive 180 to "prove" their "manhood" probably should wear panties.

Few drivers are qualified to handle anything over 80 let alone over 100. And just because this SOB thought he could "handle" it doesn't mean that another "ordinary" driver should be at risk because he thinks he's greater than them.

I supposed you don't have a problem with drunk drivers, either.


So who owns the roads PDT?

The people own the roads, and by the size of that ticket I'd say his tax rate is probably through the roof. So being that the people own the roads, than who gets off writing speeding tickets.

You are insinuating that there were other people on the roads, but I assert that the roads were clear and it wasn't putting anyone else at risk. Neither of us can prove it since we weren't there and have never even been on the roads in question.

So who determines what speeds are safe, if you are allowed to go 60 why not 65, or why not 70? Why can a 50 year old beat up car with crappy tires, crappy brakes, crappy suspension and 105 year old blind grandma at the wheel go the same speed as a 30 year old in a Ferrari with fighter pilot reaction time? It makes no sense.

Like I said if you have never driven something capable of that speed you don't know what it's like.

[Joe King]

Good!

180 mph is in no way reasonable & proper by any definition. It's the equivalent of shooting off a firearm towards an occupied area. You might not hit anyone, but then again, you may very well.

I'm sure there will be whiners who try to defend this bullsh*t. "Freedom" and the typical bollocks.


How is that at all equivalent? It's more like just shooting a gun. Sure it can be very deadly if you shoot at someone, but if you shoot at a range it's not that dangerous at all.

People who get their panties in a twist over speeding generally have never driven anything capable of it and therefore IMO aren't qualified to pass judgement.

I gotta side with Phoenix on this one.

Even if that guy was Mario Andretti, on a public highway all it would've taken for disaster to strike would have been for someone to not realize he was coming that fast and change lanes in front of him.

BOOM! and everyone dies.

This is not a case of simple speeding.
Rather, it's an act of willfully and intentionally disregarding the safety of others.

Same goes for those idiots on motorcycles doing wheelies down the freeway at double the limit. {or more}


Now I don't really agree with the amount of the fine, but you know what? Those people in Sweeden chose their own laws. If they don't like them they should perhaps change them.
Matters not, to me.

[milehi]

[/quote]

:o
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=138563&sectionid=3510212

Swedish man gets $1mn speeding ticket
Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:02:56 GMT
Font size :


The 37-year-old man, who was driving his Mercedes SLS AMG, was clocked along the A12 highway between Lausanne and Bern in Sweden last week.





I didn't know Lausanne and Bern were in Sweden. :sarc:

[LuckyStrike]

I gotta side with Phoenix on this one.

Even if that guy was Mario Andretti, on a public highway all it would've taken for disaster to strike would have been for someone to not realize he was coming that fast and change lanes in front of him.

BOOM! and everyone dies.

This is not a case of simple speeding.
Rather, it's an act of willfully and intentionally disregarding the safety of others.






None of us have any clue of what road conditions are in Sweden so I think it's silly to act like it was definitely crazy and unsafe or whatever since we have no way to know.

I understand how PDT feels, but like I said if you haven't driven something it's hard to envision the scenario. My bike will do 0-300kmh in around 17seconds so it doesn't take much time or distance to run up to 180mph and back to regular speed.

[Joe King]

I gotta side with Phoenix on this one.

Even if that guy was Mario Andretti, on a public highway all it would've taken for disaster to strike would have been for someone to not realize he was coming that fast and change lanes in front of him.

BOOM! and everyone dies.

This is not a case of simple speeding.
Rather, it's an act of willfully and intentionally disregarding the safety of others.






None of us have any clue of what road conditions are in Sweden so I think it's silly to act like it was definitely crazy and unsafe or whatever since we have no way to know.

I understand how PDT feels, but like I said if you haven't driven something it's hard to envision the scenario. My bike will do 0-300kmh in around 17seconds so it doesn't take much time or distance to run up to 180mph and back to regular speed.
Yea, I'm sure it doesn't.

But I bet it takes a lot less time for someone to change lanes in front of you.

In which case, it's your fault.

[LuckyStrike]

None of us have any clue of what road conditions are in Sweden so I think it's silly to act like it was definitely crazy and unsafe or whatever since we have no way to know.

I understand how PDT feels, but like I said if you haven't driven something it's hard to envision the scenario. My bike will do 0-300kmh in around 17seconds so it doesn't take much time or distance to run up to 180mph and back to regular speed.
Yea, I'm sure it doesn't.

But I bet it takes a lot less time for someone to change lanes in front of you.

In which case, it's your fault.
[/quote]

Of course it would be my fault no doubt.

I'm not going to argue this guys case I'm just saying 180 seems like it may as well be 1000mph if the fastest thing you have ever driven is a minivan, but in many modern highend sports cars it doesnt take much road to get to that speed, so it isn't necessarily dangerous. None of us can be certain what road conditions were so arguing about it or acting like we are definitely right one way or the other is pointless IMO.

