Methods for extracting money...part XVII

If there is one thing that acts as a signature for this current government since they came to power, its the word "fines".

I'm not a political animal, I despise them all with equal ferocity and simply refuse to accept that an MP can become an MP without having worked in a "proper" job first, its the accepted route into Westminster these days to simply finish your degree course and then brown-nose your nearest political party HQ until they accept your nomination to be an MP.

All of which is irrelevant to todays gripe.

I received a letter in the post yesterday from Leeds City Council advising me that the driver of one of my cars was seen to throw a cigarette stub from the window of said vehicle at a particular date and time, and that for this heinous crime I need to send them £50 right now (or within 14 days) as they "have a no-tolorance stand against littering".

I may be the registered keeper of the vehicle in question but I don't drive it, they explain that if I know who the driver was then I must inform them immediately as they are entitled in law to know the information whilst investigating a criminal offence (their exact words).

I may just tell them to fuck off and behave themselves.

On the other hand I will reply to inform them that it wasn't me and could they help me with more information to identify the driver on that day, its a ploy that worked once with an alleged speeding offence. You see the thing about these instant fines for any tiny, minor transgressions of the rulebook is that the pedants at City Hall know that 99% of us citizens are honest and that we will simply cough up, challenge their lack of evidence and they generally have to back down, because they have no evidence.

On the local radio news today is the story of a Leeds woman who, this very day, is to appear in court accused of avoiding payment of the correct train fare sometime last year, she didn't avoid paying the fare at all, she underpaid by ten pence, that is she bought a ticket but it was ten pence too little, she now faces an instant fine of £100 and court costs.

You can be fined for anything and everything today, national and local government offices have the power to fine you for anything they like and need offer no evidence to you, its almost a random event, and in the meantime we have one of the filthiest city centres that I have ever seen, with a complete lack of manpower or willpower to do any cleaning, cleaning the streets expends income, fining people for dropping litter raises income, its plain to see what emphasis the national government places on local authorities.

This one will run and run.