Why are Finnish Police such Fascists?

[ChubbyPoacher]

Quite. This is the problem in Finland, that people don't believe the police fit anyone up. All police forces everywhere do that.

To be fair, I've got no personal reason not to trust the Finnish police. The only time I've had dealings with them was when a friend of mine fell off the platform onto the railway line in Rautatientori when trying to catch his train home after a fair few drinks. They patched him up and then popped him in a cell for the night due to him acting an arse. They were friendly enough, they let me come along in the van to make sure he was alright and then even gave me a lift home after checking him into his suite.

However, that "If you've got nothing to hide you shouldn't be worried" nonsense is patent bollocks and belongs in the letters section of the Mail.

[TampereOwl]

Well yeah, I've had dealings with them twice, both times due to acting the arse and both times I deserved my night in the 'suite'.

But police everywhere are tempted to bend the rules because they think they know who the criminals are, and it's daft to believe that Finland is any different. And 'if you've got nothing to hide' is, as you say, patent bollocks.

[Pursuivant]

and now I gotta make a visit to the police station every time I go there.

stop being silly, next time over go to the DMV and say you misplaced yours. then the Finnish police have theirs, you have yours, everybody is happy including us.

[EP]

which there was a breathalizer "theme week" so you were one of 19 827 told to blow the whistle

That seems to have been an efficient theme week: 1689 speeding, 70 drunken drivers, 8 drugged drivers, 91 confiscated driving licenses, 672 driving without a seatbelt, 117 speaking to a phone without a handsfree, 68 driving "without a right to drive", 2 driving with a stolen vehicle, and 16 wanted for some crime.

[Mook]

It's dumb that every time I want to visit the US, I have to take the Finnish license to the police station and trade it. Then come and trade it back when I return. She said thats just how it goes

but Finnish licenses are valid in the US, what's the problem?

I guess it would be a bad thing if you end up with two licenses that could be valid "somewhere"

The problem is that I as a US citizen I would rather use my US license while driving around in the US, and now I gotta make a visit to the police station every time I go there. When I need to show ID in the US, the drivers license is the most commonly used and lets say I am using my US bank account while there and paying with my US credit/debit cards and they want an ID. It would just be easier for us all if my ID was also US. Same with renting a car, dealing with the cops, etc. Being in the US and from the US it would then make things easier for all sides if my license was also US. Its just annoying, and my right to say so

You've gotta because you'd rather. I see. I guess that means that you don't have to, but choose it instead. Maybe a passport would work as ID in the US?

[jas_rho]

Actually, if I was to get my license suspended because of speeding and they took my Finnish license, then the next day I went out cruising and got pulled over again and showed them my US license. I would still get in trouble because its no longer valid in Finland. I have been living here too long. That, plus they would have on record that I have a heavy foot and a suspended license. That's why it makes no sense in any sense

If you go to buy or rent a car, or even borrow one from your friend, it is their problem to find out if you can legally drive. And only way for them to check that is by checking your driving license. If someone gives car to person who should not drive (as in no license or in no condition to drive) they can be prosecuted.

You aren't getting what I am saying. If I have a suspended license and I go out driving, and the police pull me over and they will check my information. Even if I show them a US license they are going to see that I am on suspension. The person who's car I am driving is not going to get in trouble for that. Its me who is responsible for making sure I am driving legally. Of course if you get alcohol involved then someone else might get in trouble for letting a drunk person drive. But in the situation I am talking about, it would be me who gets in trouble.

[jas_rho]

You've gotta because you'd rather. I see. I guess that means that you don't have to, but choose it instead. Maybe a passport would work as ID in the US?

Of course I would rather use my US license while driving in the US.

If you were going to go back to your home country, (lets say its not an EU country), would you just go with your Finnish license or would you rather have your home country's license?

[Mook]

If you were going to go back to your home country, would you just go with your Finnish license

I use my Finnish license.

[Upphew]

You aren't getting what I am saying. If I have a suspended license and I go out driving, and the police pull me over and they will check my information. Even if I show them a US license they are going to see that I am on suspension. The person who's car I am driving is not going to get in trouble for that. Its me who is responsible for making sure I am driving legally. Of course if you get alcohol involved then someone else might get in trouble for letting a drunk person drive. But in the situation I am talking about, it would be me who gets in trouble.

No, I understand, probably. You would like to have both licenses, so you can easily drive here and there. And there would be no problem, because police would know that your license is suspended, even if you had your foreign license.
But law says that one must see, before giving car to someone, that he/she is capable and licensed to drive vehicle in question.

" 65 § (3.8.1990/676)
Ajoneuvon luovuttaminen toisen kuljetettavaksi

Ajoneuvoa ei saa luovuttaa sen kuljetettavaksi, jolla ei ole vaadittavaa ajo-oikeutta tai jolta 63 tai 64 §:ssä tarkoitetusta syystä ilmeisesti puuttuvat edellytykset ajoneuvon kuljettamiseen.

Ajoneuvon luovuttajan on ennen ajoneuvon luovuttamista toisen käyttöön varmistauduttava, että kuljettajalla on vaadittava ajokortti."
-Tieliikennelaki

[Pursuivant]

police are fascists... final proof

[jas_rho]

But law says that one must see, before giving car to someone, that he/she is capable and licensed to drive vehicle in question.

" 65 § (3.8.1990/676)
Ajoneuvon luovuttaminen toisen kuljetettavaksi

Ajoneuvoa ei saa luovuttaa sen kuljetettavaksi, jolla ei ole vaadittavaa ajo-oikeutta tai jolta 63 tai 64 §:ssä tarkoitetusta syystä ilmeisesti puuttuvat edellytykset ajoneuvon kuljettamiseen.

Ajoneuvon luovuttajan on ennen ajoneuvon luovuttamista toisen käyttöön varmistauduttava, että kuljettajalla on vaadittava ajokortti."
-Tieliikennelaki

Ok well I stand corrected. I am just wondering should I report all those car dealerships that let me test drive their cars when all I had was a US license which was invalid due to the fact that I had been living here too long

[Pursuivant]

well how would they know that exactly? its got a validity date. hence the reason you need to surrender the funny foreign ones.

[jas_rho]

You can have a suspended license here in Finland and still have the actual license in your hands. I know of people that have been suspended from driving because of speeding and they still had their Finnish license, they just weren't supposed to be driving with it. So even in a case like that, they could go test drive some cars and no dealership is going to see that info, or are they?

[pres589]

I've seen people try to use their passport as ID's here in the middle of the USA; a few Finns that were denied an alcohol sale because of some nonsense, and then an American that had just made it off the plane from Europe that had yet to unpack and he got a lot of static, but his lack of a different accent got him a pass so he could buy a beer.

Apparently we take alcohol very seriously around here at times. In any case, a real driver's license is very preferable to trying to get around this part of the country vs. a passport.

[Kupcake]

I've seen people try to use their passport as ID's here in the middle of the USA; a few Finns that were denied an alcohol sale because of some nonsense, and then an American that had just made it off the plane from Europe that had yet to unpack and he got a lot of static, but his lack of a different accent got him a pass so he could buy a beer.

Apparently we take alcohol very seriously around here at times. In any case, a real driver's license is very preferable to trying to get around this part of the country vs. a passport.

We've been to plenty of places in the US and used our Australian drivers licences when hiring cars without any problems at all. We've also used our Finnish licences in the US to hire cars - also without problems. There have to be other foreigners hiring cars and buying things in the US without US identification? Besides, international car companies who operate in the US would have to have more than a clue about foreign identification, yes?