[Ponce]

Phoenix.........People who need to drive 180 to "prove" their "manhood" probably should wear panties.


Wowwwwwwwwww Phoenix I am sure as hell glad that I was only doing 175 and not 180 or I would have to borrow a pair of your panties........hahahahaahahahahahahahha

[Joe King]

None of us have any clue of what road conditions are in Sweden so I think it's silly to act like it was definitely crazy and unsafe or whatever since we have no way to know.

I understand how PDT feels, but like I said if you haven't driven something it's hard to envision the scenario. My bike will do 0-300kmh in around 17seconds so it doesn't take much time or distance to run up to 180mph and back to regular speed.
Yea, I'm sure it doesn't.

But I bet it takes a lot less time for someone to change lanes in front of you.

In which case, it's your fault.



Of course it would be my fault no doubt.

I'm not going to argue this guys case I'm just saying 180 seems like it may as well be 1000mph if the fastest thing you have ever driven is a minivan, but in many modern highend sports cars it doesnt take much road to get to that speed, so it isn't necessarily dangerous. None of us can be certain what road conditions were so arguing about it or acting like we are definitely right one way or the other is pointless IMO.


You're right, we don't know what the road conditions were.
But the point I'm getting at is that the only reason we can get around as well as we all do is that there are at least some type of rules inviolved so that we can all use the public easement.
And that public easement isn't yours or anyone elses private racetrack.


Here's a vid of a guy on a motorcycle who couldn't slow fast enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKgbxVwr7Fg



The following accident was only at 70mph, but it gives you an idea of how fast things come up on you, as well as demonstrate the fact that if those ahead of you don't realize how fast you are going, they could easily get in your path and theres not much you can do about it.

Caution! Graphic footage you may not want to see in the following link.

http://www.totallyupyours.com/49017b73a9615-police_hits_a_kid_on_a_bike.html



Good luck with your speeding General I mean Nordic. Peace be with you.

[Phoenix]

So who owns the roads PDT?


Not him.

"Swedish man" and "Switzerland."

So your "argument" fails in every arena.




The people own the roads, and by the size of that ticket I'd say his tax rate is probably through the roof.


Good. It should be higher. It's not just that someone who is poor pays 1% of their income and someone who is rich pays 0.001% of their income for the same crime. The rich think they can do whatever in Hell they want since they have the money for fines, lawyers, and insurance. We see this shit here in America all the time, rich individuals and corporations committing acts that have "penalties" equal to you or I paying 25 cents.




So being that the people own the roads, than who gets off writing speeding tickets.


A moral people need no laws to tell them how to live. This fu*ktard is an example of why laws must be written, and, usually this type is an example of why laws are taken to the extreme.




You are insinuating that there were other people on the roads, but I assert that the roads were clear and it wasn't putting anyone else at risk. Neither of us can prove it since we weren't there and have never even been on the roads in question.


Your argument is entirely hypothetical, and logically, a ridiculous one. The likelihood he didn't encounter at least one other motorist? ZERO. This isn't Northern Territory Australia, but one of the most population dense regions on Earth.




So who determines what speeds are safe, if you are allowed to go 60 why not 65, or why not 70? Why can a 50 year old beat up car with crappy tires, crappy brakes, crappy suspension and 105 year old blind grandma at the wheel go the same speed as a 30 year old in a Ferrari with fighter pilot reaction time? It makes no sense.


These are not raceways. Any legitimate race car driver, which you are not, will tell you the same. We are not discussing his traveling at 90 or 100, but twice the former.

You didn't answer my question about drunk driving. If he doesn't hit anyone (this time), is it "OK"? How about shooting across a crowded plaza? If no one is hit, is it "OK"?

The lack of common sense and the lack of consideration for others is one of the reasons we have this fu*ked up world we live in.




Like I said if you have never driven something capable of that speed you don't know what it's like.


I would assert you have not done so yourself, considering your lack of comprehension of the dangers of extreme speed on ordinary highways not designed or maintained for it. I'm all too well familiar with what speed is, as a driver and as a witness. Raceways are custom-designed for such speeds, and properly maintained. And even then, watching one NASCAR event shows what happens when even professionals make even minor mistakes.

[vacuum]

It totally depends on his income. I've always thought that laws with monetary fees as consequences essentially make rich people somewhat above the law. For example, to a single mom with a couple kids, a $100 speeding ticket is a big deal and could potentially cause major problems to happen in her life. But to a lawyer a $100 speeding ticket is really nothing. In fact some people are so rich they could theoretically drive home at 80 - 90 mph every day and it would pay off monetarily for them (assuming other consequences didn't apply after a certain number of tickets).

So if this dude makes $10 million/year then this is only a little more than a month of his time to pay this.

I'm not saying my idea is the end all be all of consequences, because obviously a homeless guy's time isn't as important to him on a relative scale than a CEO's time, but its something to think about. People's time, while not equally important, has less of a disparity than people's wealth. One can be no more than 10x more important, the other can be many orders of magnitude greater. I'm not preaching a doctrine here, just sharing something I've thought about.