Got a speeding camera ticket in Switzerland...do I have to pay?

[Mamyf30]

This is quite an amusing thread lol

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Mamyf30

This is quite an amusing thread lol

Sure if you don't have to pay !

[bimmette]

Just pay the ticket (through wire transfer). They take their speeding tickets seriously over there. I've had police show up at my house in Germany for an unpaid speed camera ticket. The payment had actually just been sent in luckily but they hadn't processed it yet.

[noLimits Enterprises]

It is a common myth that you don't have to pay camera tickets.

In the Euro Zone, information is shared freely and you absolutely run the risk of getting detained the next time you are in Switzerland - if not upon entry, than certainly if you get stopped or have to deal with any other official business while in the country. You really do not want to run the risk of dealing with this overseas - as some posters have mentioned, you run the risk of being forced to pay on the spot. If you don't have enough funds available, you could be in serious trouble.

In the United States, many people think you have "the right to face your accuser" or that you can just ignore the tickets. Unfortunately, many states have reclassified the tickets from moving violations to administrative violations. You either pay up or they can boot your car and send your bill to collections.

In short, governments are very effective at extracting money from their motorists (the entire camera program is a revenue scam) and you should definitely pay the ticket.

[EALm4]

How is confirmation of payment sent to the payee? You pay a ticket online here in the US you at least get some sort of confirmation number.

No one should just wire money to an IBAN without knowing if the account is actually legit and without formal confirmation of receipt.

[Mamyf30]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Sure if you don't have to pay !

Exactly

[NickyC]

If they want the money, tell them to get off their candy asses and do it the old fashioned way, with a radar gun and a car. Camera ticket? Hell no don't pay it. All the little chicken littles in this thread will probably scare you into paying it. It's typical so just pay it like a good little serf. The Gatso got me numerous times back in the day while in England, car company threw a fit and I told them to get bent. Never heard another word about it. You think the police or something are going to stop you as you come into the airport over some ridiculous ticket? Haha, they aren't stopping hundreds of thousands of muslim invaders right now in Europe, your ticket means nothing.

Enough people here in St. Louis refused to pay the damned camera tickets, and they've been pulled out everywhere (including two nearby thieving counties to me). So many of my friends got the red light ticket because they went right on red, after making a complete stop. I told them not to pay the tickets, and all they ever got were a couple sternly worded BS letters. No teeth to any of it. Flip the finger to the nanny state, hell with the cameras.

[adc]

Originally Posted by NickyC

If they want the money, tell them to get off their candy asses and do it the old fashioned way, with a radar gun and a car. Camera ticket? Hell no don't pay it. All the little chicken littles in this thread will probably scare you into paying it. It's typical so just pay it like a good little serf. The Gatso got me numerous times back in the day while in England, car company threw a fit and I told them to get bent. Never heard another word about it. You think the police or something are going to stop you as you come into the airport over some ridiculous ticket? Haha, they aren't stopping hundreds of thousands of muslim invaders right now in Europe, your ticket means nothing.

Enough people here in St. Louis refused to pay the damned camera tickets, and they've been pulled out everywhere (including two nearby thieving counties to me). So many of my friends got the red light ticket because they went right on red, after making a complete stop. I told them not to pay the tickets, and all they ever got were a couple sternly worded BS letters. No teeth to any of it. Flip the finger to the nanny state, hell with the cameras.

If you don't like paying tickets or obeying the law, get off your candy ass and go change the law. Don't skulk around like a thief refusing to pay.

Where the hell do you get the mentality that laws somehow don't apply to you? Oh wait, you drive a BMW so I guess it's alright.

[NickyC]

Originally Posted by adc

If you don't like paying tickets or obeying the law, get off your candy ass and go change the law. Don't skulk around like a thief refusing to pay.

Where the hell do you get the mentality that laws somehow don't apply to you? Oh wait, you drive a BMW so I guess it's alright.

I knew where you lived without even looking. Thief? LoL, you have some pretty warped ideas of what a thief is, especially considering you're surrounded by them.

We did change the law. We didn't pay the tickets, and the cameras were removed. No candy ass here DC boy, now roll over for your masters and jump when they bark.

[Merlin_83]

Originally Posted by dunny247

Don't pay. It's a forgien country they can't endorse your license as they have no power. Ride on......

THIS !!!

Efff them !

[noLimits Enterprises]

Originally Posted by NickyC

I knew where you lived without even looking. Thief? LoL, you have some pretty warped ideas of what a thief is, especially considering you're surrounded by them.

