General Info

[Jackyo]

Saw the latest James Bond movie last Friday.

Something fell into place while simultaneously thinking about how Marlow's attraction to Russian women probably stems from watching too many James Bond films: All of this running around to get to Deutschland to indulge in the hobby is feeding my need to play a James Bond type role too.

True, the only cloak and dagger stuff I do when I am there is not being particularly truthful to hotel people about the reason for my visits when asked why I am visiting their hotel for the nth time.

The State Department and the rest of the US Government is never informed of my trips (there is no reason to belive they would care).

The only gadgets I carry with me are my Swatch and my travel alarm clock.

I am flying economy and when possible using frequent flier miles.

The fanciest rental car I've been given is a four door Mercedes C Class (not quite the same thing as an Aston Martin) and the smallest car I've ever had to drive is a small Fiat I once took from Stuttgart to Atlantis.

James always has no problems with female companionship and I don't either... so long as I'm not visiting PHG.

Oh and yes, I am not licensed to kill though I have been known to swat flies every now and then.

The latest Bond babe, by the way, is a dark haired British woman by the name of Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green who is not British but French and Swedish (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1200692/bio). Not as exotic as the Russian blondes you hope to run into at the FKK clubs but quite pleasing to the eyes.

[Dedalus]

Dedalus:

No, south Carolina, worse than Texas!

Boy, your not kidding there. Two words:

Strom Thurmond.

Cheers,

Dedalus, who is not expecting a branch of FKK World to open near Spartanburg anytime some.

[Iseeu]

i've gotten several tickets over the years, maybe half a dozen. one night i was furious. i got lost and got caught by the same speed camera twice in less than 1/2 hour. i've heard that the fines you pay to the rental agency are not the speeding ticket fines. they are just an administrative fee and you are still responsible for the fines. i've wondered if some day i'm going to get stopped by a real life policeman and he's going to tell me i owe thousands of euros in fines, late fees, and interest.

.
..that i've received are the actual fines with a "handling" fee tacked on by the rental agency. in general the agency isn't supposed to pass on your information to the police unless you contest the ticket or refuse to pay, in which case you get to deal directly with the authorities.

[Eagle 5]

Dedalus:

No, south Carolina, worse than Texas!

[Catalyst]

i've gotten several tickets over the years, maybe half a dozen. one night i was furious. i got lost and got caught by the same speed camera twice in less than 1/2 hour. i've heard that the fines you pay to the rental agency are not the speeding ticket fines. they are just an administrative fee and you are still responsible for the fines. i've wondered if some day i'm going to get stopped by a real life policeman and he's going to tell me i owe thousands of euros in fines, late fees, and interest.

[Dedalus]

in the u.s. my friend (a canadian) ignored paying his speeding ticket and was caught speeding again in the same state 3 years later and they threw him in jail for a couple if days! lol.

must have been in texas.

cheers,

dedalus

[Eagle 5]

well, i'll gladly pay the fine as i was speeding.

i was just concerned if it would be a problem to drive in germany again.

in the u.s. my friend (a canadian) ignored paying his speeding ticket and was caught speeding again in the same state 3 years later and they threw him in jail for a couple if days! lol.

[Iseeu]

...that i have been billed by my rental car company for speeding tickets from speed cameras in small towns and on autobahns...

typically, the bills for these fines arrived a month or so after the fact...

ortos

...by my rental car company and the bill can come even a couple of months later.

you can try to challenge the ticket by writing to the rental company and showing proof that you were not in the area on the day of the ticket. you can also instruct your credit card company not to pay the fee to the rental car company and claim that it's an unauthorized charge. of course the rental car company could blacklist you...

btw - it makes no difference if the picture clearly shows your face. the rental agreement clearly places the responsibility for any tickets received during the rental period on the leasee. it makes no difference who was actually driving.

[Ortos]

.. in germany before. last time was in aachen in a rental car.

i didn't say anything to the rental company and i never was billed for it.

don't know if the procedure is different for speeding tickets.

...that i have been billed by my rental car company for speeding tickets from speed cameras in small towns and on autobahns...

typically, the bills for these fines arrived a month or so after the fact...

ortos

[Jackyo]

chivaz/ortos: you may very well get a charge to your card from the rental agency, even several weeks after the fact. the rental agency will get charged by the local provincial government... this can take several weeks. after that, the rental agency will likely pass the charges on to you.

if you are lucky, the picture will be unclear or your face not clearly visible and the local guv won't be able to charge anyone... i've only gotten charged about half of the times that i have been caught speeding on "candid camera"...

.. in germany before. last time was in aachen in a rental car.

i didn't say anything to the rental company and i never was billed for it.

don't know if the procedure is different for speeding tickets.

[Doctor_Skank]

chivaz/ortos: you may very well get a charge to your card from the rental agency, even several weeks after the fact. the rental agency will get charged by the local provincial government... this can take several weeks. after that, the rental agency will likely pass the charges on to you.

if you are lucky, the picture will be unclear or your face not clearly visible and the local guv won't be able to charge anyone... i've only gotten charged about half of the times that i have been caught speeding on "candid camera"...

[Henio]

yes you got caught speeding by a speed camera! you don't have to worry, but you will, probably within the next few weeks, receive an invoice for some euros, which your car hire agency will charge to your credit card....

when dedalus and i were driving to gt this summer from frankfurt, i got my picture taken doing about 140-150 in a 120 zone in the koln area. was driving a rental. never heard more from it and no charge on my card.

chivaz

[Ortos]

i got lost last month going back to my hotel from oase (gps was correct but exit was shut for the night) and i was in this small town at night and i saw a flash!

i assume that i got caught (i think 50 in a 30 zone).

i haven't received anything in the mail. my car was a rental. do i have to worry about this next time i'm in frankfurt?

yes you got caught speeding by a speed camera! you don't have to worry, but you will, probably within the next few weeks, receive an invoice for some euros, which your car hire agency will charge to your credit card. there is a a well-known speed camera on the outside of ober-erlenbach (the village adjacent to burgholzhausen), which can be problematic whilst entering or exiting the settlement to/from oase.

you don't have to worry, it is a pure money transaction. it's not like there'll be storm troopers waiting for you next time you land at the airport! next time, know that you can run, but cannot hide form these things in germany...

ortos

[Eagle 5]

I got lost last month going back to my hotel From OASE (GPS was Correct but exit was shut for the night) and I was in this small town at night and I saw a Flash!

I assume that I got caught (I think 50 in a 30 zone).

I haven't received anything in the mail. My car was a rental. Do I have to worry about this next time I'm in Frankfurt?

[Jackyo]

.. to the object of our pursuit.

http://www.the-clitoris.com/n_html/n_v_image1.htm

I had no idea there was such a thing as a classification system and a way of distinguishing clams and oysters.

Makes you want to get out there and collect as many as you can.

Happy hunting!