speeding ticket: $103,600

[sho.gun]

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns05728.html

$103,600 speeding ticket!
HOW fast do you need to be going to receive a $103,600 speeding ticket? In Finland, it depends on how much you earn. Nokia senior executive Anssi Vanjoki was busted on his Harley Davidson doing 47mph in a 31mph zone by local officials, and was assessed the six digit fine.

Vanjoki is challenging the fine, however, because it was based on his 1999 income, which was significantly higher than his current income due to the surge in the tech sector during the late nineties. The Nokia exec sold a large amount of Nokia options in '99, inflating his income, but because the company's stock price has dropped along with the rest of the tech market, it has not been worth it to Vanjoki to sell more options recently. His day in Helsinki district court will come May 15th.

The sliding scale has its supporters and its critics. Many wealthy Finns consider the fines robbery, and few understand how a fine is calculated because of its complexity.

When a driver is caught speeding, the officer uses his Nokia phone to enter some information, like the offender's social security number and the severity of the offense, and the officer quickly receives back the amount of the fine to be given.

The staggering equation for the fine begins with the offender's monthly income, which is discounted by the equivalent of about $235, and divided by 60 to calculate the daily disposable income of the offender. A small amount is subtracted for dependents, like children or a spouse, and added for other assets like real estate, to come up with the "day fine". Depending on the severity of the offense, determined by the officer, the "day fine" is multiplied by a number ranging from 1 to 20, and the result is the fine the offender must pay.

Vanjoki's fine is believed to be the largest ever assessed in Finland, topping Internet mogul Jaakko Rytsola's $71,000 ticket. It would be interesting to see what sort of fine Finns Mika Hakkinen or Kimi Raikkonen could manage.

[ThanatoGratus]

Originally posted by sho.gun
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns05728.html

$103,600 speeding ticket!
HOW fast do you need to be going to receive a $103,600 speeding ticket? In Finland, it depends on how much you earn. Nokia senior executive Anssi Vanjoki was busted on his Harley Davidson doing 47mph in a 31mph zone by local officials, and was assessed the six digit fine.

Vanjoki is challenging the fine, however, because it was based on his 1999 income, which was significantly higher than his current income due to the surge in the tech sector during the late nineties. The Nokia exec sold a large amount of Nokia options in '99, inflating his income, but because the company's stock price has dropped along with the rest of the tech market, it has not been worth it to Vanjoki to sell more options recently. His day in Helsinki district court will come May 15th.

The sliding scale has its supporters and its critics. Many wealthy Finns consider the fines robbery, and few understand how a fine is calculated because of its complexity.

When a driver is caught speeding, the officer uses his Nokia phone to enter some information, like the offender's social security number and the severity of the offense, and the officer quickly receives back the amount of the fine to be given.

The staggering equation for the fine begins with the offender's monthly income, which is discounted by the equivalent of about $235, and divided by 60 to calculate the daily disposable income of the offender. A small amount is subtracted for dependents, like children or a spouse, and added for other assets like real estate, to come up with the "day fine". Depending on the severity of the offense, determined by the officer, the "day fine" is multiplied by a number ranging from 1 to 20, and the result is the fine the offender must pay.

Vanjoki's fine is believed to be the largest ever assessed in Finland, topping Internet mogul Jaakko Rytsola's $71,000 ticket. It would be interesting to see what sort of fine Finns Mika Hakkinen or Kimi Raikkonen could manage.

Holy @#&^%.
That's quite..... ummm, LARGE.

[Paladin]

HRB

[Hiro]

The fact that they are basing speeding tickets off of a certain percentage of your total yearly income is completely moronic.

[Sir_Froggy]

exactly corsec

that's just plain...incomeism? (stuff based on ur income)

is that a word?

[Kevster]

This news has been around a while (like several months).

Personally, I think this just means don't speed in Finland!

It adds another twist on the phrase "you play... you pay"

Quoted from a news site:

"In Finland, traffic fines generally are
based on two factors: the severity of the offense and the driver's income. The concept has been embedded in Finnish law for decades: When it comes to crime, the wealthy should suffer as much as the poor. Indeed, sliding-scale financial penalties are also imposed for offenses ranging from shoplifting to securities-law violations. "This is a Nordic tradition," says Erkki Wuoma, special planning adviser at the Ministry of Interior. "We have progressive taxation and progressive punishments. So the more you earn, the more you pay."

[Hiro]

Originally posted by Sir_Froggy
exactly corsec

that's just plain...incomeism? (stuff based on ur income)

is that a word?

don't think so bro.

[ThanatoGratus]

Originally posted by Corsec


don't think so bro.
at least he's inventive. I think monetarism sounds better.

[Kevster]

Originally posted by ThanatoGratus

at least he's inventive. I think monetarism sounds better.

It's really simple - you want to visit and drive in Finland, you have to drive by their rules. Period. It's their country, their laws.

If you don't like it, don't go.

[molecularfire]

Hehehehehe... A Nokia exec. getting screwed by system that uses a Nokia phone. How ironic is that. I still think the guy got screwed and feel sorry for him, but hehehehehe that's just funny. :heh: :heh: :heh:

[ChrisMG187]

So technically if you didn't have any income, you could speed all you wanted without getting a ticket!

[leemaj]

ill move to finland and speed...i make no money, so it shouldnt be a problem

[leemaj]

ill speed in my 93 v6 camry...as seen below in my sig. :)

[nomoney]

Originally posted by Paladin
HRB

Shhhhhhhhh...

[brain]

Isn't it ironic that this Nokia exec got screwed by his own company's creation?

[DoPeY5007]

:eek: and I thought $100 was a lot for a ticket…





So according to this law then, say a non working high school student get pulled over for speeding the fine will be $0 because they don’t work :heh:

[BigJon]

Why doesn't he just give them one of those expensive Nokia phones plated with gold and jewels?

[Grimm]

I like the idea.
Tink about it. If someone made 10s of millions of dollars a year a $200 speeding ticket would be like a 60 cent fine to one of us! There is no economic incentive to obey the law. Now a $100,000 fine would get their attention and impose no economic hardship.
Now some guy that makes $24,000 a year and has 3 kids can't afford $200 for a ticket. He needs the money for food! $20 will get his attention quite well, thank you. No need to starve his kids over an infraction.

It's a good idea, it's fair. It's about enforcing the law. They realize the law is for everyone, not just the poor and middle class!

[molecularfire]

Hey, I currently OWE $100,000. If I get caught speeding, do I get money? :eek:

[DoPeY5007]

Originally posted by molecularfire
Hey, I currently OWE $100,000. If I get caught speeding, do I get money? :eek: :heh: nice try :P

[[BH]Thorn]

/me thinks Dopey is gonna move to Finland so he can be a broke student and speed all day :)

[AmRivlin]

god bless america


I have yet to be pulled over