Spain - Photo Radar ticket 400 E!
Aug 5, 2011, 5:27 pm
#16
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
Programs: UA 1K MM; BA Silver; Marriott Plat
Posts: 8,243
Last december i discovered on my Amex statement an Hertz fee (approx 30€) and did not know what it was related to. I then called Amex and ask them to investigate. My last rental with Hertz was 3 months ago, back in september, in Sardinia .
Of course i was not aware about any fine for speeding or parking.
A few days after my call to Amex, i received a letter from Hertz in Sardinia.
Although it was written in italian, it stated the 30€ fee was an administrative fee for providing my details to the municipal police in Sardinia. The bad news being the fine was about 100€ for driving into a municipal forbidden area....which of course i was not aware
Anyway a couple of weeks after my call to Amex, i found out they refunded the 30€ fee ^
I still did not receive the official letter from the municipal police, so i guess they gave up...
Of course i was not aware about any fine for speeding or parking.
A few days after my call to Amex, i received a letter from Hertz in Sardinia.
Although it was written in italian, it stated the 30€ fee was an administrative fee for providing my details to the municipal police in Sardinia. The bad news being the fine was about 100€ for driving into a municipal forbidden area....which of course i was not aware
Anyway a couple of weeks after my call to Amex, i found out they refunded the 30€ fee ^
I still did not receive the official letter from the municipal police, so i guess they gave up...
Aug 6, 2011, 4:27 pm
#17
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: LH/LX, AY
Posts: 75
One friend of mine was stopped by the police in Finland for driving too fast, 2 years ago.
He was on the way back to the airport for his flight back to ZRH.
The police told him that they should take his driving licence. But because he was flying back the same day, they don't took it. But he had to promise that his wife will drive the remaining way to Helsinki.
And he got a bill over 1000 E, and he hasn't paid... and since then he hasn't had any problems on arrival.
But maybe he just got luck?
He was on the way back to the airport for his flight back to ZRH.
The police told him that they should take his driving licence. But because he was flying back the same day, they don't took it. But he had to promise that his wife will drive the remaining way to Helsinki.
And he got a bill over 1000 E, and he hasn't paid... and since then he hasn't had any problems on arrival.
But maybe he just got luck?
Aug 9, 2011, 6:24 pm
#18
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Munich, Germany
Programs: Miles&More Blue, SPG Silver
Posts: 3,378
He got really lucky. Many countries in Europe will make you pay on the spot if you are a foreigner. They know that as soon as you leave the country they won't have any chance to collect the money.
Aug 11, 2011, 7:47 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,209
Aug 12, 2011, 9:00 am
#21
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, KL/AF Ivory
Posts: 1,878
In most countries it will depend by how much you are speeding. A small amount over the limit will be a fine and treated the same way as a parking ticket. Large amounts over the limit are handled as criminal offences (felony in US-speak) and handled by the courts in one way or another (you might be lucky in having it handled "by correspondence" with just a fine to pay, but it is a court issuing you with fine, not a police officer with an on the spot fine).
Sep 2, 2011, 12:10 pm
#22
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Midwest USA
Programs: BA SIL, WN A, UA SIL, Marriott TIT (LT), Hilton DIA
Posts: 1,969
I was in Italy with the US military about 14 years ago, and was a passenger in a car that my commander was driving.
We got on the toll road, but mistakenly entered in the "EZ-Pass" lane (rental car was not equipped for it)
When we exited the toll road, the attendent asked for our toll (entrance) ticket, which we did not have. He was not happy!
He asked for my boss' US driver's license, and issued a citation for about 100 Euros.
When we got back to the office, we looked more closely at the citation, and it was issued to "George Voinovich"
He was the Governor of Ohio, and his name was proudly listed on every Ohio license!
We got on the toll road, but mistakenly entered in the "EZ-Pass" lane (rental car was not equipped for it)
When we exited the toll road, the attendent asked for our toll (entrance) ticket, which we did not have. He was not happy!
He asked for my boss' US driver's license, and issued a citation for about 100 Euros.
When we got back to the office, we looked more closely at the citation, and it was issued to "George Voinovich"
He was the Governor of Ohio, and his name was proudly listed on every Ohio license!
Sep 5, 2011, 5:48 am
#24
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 21
I was in Italy with the US military about 14 years ago, and was a passenger in a car that my commander was driving.
We got on the toll road, but mistakenly entered in the "EZ-Pass" lane (rental car was not equipped for it)
When we exited the toll road, the attendent asked for our toll (entrance) ticket, which we did not have. He was not happy!
He asked for my boss' US driver's license, and issued a citation for about 100 Euros.
When we got back to the office, we looked more closely at the citation, and it was issued to "George Voinovich"
He was the Governor of Ohio, and his name was proudly listed on every Ohio license!
We got on the toll road, but mistakenly entered in the "EZ-Pass" lane (rental car was not equipped for it)
When we exited the toll road, the attendent asked for our toll (entrance) ticket, which we did not have. He was not happy!
He asked for my boss' US driver's license, and issued a citation for about 100 Euros.
When we got back to the office, we looked more closely at the citation, and it was issued to "George Voinovich"
He was the Governor of Ohio, and his name was proudly listed on every Ohio license!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7899171.stm
Sep 5, 2011, 7:53 am
#25
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,158
In Spain the authorities can charge against the owner if he is unwilling to disclose the drivers name at the time of the violation. The rental car company has done what they are legally supposed to do, so I guess they cannot be held responsible. But Iam not a lawyer.
Sep 5, 2011, 8:06 am
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Rental car companies are a unique case, but for individuals, yes the owner of the car is charged and assumes the burden of proving he wasn't responsible. This is because Europe uses radar cameras which cannot always prove who the driver was.
Sep 6, 2011, 6:10 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Midwest USA
Programs: BA SIL, WN A, UA SIL, Marriott TIT (LT), Hilton DIA
Posts: 1,969
There is actually more to the story. During our deployment to Pisa, Italy we gave an "incentive flight" to the Italian Carbinieri (Federal Police) on one of our USAF missions. Several Carabinieri officers got to come along on our flight to see what we do.
During the flight, we told the story to one of the officers (we had a translator), and he laughed, and took the ticket, and said he would "dispose" of it.
Sep 6, 2011, 8:36 pm
#28
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
One friend of mine was stopped by the police in Finland for driving too fast, 2 years ago.
He was on the way back to the airport for his flight back to ZRH.
The police told him that they should take his driving licence. But because he was flying back the same day, they don't took it. But he had to promise that his wife will drive the remaining way to Helsinki.
And he got a bill over 1000 E, and he hasn't paid... and since then he hasn't had any problems on arrival.
But maybe he just got luck?
He was on the way back to the airport for his flight back to ZRH.
The police told him that they should take his driving licence. But because he was flying back the same day, they don't took it. But he had to promise that his wife will drive the remaining way to Helsinki.
And he got a bill over 1000 E, and he hasn't paid... and since then he hasn't had any problems on arrival.
But maybe he just got luck?