In GermanyApparently, jokers understand humor differently than the rest of us do. That is at least the first conclusion we can draw upon discovering the recent news related to a local radar, and the replacement of the speed limit sign prior to the device with another with a higher limit.
The radar recorded more than 400 fines in 48 hours
We say it is the first, because we do not know if behind this action there may be another intention other than what initially appears. As explained by Moto IT, the municipality of Haldensleben, Saxony-Anhalthas a radar placed on one of its busiest roads. The section before the device has a maximum speed limited to 50 km/h.
However, someone decided to replace the sign with another one of 70 km/h. You can imagine what happened in the hours after the fraudulent signage change. The drivers who usually travel through the area must not have noticed the matter and if they did, we assume, they would think that the local authorities would have increased the speed limit on that segment of the road.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The consequence of this joke in bad taste was more than 400 violations detected by the radar itselfalthough these were the result of ignorance, not recklessness, of those sanctioned.
It didn’t take long for the authorities to realize “the trap.”
As the hours passed and the huge number of infractions accumulated by said radar, the managers of the competent administration began to suspect that something strange could be happening in the place. Either the device was not working correctly or another circumstance, totally unrelated to it, could be the cause of the hundreds of fines issued approximately 48 hours ago.
Those in charge of inspecting the area and the device soon found “the culprit” of the mess: a “fake” speed sign. Imagine the look on the faces of those mentioned above when they realized that someone (it is still unknown whether one or more people) had replaced said signage with another of higher rank. It indicated 70 km/h, while the actual limit was 50 km/h.
What will be the real reason for the change?
After the events, many locals, upon hearing the news, wonder what the real reason would be for someone to end up doing something like that. Some have the firm conviction that everything is the result of a bad joke. Others, however, believe that it could be a protest against the absurd speed limits imposed in Germany in certain areas.
We cannot give any answer to these questions, although we would like to know what is behind the story and the exact reason for the signal change. In any case “After uncovering the mystery and realizing that the situation was due to a hoax, the municipality of Haldensleben in Saxony-Anhalt rightly decided to suspend all fines imposed by the speed radar on the days when the false signal was detected”they conclude from the Italian media.
This matter has made us wonder what would have happened if, by chance, a similar situation arose on one of our roads, where someone one morning (or night) felt like carrying out such a misdeed and later the DGT became aware of the matter… It would probably be years before our beloved administration would have returned our money, if that ever happened.
