IP: A $100,000 Speeding Fine?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 10:11:49 -0800
> To: dave () farber net
> From: Bob Hinden <hinden () iprg nokia com>
> Subject: A $100,000 Speeding Fine?
> Cc: hinden () iprg nokia com
>
> Not sure you want to put this on IP, but I found it very amusing.
>
> Bob
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------
>
> A $100,000 Speeding Fine??
> <http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20020114/od/fine_dc_1.html>
> ----------
>
> Monday January 14 10:30 AM ET
>
> A $100,000 Speeding Fine??
>
> HELSINKI (Reuters) - A senior executive of the world's largest mobile 
> phone maker Nokia is appealing a record $103,600 fine for speeding because 
> his income has dropped, Finnish media and officials said Monday.
>
> Millionaire and Harley Davidson enthusiast Anssi Vanjoki was caught racing 
> his motorbike down a Helsinki street in October at 47 mph in a 31 mph 
> zone, the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported.
>
> Unlike in many other countries, Finnish traffic fines vary according to 
> the offender's average income.
>
> The fine was based on Vanjoki's 1999 income which was boosted by big 
> options sales. But Vanjoki's income dropped drastically last year as 
> Nokia's share price fell alongside other tech shares, making option sales 
> uneconomical.
>
> Vanjoki's fine is believed to be the largest ever traffic penalty in 
> Finland, beating a fine of more than $71,000 handed down to Internet 
> millionaire Jaakko Rytsola and one of $31,200 given to Vanjoki's 
> colleague, Nokia president Pekka Ala-Pietila.
>
> A Helsinki district court official confirmed to Reuters that Vanjoki's 
> appeal would be heard on May 15.

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