WOW $290.000 for a speeding ticket

[Pavka007]

Now this is THE news of the year

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland – A Swiss court has slapped a wealthy speeder with a chalet-sized fine — a full $290,000.
Judges at the cantonal court in St. Gallen, in eastern Switzerland, based the record-breaking fine on the speeder's estimated wealth of over $20 million.
A statement on the court's Web site says the driver — a repeat offender — drove up to 35 miles an hour (57 kilometers an hour) faster than the 50-mile-an-hour (80-kilometer-an-hour) limit.
Court clerk Heidi Baumann-Becker said Thursday the unidentified driver can appeal the decision, handed down in November, to the Swiss supreme court.
The Blick daily newspaper in Zurich reported the fine was more than twice the previous Swiss record of about $107,000.

[davidmash]

Personally I like the idea of the ticket being based on the net worth and ability to pay. If the idea of a ticket is disincentive to speed, then it needs to hurt. I just got $182 dollar ticket. For me, that hurts, for Bill Gates ... not so much.

[tbomachines]

Do they have any sort of points system like here in the states?

[Hatterasguy]

Damn socialist governments.

[Kuan]

By that reckoning I should only have paid $3.98 for my last speeding ticket!

[MTI]

In Iceland, I believe the penalty is 14 days pay, which for the CEO of Nokia, riding a Harley a few mph over the limit, was quite the pretty penny.

[jcyuhn]

Nokia is in Finland.

The Swiss expect you to follow the rules exactly. My German colleagues tell me Europeans make fun of Swiss drivers. They always have big, powerful cars (Swiss are wealthy, and fuel is somewhat less expensive in Switzerland) and drive said cars very, very slowly.

Fines where the punishment is so disproportionate to the harm caused are stupid. Finland, as noted, has a similar system. I recall many years ago a new story about a young, wealthy, job-creating entrepreneur recieving a similarly large ticket in Finland. He moved to California, taking his company, jobs, and wealth with him. Not much of a win for Finland in the end.

[MTI]

Early Morning Brain Fart on my part.

Anssi Vanjoki, 44, has been ordered to pay a fine of 116,000 euros ($103,600) after being caught breaking the speed limit on his Harley Davidson motorbike in the capital, Helsinki, in October 2002.

Police say he was driving at 75 km/h (47 mph) in a 50km/h (31 mph) zone


That fine was based on 14 days income.

Unless lowered on appeal, this latest fine may dethone another Finn who holds the Guiness record

The world’s largest speeding fine is a €170,000 (£116,000) ($217,000) ticket given to Jussi Salonoja who was caught driving 80km/h (50mph) in 40km/h (25mph) zone in Helsinki, Finland in February 2004.

[Dee8go]

He's just lucky he didn't get ticketed for being in the HOV lane in Virginia!

Originally Posted by MTI

Anssi Vanjoki, 44, has been ordered to pay a fine of 116,000 euros ($103,600) after being caught breaking the speed limit on his Harley Davidson motorbike in the capital, Helsinki, in October 2002.

The real question is; why was he riding a harley?