South African speeding fine - pay it or Dr Pepper?
Discussion
Looks like I (or my GF) was clocked in January whilst in South Africa heading from the last stellenbosch vineyard of the day to Hermanus. I have no idea who was driving or whether I was speeding - not remember seeing anything.
The hire company has already withheld all of my retainer after I crashed the car into a pack of dogs a few days before leaving, while the card used has already been swapped a few weeks back so they can't debit their forwarding fee. Apparently they don't pay the fines on your behalf and I'm told to expect paperwork (likely old address - recently moved) in the future.
Whilst over there they were pretty hot on speeding (profiled of course) and I was pulled three times, paying a negotiated fine on one occasion (103 in 50 - R400 fine) giving one highways officer a license he didn't understand (counterpart) same speed/limits as this and just ignoring another that tried to stop me (driving on).
We are likely heading back in December, the hassle of trying to pay from reading around is pretty significant and I'm not sure whether the papers will reach me. Should I bother paying or Dr Pepper?
The hire company has already withheld all of my retainer after I crashed the car into a pack of dogs a few days before leaving, while the card used has already been swapped a few weeks back so they can't debit their forwarding fee. Apparently they don't pay the fines on your behalf and I'm told to expect paperwork (likely old address - recently moved) in the future.
Whilst over there they were pretty hot on speeding (profiled of course) and I was pulled three times, paying a negotiated fine on one occasion (103 in 50 - R400 fine) giving one highways officer a license he didn't understand (counterpart) same speed/limits as this and just ignoring another that tried to stop me (driving on).
We are likely heading back in December, the hassle of trying to pay from reading around is pretty significant and I'm not sure whether the papers will reach me. Should I bother paying or Dr Pepper?
So you blame profiling for you being pulled whilst admitting to paying one fine for being just over double the speed limit, blagging your way out of a second and driving off from a third? Then debate whether to pay a 4th?
Do you believe speed limits don't apply to you when you're abroad or something?
Do you believe speed limits don't apply to you when you're abroad or something?
Tom_C76 said:
So you blame profiling for you being pulled whilst admitting to paying one fine for being just over double the speed limit, blagging your way out of a second and driving off from a third? Then debate whether to pay a 4th?
Do you believe speed limits don't apply to you when you're abroad or something?
Not quite, on the third I wasn't actually speeding and had just been overtaken by some "locals". - Guy was chilling in the car as the two that had just just overtaken passed and jumped out for me....Do you believe speed limits don't apply to you when you're abroad or something?
On the first I was checking the map and didn't twig the limit change (was doing the speed it had just dropped from) and the big one we were about to be locked out of our camp site for the night...
Barring these incidents we had little issue whilst clocking up over 8k km over the 3 weeks there. How their speed enforcement road network operate is akin to having a random untrained guy with or without proper equipment sitting at the side of the road deciding who he/she wants to pay for their dinner that evening. The speed limits like ours are often completely ridiculous, what speed for this:
yep 60km/h....
I will concede that I'm not perfect and do tend to drive to the conditions, if I was out there I'd pay it but its not particularly easy to make a payment to a foreign account, in a foreign currency...I was mainly looking whether anybody had ignored one of these and the consequences, just trying to weigh up the risk reward. On the go back, we love it there. Stunning scenery, great wine, good food, so much to see and do whilst its so cheap! - December's holiday is either another 3 weeks in SA or the same in Vietnam/Philippines, we're undecided really.
Over here I do get pulled occasionally - Had 3 points for 78mph on an empty motorway a few years back and am currently awaiting a summons for speeding a few months ago.
On this occasion to complicate it further I'm not too sure who was driving either, we shared the driving with me doing more toward the end (this was nearer the beginning of the trip however).
Edited by kiethton on Tuesday 12th April 12:16
kiethton said:
Not quite, on the third I wasn't actually speeding and had just been overtaken by some "locals". - Guy was chilling in the car as the two that had just just overtaken passed and jumped out for me....
He missed them, and you just happened to be the next one along.As for "profiling" - is it cos you is white* that the camera got you?
- - at a guess.
TooMany2cvs said:
kiethton said:
Not quite, on the third I wasn't actually speeding and had just been overtaken by some "locals". - Guy was chilling in the car as the two that had just just overtaken passed and jumped out for me....
He missed them, and you just happened to be the next one along.As for "profiling" - is it cos you is white* that the camera got you?
- - at a guess.
On the second point its complete b
ks, I fail to see how I could just be the next one along and he can decide to stop me without the use of any equipment when being near sleeping immediately prior. Bad as it sounds its profiling pure and simple, they want a roadside cash payment from people who may be too naive to know better.kiethton said:
Yes unfortunately so - damage wasn't too bad but a few bits were smashed:
Unlit single lane motorway, just after dusk and a fly/insect storm - Wasn't going to swerve, jabbed on the brakes but wasn't enough
not too bad....that's like £2 or £3k damage! 
Unlit single lane motorway, just after dusk and a fly/insect storm - Wasn't going to swerve, jabbed on the brakes but wasn't enough
If it were me, i'd pay it, should be pretty easy. You may get a charge from the bank, but is there someone there like family that could pay it for you and you pay them via paypal? I once got my company to pay a foreign fine from their currency account, then I paid them in £, saved me £25 for a €20 fine!
Police, often metro police, targetting rental cars is well known in SA, especially around the airports. It is a wonderful way of supplementing the salary.
Especially if you catch them on the way to the airport, very likely to pay the "supplementary fine".
All I will say, if you do go back, you don't want to land up in a South African holding cell. It will be a whole new and very exciting experience. I can guarantee that.
Especially if you catch them on the way to the airport, very likely to pay the "supplementary fine".
All I will say, if you do go back, you don't want to land up in a South African holding cell. It will be a whole new and very exciting experience. I can guarantee that.
Edited by QuantumTokoloshi on Tuesday 12th April 17:25
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