Remember, some days ago I told you about Wolfgang Schneider (44) who, with a message on his T-shirt stood and watched a parade go by... and how some of the participants in the parade did not like the message, since it suggested that their leader should go to jail, as a judge, in fact, had found? (Appeal pending)... and how they attempted first to rip the T-shirt off Wolfgang's back, then called a policeman who urged Wolfgang to "move along"... and how Wolfgang suggested that since this was a public place he had a right to be there, which brought him a quick arrest by the cop who felt his authority challenged ?
Remember all of this ? Of course you do... it was, after all a little true story showing "Democracy in Action" in Austria... or, more like: "Democracy sound asleep".
Todays Newspaper reports and I swear this is true and not a bad joke thought up by me:
Wolfgang received a "Strafmandat" ( similar to a traffic ticket ) which does not require a judge, but can be issued by the Police, from the Villach-Police Department, because of "Disturbance of Public Order, through particularly Recless Behaviour."
The amount on the ticket: Euro 69,28.
This is a strange amount, you say? Well, let me tell you: the actual penalty amounted to Euro 70.00, but 72 cents were deducted, because he was "improperly under arrest for 43 minutes."
Talk about accurate book-keeping being more important than the principle of the entire issue.
Wolfgang Schneider is now contemplating an appeal against this "Strafmandate" and thinks of hiring a lawyer.
Of course, as he is aware, touching the door handle into the lawyer's office will cost more than 69.28 Euros.
Hey, somebody has to care about democratic principles, don't they ?
Quick, hand me a collection box.
Bertstravels
2 comments:
Not sure what is worse. I would certainly not want the crowd to let something go as though it was accepted. Better to have the majority have their say instead of allowing something offensive go unchallenged. You can't touch him of course, that goes too far. He can wear what he wants where he wants. But I don't want to live in a society where these opinions, however advertised, go unnoticed either.
Hi Linne
but what do you think about the 43 minutes falsely under arrest and the resulting credit to his fine of 72 cents ? I think that that's truöly funny and says a great deal of the society in which we live.
I would like to live in a place where anybody can wear a t-shirt of his choice and not get arrested.
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