Or at least I was semi-wrong. Yesterday morning the story started at 6.45am ... I had been told to be there at 7am, but a very kind family member helped me out and got there at 6.45 - and there were already 30 people waiting. She got the number 21, and as I arrived at 8.30am, she was already talking to the traffic controller secretary or whatever. She just printed out a page, gave us a new number which led us to wait in a large room full of people of every socio-economic level whose sole common denominator was having traffic tickets - everything from red lights to doing 200km/h or not having put on their seat-belts.After another half hour, the noisy machine that showed what seemed like random undecypherable alphanumeric codes (beeping every time a new one was displayed), we were up (by the way, besides the beeping codes, traffic controllers also came about screaming people's names - I don't know who decided whether you got a beeping number or a screaming name-call, that's for newly-elected Mayor Macri to figure out). So, we get to the traffic-controller (for those expecting a fat gentleman in suit and tie, you are in for a disappointment): he was just a regular guy. One of forty-something traffic controllers. So we sit down, I explain to him why I had sped (I won't say why, I'll keep it a mistery) and he says I can either pay U$S 35 (minimum fine, he was being kind and lowering it from U$S 50) or wait to talk to the judge (who of course would get there in another half hour).
So, I went for the judge. And it took her an hour to get there and start imparting justice. Anyhow, we get called - this time by name (woo-hoo!) and go back to the same controller, who makes me sign some papers and explains the judge had bestowed upon me her divine benevolence because it was my first offense - and due to the by now very misterious situation I will not ever reveal. So, that was that: by 10am I was out and having won my small insignificant victory against the state. I felt U$S 50 richer, but I also felt there was something seriously wrong with the system.
And I had a great incentive to never speed again!
For those of you wanting to read more (albeit in Spanish): http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/03/06/laciudad/h-04215.htm
