Ban from driving!!

[DMC]

I got pulled over for doing 100 in an 80 zone and because I was driving with a non-Finnish license I was given a 1 year ban and a huge fine.

Can you write some more about that?
Are you saying that the penalty for speeding is automatically higher for anyone driving on a non-Finnish license? I would be surprised if that was legal, at least as regards drivers with licenses from other EU countries.
Is a ban automatic if you are caught speeding? If not, what was it about your case that led to a ban?

[Pursuivant]

Is a ban automatic if you are caught speeding?

in some cases, such as drunk or being "reckless" 100 in an 80 shouldn't be reckless...unless its adverse road conditions... but then if you are driving with a foreign (non-EU) license whereas you should have switched to a Finnish one that might be a factor as you are technically without a license... and that is IIRC a mandatory one-year ban then.

If not, what was it about your case that led to a ban?

the officer was onkko's cousin

[jas_rho]

I got pulled over for doing 100 in an 80 zone and because I was driving with a non-Finnish license I was given a 1 year ban and a huge fine.

Can you write some more about that?
Are you saying that the penalty for speeding is automatically higher for anyone driving on a non-Finnish license? I would be surprised if that was legal, at least as regards drivers with licenses from other EU countries.
Is a ban automatic if you are caught speeding? If not, what was it about your case that led to a ban?

My reason for the ban and larger fine was because I have been living in Finland over 18 months and did not change it to a Finnish license. Had I changed my license I would have only gotten a speeding ticket and no ban. Had I been living in Finland less than 18 months I would have just gotten a speeding ticket and no ban. My ban and larger fine was due to the fact that I never changed my license. I knew that I was supposed to but I just was lazy to go through all the trouble that it is to change it after you are here 18 months. I always kept telling myself that sometime I'll do it. Its my own fault and there is nothing I can do except pay the fine and wait for the ban to end. After that I can the apply for the Finnish license which means I give them my US license, get a check-up from the doctor, I call the place that gives the written and driving tests and set up a time to do them, I rent a car from some car school (this part I think is retarded), and I pass the tests. There is no need for me to go to car school.

[Pursuivant]

I just wonder... If everyone is so bloody great driver... How come we have all these accidents...

my father said that there is a problem with people driving with their windows open and having a stiff neck... and not turning their heads in intersections... and then paying attention to their radio let alone the mobile phones instead of the traffic... so he said the trick is not driving itself - its being able to think a second beforehand what the other driver will be doing so as to pay attention 2-3 cars beforehand so you know if the break light flickers the yuppie in front of you will push his ABS to the floor and there you are rammed in his ass with your slicks... so observing the traffic... maybe it was as I learned with big trucks and I had to look where to go off the road if my breaks fail... and I don't drive this kind of "sporty" style - and thats because my car is such a POS... I drove sporty when I was younger in my Fiat's as I had to be nimble to get out in front of bigger cars or they'd squish me, but the Helsinki coppers taught me a small red car with a noisy engine gets pulled over even if I'm driving granny to church with an egg basket...

[Pursuivant]

there is nothing I can do except pay the fine and wait for the ban to end

you should be feeling proud of being able to talk yourself out of 11 months of it though... seems the commish had gotten his donuts that day.

[jas_rho]

there is nothing I can do except pay the fine and wait for the ban to end

you should be feeling proud of being able to talk yourself out of 11 months of it though... seems the commish had gotten his donuts that day.

Yeah I told him I was sorry and that I just wanna make things right. The secretaries at the front desk were not happy about it, he asked them to do the paperwork and they tried so much to say how I deserve it. He just told them to be quiet and do the paperwork. I have to admit he was really fair. He was a good guy and I hope I don't need to be asking any more favors like that from him any time soon.

[dave071061]

Actually consider yourself lucky. You are a student so the fine is really low, and you had changed to a finnish license. I was also stupid a little while ago and while I knew I needed to go change my license, I didn't do it. You need to change it before being here 18 months. Otherwise in order to get the license you gotta go take a driving and written test.