We did change the law. We didn't pay the tickets, and the cameras were removed. No candy ass here DC boy, now roll over for your masters and jump when they bark.

It's interesting; people that live in Washington D.C. tend to be the most pro-camera in the country.

Why?

Because the cameras are largely positioned on entry highways into the district - very few people actually living in D.C. get nabbed, while all those that commute into it or visit do. The revenue helps subsidize many things in the District. A single camera location took in $8,000,000 in 2012.

Remarkable, isn't it?

[NickyC]

Originally Posted by noLimits Enterprises

It's interesting; people that live in Washington D.C. tend to be the most pro-camera in the country.

Why?

Because the cameras are largely positioned on entry highways into the district - very few people actually living in D.C. get nabbed, while all those that commute into it or visit do. The revenue helps subsidize many things in the District. A single camera location took in $8,000,000 in 2012.

Remarkable, isn't it?

Yep, which is exactly the reason why I refused to pay the tickets along with telling everyone I knew who would ask the exact same thing. The cameras have zero to do with community safety, and everything to do with revenue generation. Studies have shown they cause far more accident than if they would otherwise not be there, and the stories of the camera companies and the municipalities being in bed with one another is outright appalling.

Of course, no doubt he's a straight edge who has never broken the law in his life. Never smoked pot, never drank underage, never sped over a posted speed limit, never rolled a stop sign, and I bet he just thinks illegal immigration is great because, well, he just has that annoying vibe about him.

Thumps Up to your business as well. That is some genius stuff right there and I hope you sell a billion of 'em. ;D

[noLimits Enterprises]

Originally Posted by NickyC

Yep, which is exactly the reason why I refused to pay the tickets along with telling everyone I knew who would ask the exact same thing. The cameras have zero to do with community safety, and everything to do with revenue generation. Studies have shown they cause far more accident than if they would otherwise not be there, and the stories of the camera companies and the municipalities being in bed with one another is outright appalling.

Of course, no doubt he's a straight edge who has never broken the law in his life. Never smoked pot, never drank underage, never sped over a posted speed limit, never rolled a stop sign, and I bet he just thinks illegal immigration is great because, well, he just has that annoying vibe about him.

Thumps Up to your business as well. That is some genius stuff right there and I hope you sell a billion of 'em. ;D

You would not believe some of the data we have. What is interesting about many of these camera companies and smaller municipalities is that the contracts are often public info. All you have to do is file an information request with the municipality and you can often pull entire contracts, pricing, and even sometimes videos of presentations and RFPs from the companies.

It truly is corrupt. We have exploratory studies from certain municipalities showing that the cameras increased accidents during the pilot program, but they still went ahead and implemented them.

Seattle had an error rate on the cameras of almost 40% during one study.

[NickyC]

Originally Posted by noLimits Enterprises

You would not believe some of the data we have. What is interesting about many of these camera companies and smaller municipalities is that the contracts are often public info. All you have to do is file an information request with the municipality and you can often pull entire contracts, pricing, and even sometimes videos of presentations and RFPs from the companies.

It truly is corrupt. We have exploratory studies from certain municipalities showing that the cameras increased accidents during the pilot program, but they still went ahead and implemented them.

Seattle had an error rate on the cameras of almost 40% during one study.

I believe every bit of what you've said, as it correlates 100% with my research over the years. The problem is, 99% of Americans would much rather spend their free time (when they're not working as a debt slave of course) idolizing grown men chasing a ball around a field, much as we did when we were ten years old. They should be educating themselves in regards to the theft and erosion of their liberties, but sadly, they are not.

I guarantee you that if the cameras ever make an appearance here in St. Louis again, I will be buying your product along with telling everyone I know about it. I'm incredibly impressed by this, unlike those tinted visors/spray cans which I doubt work. Bravo sir!

[EALm4]

Dont pay it. Couple questions you need to ask. Is it legit? How will you get confirmation that it is accepted? Will the bank be able to verify the IBAN you wire the money to? How do you know it's not a dummy account? Confirmation? How are the payments processed and associated with your wire? Is some guy just going to get a statement and then compare it to a log of what was sent out? Lots of things to ask.

I'm sure as hell not going to wire any money to anyone, without knowing 110% sure that the account is legit.

What's going to stop them from taking your money, process it incorrectly, then you travel again and get held up at passport control? Are you going to travel with a copy of the wire transfer information that it went through?

