Ticket Prices

[VW02]

I had an argument between me and my friend today, and here it goes:

Should tickets (such as a speeding one) be based on your salary (as long as you have one) or should it remain to be a flat rate for everyone? For example, if a millionaire got a $100 ticket and some guy who makes 20k a year gets a $100 ticket is it fair? I mean the millionaire doesnt feel the same impact as the poor guy because $100 dollars to the millionaire is absolute chump change. So what I was suggesting was that it should be a certain % so that the proportion that you get fined is equal between everyone. If you disagree with my proposal, then would you still agree that income taxes should be a % or should it be some flat rate? Thanks.

[Weapon_R]

Similar crimes deserve similar punishments.

[VW02]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
Similar crimes deserve similar punishments.

yes that is why I suggested % because in proportion the millionaire should be charged more so that he feels the same impact. The reason for tickets is to deterr you from doing it again. But if you, lets say, got a $1 ticket for speeding, would you stop speeding? Probably not because its just a dollar which is the same way the millionaire would feel. Thats why a % would make much more sense.

[lilmira]

That's what demerit is for. Money can't buy your way around that. Imagine if they fine you by percentage of income, cops would be camping out in rich neighbourhood.

And for serious crime, you have to serve time.

[hussein]

Originally posted by lilmira
That's what demerit is for. Money can't buy your way around that. Imagine if they fine you by percentage of income, cops would be camping out in rich neighbourhood.

And for serious crime, you have to serve time.

Yea, but $ can buy a chauffeur.

[VW02]

Originally posted by lilmira
That's what demerit is for. Money can't buy your way around that. Imagine if they fine you by percentage of income, cops would be camping out in rich neighbourhood.

And for serious crime, you have to serve time.

Yes demerits are equal but the fine payment is not. Its like this, lets say I am special and I have 100 demerit points. Lets say you have 8. If we both get the same speeding ticket at the same place by the same cop, we both lose 2 demerits lets say. I wont care about losing 2 demerits because I have 100. You will because thats 1/4 of your demerits that you have. Therefore we all get 14 demerits or whatever the number is. The only unequal part of the ticket is the fine, which means it should have to be a % to make up for the unequal incomes etc of people. If you think that a ticket should be the flat rate that it currently is, then you should also think income tax should be a flat rate and not a %.

[lilmira]

Well, that's why we all try to work a little bit harder so that we can afford better food, better car, better house... and sometimes that damn ticket.

Yet regardless of how much money you have, if you drive like a maniac, you are still going to be off the road soon. Why? suspension, humongous insurance rate or even rejection from ever getting insured again and eventually the law of physics will get you.

[?????]

Thing is we all start out with 0 demerits. Demerits are accumulated not deducted!

[VW02]

Originally posted by ?????
Thing is we all start out with 0 demerits. Demerits are accumulated not deducted!

lol you know what I meant

[eb0i]

While I understand your thought on percentage, I could NEVER see it being put into play.

I for one would not like it because then it would mean that information about my income would be made public. And really that is only for me and Revenue Canada to know, not anyone else. Now I'm no legal expert, but I would guess it has to infringe on some privacy laws.

Also like someone else mentioned, the cops would just follow rich people around to make a better killing off of tickets.

[benyl]

So what you are saying is that if a millionaire steals a candy bar, he should go to jail for years and years, but if a kid with no income steals one, he goes off scott free?

That is pretty dumb.

[Xtrema]

I would say the minimum fine would still be in place.

But add this on as a extra measure. And I would base this on the car's BB price you get caught in and not income.

For example.

You drive a Cavalier 20 over limit and the Cavalier is worth $5K.

You pay $150 + 5% of car worth = $400.

You drive a Ferrari 20 over and it work $250K

You pay $150 + $12.5K = $12.65K.

5% may be a bit much but you get the idea.

[nonsane]

I believe finland already does this.

http://cooltech.iafrica.com/technews/879700.htm

However, what if it's a young person with no money? or if it's based on previous year's income, and it's the person's first year working, then?

[codetrap]

.

[Masked Bandit]

I know they have a system similar to this in one (or more) of the Scandinavian countries (I think someone said Finland?). I couldn't see it flying over here though. In a perfect world the wealthy would not have a separate set of rules from the rest of us peasants but that is not true in our world. If you got the bucks, you can do more and that is all there is to it.

Like someone said though....the laws of physics and probability apply to everyone.

[MooseJawian]

so how about a rich kid does not have any income and his parents take care of all his bils and shit?
he can basically fuck around in a 100k bimmer under his parents name and YET becuz he does not have any income of his own,the fine for him is less than a guy who is flipping burger in mcdonald for 8 bucks an hr?becuz the burger flipper has an income while the rich kid does not work at all?

i just found the whole based on income thing is a bit of unrealistic..

i think there IS a reason why 99.9% of countries in the world use the fine calculation system as we do.

[ashee]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
Similar crimes deserve similar punishments.

Exactly.
If 30k/year guy can't afford a speeding ticket maybe he should slow down. All basing the ticket on income would be doing is penalize the wealthy for being wealthy which has nothing to do with the violation.

[D. Dub]

Originally posted by ashee


Exactly.
If 30k/year guy can't afford a speeding ticket maybe he should slow down. All basing the ticket on income would be doing is penalize the wealthy for being wealthy which has nothing to do with the violation.

Exactly--well put---why should successful people be punished for being successful?!?!?

They are already punished more than enough by staying in Canada and paying the outrageous taxes we pay!!!

[VW02]

Dont be so technical about it... Just "pretend", I personally think it would be a good idea. And about the cops "camping" out, as long as the rich people dont violate the law, nothing the cops can do right? SO whether they camp or not should not be an issue.

If you are driving your friends car... I am sure he will make you pay for it all.

ANd yes I got this idea from finland.

I think Xtrema has a good idea.

[Weapon_R]

Not many are going to agree with you. A person's bank account has nothing to do with the infraction.