Not true in the case of the OP, If I understood correctly he is from Germany, and if you hold an EU license there is no requirement to change to a Finnish license regardless of how long you have been here. The 18month rule only applies if you are from outside the EU,

[jas_rho]

Actually consider yourself lucky. You are a student so the fine is really low, and you had changed to a finnish license. I was also stupid a little while ago and while I knew I needed to go change my license, I didn't do it. You need to change it before being here 18 months. Otherwise in order to get the license you gotta go take a driving and written test.

Not true in the case of the OP, If I understood correctly he is from Germany, and if you hold an EU license there is no requirement to change to a Finnish license regardless of how long you have been here. The 18month rule only applies if you are from outside the EU,

Well he can still consider himself lucky. His fine wasn't that big. So while the changing license doesn't apply to him, it still applies to other non-EU then. So its still true for non-EU folks.

[hychamaz]

We had a very long discussion about driving license changing times, etc. for EU and non EU people a few months ago. Do a search as I remember that post had a ton of info.

[hanj]

hey.....look on the bright side...you can cancel your car insurance for the next 1 to 6 months.

[Upphew]

I rent a car from some car school (this part I think is retarded)

Does your own car have brake pedal at passenger side?

[jas_rho]

I rent a car from some car school (this part I think is retarded)

Does your own car have brake pedal at passenger side?

Why would my own car have a brake pedal on the passenger side? I guess that is the reason why I have to rent one, but its still retarded. I have been driving for 15 years and have never been in an accident. I think for those who have been driving and need to take the test. Their own car should be good enough. Having the brake there for me isn't gonna do jack squat.

[chickensexer]

Why would my own car have a brake pedal on the passenger side? I guess that is the reason why I have to rent one, but its still retarded. I have been driving for 15 years and have never been in an accident. I think for those who have been driving and need to take the test. Their own car should be good enough. Having the brake there for me isn't gonna do jack squat.

"Those, who have been driving" doesn't mean anything. A friend of mine sent her sister to do her driving exam. They look oriental (unusual where I come frome) so people who don't really know them won't nessesarily think the ID belongs to another girl (and to embarrased to ask, regarding the race).. Anyway, the sister had a few years driving experience by then. She didn't pass.

Besides, if I was the guy sitting in the car with license applicants I would feel that all those 15years-driving-experience-and-not-a-single-accident-stories sound all nice'n'cool and convincing indeed.. But you never know and I've got only one Me, and not a real warranty on my spare parts..


Nothing retarded I see in that rule Nothing at all.

[jas_rho]

Why would my own car have a brake pedal on the passenger side? I guess that is the reason why I have to rent one, but its still retarded. I have been driving for 15 years and have never been in an accident. I think for those who have been driving and need to take the test. Their own car should be good enough. Having the brake there for me isn't gonna do jack squat.

"Those, who have been driving" doesn't mean anything. A friend of mine sent her sister to do her driving exam. They look oriental (unusual where I come frome) so people who don't really know them won't nessesarily think the ID belongs to another girl (and to embarrased to ask, regarding the race).. Anyway, the sister had a few years driving experience by then. She didn't pass.

Besides, if I was the guy sitting in the car with license applicants I would feel that all those 15years-driving-experience-and-not-a-single-accident-stories sound all nice'n'cool and convincing indeed.. But you never know and I've got only one Me, and not a real warranty on my spare parts..


Nothing retarded I see in that rule Nothing at all.

Ok I can kinda see where you are coming from on all that that you have wrote... and I don't expect any exceptions made on my behalf with the rules of what type of car needs to be used to perform the test. I still think its retarded. I can see the use of that passenger side brake coming in handy but if it needs to be used, I don't think you should have made it that far to even be taking that test. I mean the test is given to those who have gone to the car school, or someone like me who has a license from another country already and so should know how to drive. In the US when I was 15 years old I took the drivers test with my parents car, no brake on the passenger side, and I did fine Anyway, once again I don't want different treatment for me, I was just stating my opinion. If you don't like it chickensexer then you don't have to

[Pursuivant]

Having the brake there for me isn't gonna do jack squat.

well it will when you have your face in the windshield doing a right turn on the red when the engineer is going to say "lets get back to the DMV"...