Our Speeding Ticket Adventure

The speed limit on Zambesi Road is 80 km/hr. There is one small stretch of road where the limit drops to 70 km/hr, and right after the posted sign there is a speed camera. If the robot (traffic light) is green and you go through the intersection without having to stop, you actually have to step on the brakes to get down to 70 so the camera won't flash you. Well....

The camera caught us. The ticket came in the mail four months later (I guess they're not in a hurry). We paid it today, and I am thankful to say it only took us FOUR offices to figure out which one was the right one! How's that for adjusting to South African life?

First we went to the police station in Sinoville. They said we had to pay it downtown at Tshwane Metropolitan-Something-or-Other building. We went down there, to the cashier's office, and they said we had to go into the building next door and up to the second floor (which is the 3rd floor for all you Americans). So we did that, and ended up at the "Representation Enquiries Desk" (what?!). The woman there said we had to go in the office next door and view the picture on the computer (the one the speed camera took) to make sure it was indeed us. It was. That woman said, "You must now go across the hall and into the door on your right to the Prosecutor's Office (again, what?!). Ask him for a fee reduction."

So we walked into the Prosecutor's Office and said, "Um.. can we have a fee reduction?" He took our speeding ticket, stamped it, and reduced the fee by 1/3, no questions asked! (at this point I'm feeling like my head is in someone else's body - I have NO idea what's going on, whose office I'm in, what all these titles mean, and how on earth they can reduce our fine for no reason!). We then had to go back downstairs to the building next door to pay the fine at the cashier's desk (finally, this one makes sense!). And off we went!

I didn't mention the four complete strangers on the street who offered to pay our fine for us, while we were walking from the car to the office building.

I LOVE South Africa! I have no idea what's going on half the time, or where I'm going, or what those office titles mean. But I am happy to report that today's adventure only cost $10. Cheaper than a movie, and I had more fun!