Busted by Mail

I haven’t had a traffic violation in 11 years. And today, I got my first Swiss speeding ticket.

Not from a traffic cop who pulled me over. From the office manager.

I’m driving a company car so all correspondence – service, maintenance, and, yes, traffic violations – is addressed to him. He came by my desk to tell me he’d received the ticket came in the mail.

I’m still American enough to presume there are no speed limits in Europe. But I’m learning you don’t underestimate the Swiss. Apparently, there are radar cameras set up around Geneva (whether they move around or not, I don’t know), and if they catch you, they simply mail you the bill, which you pay online.

This one’s 40 francs, or about $38. I can swallow that. My last ticket was in 1997 and cost me nearly $300. (Have you ever driven across Nevada? You’d be pushing 100 mph, too. I just happened to get caught in Battle Mountain.)