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President Obama's Motorcade Charged £120.00 Pounds Fine

Posted 10 months ago|9 comments|418 views
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After the relatively successfull recent visit to England by president Obama and his entourage in May.
Barrack Obama has been fined 120 pounds for not paying the London congestion charge.

The London mayer Boris Johnson had wanted the 10 pounds charge to be paid for all of the cars including the world famous "beast".

Because the cars travelled so close together the camera could only take pictures of the first cars number plate.
It is this 120 pound charge that is in dispute.

The London Mayer is thought to have brought the subject up during the presidents stay.

In England foreign diplomats and staff owe over £50 million pounds in fines for the congestion charge.
There are also £491,000 pounds in parking fines aswell as £566,000 pounds in non domestic rates.
America is first on a long list,The current bill is £5 million pounds.
Second is russia with £4.4 million pounds.

The release of this information coincided with the foreign office releasing details that
15 diplomats committed serious crimes in England last year.
An Ivory Coast diplomat carried out a robbery and a turkish one carried out a serious assault.
The U.S embassy have said they know nothing about a fine and diplomatic immunity rules prevent one being given.
It does seem like the London Mayer is trying to get even more publicity at the moment.
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10 months ago: http://www.economist.com/node/7281145?story_id=7281145

"A study* by Raymond Fisman and Edward Miguel, economists at Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley, gives a rare picture of how people from different cultures perform under new cultural norms. For instance, between 1997 and 2002 diplomats from Chad averaged 124 unpaid parking violations; diplomats from Canada and the United Kingdom had none. The results from 146 countries were strikingly similar to the Transparency International corruption index, which rates countries by their level of perceived sleaze. In the case of parking violations, diplomats from countries with low levels of corruption behaved well, even when they could get away with breaking the rules. The culture of their home country was imported to New York, and they acted accordingly."
Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
10 months ago: Good comment Stan. I think a congestion charge is a great idea to lessen congestion.

We could use something like that in New York and other congested cities.

One of the reasons representatives from poor nations might not have paid the parking tickets is the cost. London has the most expensive parking in the world. The average cost to park is $1,084. New York is the most expensive in America at $540/mo.

I don't think diplomats or politicians should think they are immune to traffic laws or parking fees/fines. They should drag them into traffic court.
10 months ago: I say pay the fine and then simply never return to London, ever. The President was invited to London they knew that his travel around the city would consist of the motorcade and that said motorcade would cause the "congestion" charging for that congestion is ridiculous.

On the other hand in the case of diplomat's and consulate residents of course they should pay fines or litigate in cases where they have broken laws they are for all intents and purposes "residents" of the country they currently reside.

I guess the London Mayor is not old enough to remember the blitzkrieg.
10 months ago: The congestion charge is there and people have to pay it but i think an exemption can be made for presidents etc.
I think the mayor of london is just trying to get good publicity as he has had quite a bit of bad publicity lately.
He is trying to come accross as a good guy asking all for money.
There have been quite a few crimes by diplomats in the uk including murder and most of them have cited diplomatic immunity as a defence.
In serious cases this should be refuted but in the case of this 120 pound fine it should be waived but they wont as they are trying to get the 5 million paid aswell.
10 months ago: I do like the egalitarian principle that the charge should be paid by all, even the rich. However, I don't think it would not be too much to ask for the British state to "gift" the charge for a guest of this nature. That is, the charge gets paid, but by someone else.

Being facetious, I will say: Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue in London if all the living Presidents were allowed to cruise around in their motorcades flouting the congestion tax?
10 months ago: I would hope that the British government would not invite all of the living presidents to visit at one time. And if they did I would expect that this "fee" would be waived.
Felix Mannow
Felix Mannow
England
10 months ago: it would be funny if all diplomat drive in london all at same time that would be worths pay for.
10 months ago: it would be total and utter chaos in london if there are any more vehicles in it.
the traffic system could be improved and i wouldnt mind paying the charge if i thought it would improve it.
It doesnt and the money it generates gets lost in the mayors office.
The london mayor is an egotistical aristocrat from in bred blood stock who somehow manages to get what he wants.
Felix Mannow
Felix Mannow
England
10 months ago: if west politicians pay taxes and corporation pay tax yu would not need to tax people like this to live in london

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