04 October 2007
Cars and Phones
17:27 I leave my desk for the parking lot. Soccer practice starts at 18:00
17:29 I call Hannes back.
17:32 I reach my car, start it up and head towards the soccer fields, still talking to Hannes.
Conversation ranges from dinner tonight to his work schedule, to what we're bringing to a friend's birthday party tomorrow.
17:47 H says, "It's 10 to 6, you have soccer at 6, you better get going."
17:48 I say, "I'm halfway there. What do you mean I have to get going?"
17:49 H, "You're talking on the phone and driving?! That's not allowed, you can get a ticket."
17:50 "Pish, that's a dumb law." I say, and we keep chatting along on our topics.
17:52 I see a cop car coming the opposite direction on a 4-lane road.
17:54 I turn onto the street where the soccer club is. The cop is now behind me. I clap the phone shut mid-sentence.
17:55 I park at the soccer club. The cop never flashed his lights or did the siren thing, but he's parked behind me, him and his partner getting out.
In short, I got a 65€ ticket for talking on the phone, and probably a point on my license (though i have no idea what that means here).
Interestingly enough, when I handed over my Michigan Driver's License, the cop said, "This is an Operator License," he can read, "Where does it say you can drive a car?"
WHAT?!!?! It's a driver's license. Of course I can drive a car!! I can drive motorcycles too! shit. well, all I could do was point to where it said "Lic Type 0" and say, that's probably the code for I can drive cars.
brilliant.
so now i've got to go get myself a germ driver's license. yippe. just what i want to do, spend more time dealing with the bureaucrats here.
Mr. Nice Copman took a picture of my license, and said he'd talk to the Ami's and see if it was really a driver's license, if I was really allowed to drive cars. "Good luck!" I said, "This license worked for buying a car, getting insurance, and registering the car. I don't see why you'd have a problem with it."
Scheiße. See, I go having a great weekend and Germany has to balance itself out by throwing bureaucracy, rules and fines at me.
17:29 I call Hannes back.
17:32 I reach my car, start it up and head towards the soccer fields, still talking to Hannes.
Conversation ranges from dinner tonight to his work schedule, to what we're bringing to a friend's birthday party tomorrow.
17:47 H says, "It's 10 to 6, you have soccer at 6, you better get going."
17:48 I say, "I'm halfway there. What do you mean I have to get going?"
17:49 H, "You're talking on the phone and driving?! That's not allowed, you can get a ticket."
17:50 "Pish, that's a dumb law." I say, and we keep chatting along on our topics.
17:52 I see a cop car coming the opposite direction on a 4-lane road.
17:54 I turn onto the street where the soccer club is. The cop is now behind me. I clap the phone shut mid-sentence.
17:55 I park at the soccer club. The cop never flashed his lights or did the siren thing, but he's parked behind me, him and his partner getting out.
In short, I got a 65€ ticket for talking on the phone, and probably a point on my license (though i have no idea what that means here).
Interestingly enough, when I handed over my Michigan Driver's License, the cop said, "This is an Operator License," he can read, "Where does it say you can drive a car?"
WHAT?!!?! It's a driver's license. Of course I can drive a car!! I can drive motorcycles too! shit. well, all I could do was point to where it said "Lic Type 0" and say, that's probably the code for I can drive cars.
brilliant.
so now i've got to go get myself a germ driver's license. yippe. just what i want to do, spend more time dealing with the bureaucrats here.
Mr. Nice Copman took a picture of my license, and said he'd talk to the Ami's and see if it was really a driver's license, if I was really allowed to drive cars. "Good luck!" I said, "This license worked for buying a car, getting insurance, and registering the car. I don't see why you'd have a problem with it."
Scheiße. See, I go having a great weekend and Germany has to balance itself out by throwing bureaucracy, rules and fines at me.
Labels: germlife
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well, if it makes you feel any better, in new york, cell phone tickets don't count for points. . . . they are just expensive. . . even worse than 65euro on a crappy exchange rate! i'm glad i don't have to drive thru NY anymore ;)
That's how it works here in Germany, for some odd reason. Expats are never 'allowed' to be too happy here - something idiotic like your situation always happens if we are. It's happened to me more times than I care to admit in my time here.
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