SPOT FINES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 2 April 1927, Page 13

SPOT FINES

SYSTEM IX EUROPE. Under a new French deeiee motorists breaking traffic rules are to be c-alied upon to pay the fine on the spot to the police official, but may under certain conditions elect to have the ordinary court process. Tourists from abroad, however, are to be given no option in the matter. Before the decree can be enforced it lias to be approved by the French Parliament. The new pioposal ha,s been received with mixed feelings. The system is in vogue in Switzerland, and is a frequent subject of protest there. The “Motor” relates that a story is told of an American who fell foul of a law of this kind in Germany (where the practice has been in vogue for many years), which illustrates the contempt in which such laws and penalties are usually held. The American was riding a horse in one of the publicparks and allowed it to jump a fence which was verboten. A policeman who witnessed the offence promptly demanded the appropriate tine, but the horseman had not the requisite loose change in his pocket, and tendered a coin .sufficient to cover two offences. The policeman had no change, so, to meet the difficulty, the American said: “Never mind, I’ll have another jump for it.”