Red light camera in Germany

Well, ja, we have no idea what we did. It was late, we were lost, driving slowly looking for a street name, and suddenly the light flashed.

But -- I would never trade the freedom of a car for trains, regardless. We poked around in tiny towns where my great-grandfather had been born/ emigrated from, and we never could have done that on trains.

There should be instructions to pay the ticket, I suggest you do so.

It would be tempting to try to appeal or beg for mercy, but given the distance, the language barrier, and the fact that you probably were in the wrong, pay the fine.

As for ramifications, they won't come get you, but with data systems getting better, it would be bad to get caught up in an "outstanding warrant" situation on a future trip. It is also possible that in your rental agreement (they got your name and address from them likely) that you are liable for any tickets and your failure to pay may prompt action with the rental car company who still has the ability to charge your credit card. I am sure that the longer it waits and the more action it requires that the fine increases.

Mmmm, thanks. Friends there said to ignore it. They did, however, get our info from the rental agency. Problem is bank exchange...

Red light cameras and radar guns are everywhere in Germany. They take their driving responsibilities seriously there. You should see what they do with tipsy drivers.

Your anecdote provides another great reason for dumping the car idea and using trains in Germany.

Did you do what the photo says you did? Did you really not stop for a red light? If you went to LA when it was dark, and you were lost and going slow, and you went through a red light witnessed by one of LAPD's finest, would you pay a fine from them?

If you did it, fess up and pay the fine. Being several thousands of miles away makes no one less culpable.

Sorry for the lecture. There are lots of folks on this Helpline asking how to get out of or ignore speeding tickets, parking tickets, CPZ tickets, congestion zone tickets, and now red light tickets.

I've made mistakes before too, we're all human. Part of driving a car is paying attention to hazards we cause.

"We poked around in tiny towns where my great-grandfather had been born/ emigrated from, and we never could have done that on trains."

Visitors to Germany often believe that small towns are unreachable by train. But Germany is unusually blessed with train service - it has about 6,000 stations. Some people prefer car travel, but it's actually a rare situation that would require a car. Tiny Niederheimbach, for example, has a station for its 762 inhabitants.

"I would never trade the freedom of a car for trains..."

Freedom is defined individually, I think. Some enjoy driving, while others like myself prefer freedom from the rigors and responsibilities of a car. In Niederheimbach, I can hop on a train at 4:30 in the morning and return as late as 11:00 pm; trains run hourly, more frequently at some times of the day, making a change of plans a simple matter. To be able to move about almost at will without concerns about getting lost or tanking up or parking regulations or speed traps or door dings is liberating, in my book.

Ja, schoen, Billafingen is not train-close. But each to his own. Sounds like you've had great adventures there, too.

I received a speeding ticket in the mail from our recent trip to Spain. The ticket had web site info on it, I logged on and paid the fine by credit card. I don't want to be haunted by this the next time we pick up a rental car or arrive in Spain. My wife says that if you speed - pay the fine! Of course this wasn't in Germany but I think they might be even MORE efficient at getting their fines paid.

Ha! You paid it online? That's way easy. Thanks for the tip.

Ha! You paid it online? That's way easy. Thanks for the tip.

Ha! You paid it online? That's way easy. Thanks for the tip.

......and it was a third of the cost of my speeding ticket in California!!!