Photo Radar in Germany

Here in Germany, they have a lot of photo radars. You know when it happens because it is bright orange. When it happens late at night and with it being dark, there is no mistaking it. And of course, then you just wait for something to show up in your mailbox.

Gardner has gotten his picture taken two times for driving too fast. And each time, it was only 20 Euros. The bill comes and we send the money via the internet and make a transfer from our bank account into the account they have specified for these tickets. And then last summer, while we were in Berlin, Gardner got pulled over and had to pay 35 Euros. The weird part there was we were to pay on the spot if possible. Otherwise they would send it in the mail.

Well, while I was in the hospital in February, Gardner got his picture taken again. This time, for running a red light. He told me about it while I was in the hospital. And that was the beginning of February. Then we got something in the mail a few weeks ago about it. But no bill for us to pay. Just a notice. Well, yesterday in the mail came the bill. 148 Euros. But that was not all. It also said that Gardner was not allowed to drive for one whole month. Not only is he not allowed to drive, he has to go and turn in his drivers license for that month. The bill that showed up yesterday said that he ran a red light and the light was red for 1 second. Wow, one second. That one second cost us a lot of money, time and hassle.

For someone who doesn't drive very often, he sure knows how to get caught.