Our post of two days ago about the Prague driver who was fined for a parking infraction, and expected to pay on the spot, has brought a range of reactions. A regular contributor to The South Bayview Bulldog, responded by saying we might be giving “traffic Nazis” in Toronto ideas. It’s not clear just how widespread such-on-the-spot payments are in Europe or elsewhere. In Ireland, where there is a system of on-the-spot parking fines for illegal parking, fines can be set immediately by the police. But it appars that payment of such fines is not required instantly. This practice of instant payment hearkens back to the days when highway cops in the U.S. South, in connivance with local judges, fined tourist drivers and jailed them if they could not pay the fine in cash on the spot. If you have any knowledge of the Prague practices, please send a comment to us by clicking the Comment l.ink below. You can remain anonymous if you wish.
In Communist days there were few cars and you could park almost anywhere downtown. An American car was sure to draw a crowd. The police were too busy arresting people for other things. :))