I deal with wire screening and AML issues on a daily basis as part of my job. I've seen fake accounts set up that scam people into depositing money into them. Then these accounts potentially fund terrorism or other foreign crimes. This could be a far fetched scenario for something like a speeding ticket but trust me I see it every day.

[NickyC]

Originally Posted by EALm4

Dont pay it. Couple questions you need to ask. Is it legit? How will you get confirmation that it is accepted? Will the bank be able to verify the IBAN you wire the money to? How do you know it's not a dummy account? Confirmation? How are the payments processed and associated with your wire? Is some guy just going to get a statement and then compare it to a log of what was sent out? Lots of things to ask.

I'm sure as hell not going to wire any money to anyone, without knowing 110% sure that the account is legit.

What's going to stop them from taking your money, process it incorrectly, then you travel again and get held up at passport control? Are you going to travel with a copy of the wire transfer information that it went through?

I deal with wire screening and AML issues on a daily basis as part of my job. I've seen fake accounts set up that scam people into depositing money into them. Then these accounts potentially fund terrorism or other foreign crimes. This could be a far fetched scenario for something like a speeding ticket but trust me I see it every day.

Great advice, regardless of whether you agree/disagree with the "morality" behind paying the ticket.

[mshab356]

Hey guys just an update: I paid the ticket.

Am I a sucker? Maybe. Did I eliminate any chance of getting held up at border? Sure did.

It was 114?. Fuck it.

[EALm4]

Originally Posted by mshab356

Hey guys just an update: I paid the ticket.

Am I a sucker? Maybe. Did I eliminate any chance of getting held up at border? Sure did.

It was 114?. Fuck it.

Nope.

You going to travel with your confirmation of the wire went through? You have any written confirmation from the bank that the IBAN was a government account? Have you mailed a copy of the ticket along with the wire confirmation to the authority that issued the ticket?

[BayMoWe335]

Just pay, idiot.

[EALm4]

Originally Posted by NickyC

Great advice, regardless of whether you agree/disagree with the "morality" behind paying the ticket.

There's no morality behind it. It's a simple case of performing due diligence to verify everything before sending money.

If you feel that you've done enough to research and verify that everything is legit. Then by all means pay it if you're comfortable. Otherwise dont. The problem is that Swiss IBANs follow STRICT confidentiality/secrecy laws.... I believe they can tell you if it's personal or government type account though but that's it. A bank initiating the transfer should be able to find this out.

[claykin]

Originally Posted by mshab356

So I got a speeding camera ticket going 120kph in a 100kph zone. The charge is 115 CHF. As a resident of USA, what happens if I don't pay? Will they just dismiss it since I'm out of the country resident? Will they somehow come after me? Next time I go to Switzerland will they detain me or something?

Rental car? If so, its likely the Swiss authorities will charge to rental firm who will in turn charge your credit card.

[adc]

Originally Posted by noLimits Enterprises

It's interesting; people that live in Washington D.C. tend to be the most pro-camera in the country.

Why?

Because the cameras are largely positioned on entry highways into the district - very few people actually living in D.C. get nabbed, while all those that commute into it or visit do. The revenue helps subsidize many things in the District. A single camera location took in $8,000,000 in 2012.

Remarkable, isn't it?

If you say so. I don't live in DC, I live in MD and commute to DC several times a week. I don't find the speed or red light cameras a burden, and I don't get nabbed either.

And yes I speed whenever it's safe.

Originally Posted by NickyC

Of course, no doubt he's a straight edge who has never broken the law in his life. Never smoked pot, never drank underage, never sped over a posted speed limit, never rolled a stop sign, and I bet he just thinks illegal immigration is great because, well, he just has that annoying vibe about him.

You know so much about me, it's downright freaky. The first internet mentalist no doubt.

I've broken plenty of traffic laws, and occasionally got caught and paid up. Traffic laws are designed with the lowest common denominator in mind: the old driver, the very young driver, the bad driver, the inattentive driver, the driver of the rust bucket. I don't text and drive, pay attention most of the time, and actually enjoy the act of driving a lot. I speed, whenever it's safe (clear road, no kids, correlated to weather etc.). When something distracts me - phone call, nav instructions or anything else - I slow down. When I am tired I slow down. It's just common sense, I'm not a superman.

But when I get caught speeding, I pay up. The law is there, the sign is there, and I was indeed speeding. There is nothing to argue about, and I am sorry for you if you don't see it that way.

And FYI, I came to the USA the old fashioned way - legally. So no, I am not thrilled with those who jump the fence.