Mobile office earns man a fine

Police in Saarland, Germany, pulled over a man for speeding. In his car, they discovered an unusually extensive mobile workplace: a computer set up for use from the driver's seat, a printer, a router, a wireless networking dongle, a dash-mounted navigation system and a mountain of other junk. He was fined for having "unsecured items" in his car, according to reports. [Times Online]



    1. That was basically his reply, yes. They couldn’t actually fine him for using it, as they couldn’t prove that he used it while driving, he just go a fine for speeding and they made him dismantle the unsafe setup before they allowed him to continue driving.

  1. So he’s getting a ticket for what amounts to having the same hardware as the police cruiser does?  (At least here in the US.)  Sure it doesn’t have the polish and mounting options that the setups in cruisers do, but isn’t that an issue more for his insurance company than other motorists?  (Assuming he’s not using it while driving, which it doesn’t appear he was.)

    1. The German texts make it appear that he was very probably using it, but you have to actually *see* a driver  using (i.e. touching and fiddling) with a  gadget before you can make it stick.

      For the unused cargo, STVO §22 applies. Any cargo and cargo-related must be stored in such a way that it doesn’t move (much less fly through the window) even during  a full stop in an emergency. This can me hitting the brakes to the hilt at 100 mph or more. 

      That setup is definitely unsafe. Maybe US office cruise along in such an unsafe manner, but those are he same dudes that use more bullets on one victim than German police fires at people in a full year. 

  2. Was he operating some remotely programmed attack rat-things from a virtual world while driving on the freeway?

  3. Cycling home one day a driver who was set up like this cut me off while entering a right turn lane, then sat stationary for two cycles of the traffic signals while dealing with some business. I also have a home office on my vehicle. Its an android phone but it lives in my backpack inside a waterproof bag.

  4. Having driven on German highways, I can attest that you do not want to be doing anything except driving with 100% of your attention…Mostly if you expect to get home in one piece, anyway.

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