Was Today Friday 13th?

There are days when you think what shall I write? Then there is a blow of fate and you know what to write. Today was such a day. I had the day off work. Yesterday we were all celebrating Corpus Christi – which actually meant I was cleaning the kitchen and other homely hobbies like ironing and putting some plants in the garden, so I decided to take the day off today which meant 4 days in a row and back to work on Monday. As life was getting boring with no special household chores today I went to see how Mr. Swiss was getting on taking a walk with our blind cat Fluffy. Of course I took the camera with me and accompanied by our big fat black fluffy cat Nera I went on my way. I soon caught up with Mr. Swiss and Fluffy and Tabby was also there, so they all smiled for a photo, well I thought they might, but I suppose cats don’t really smile.

When we got back home Mr. Swiss emptied the letter box to see if anything special had come and opened a letter addressed to him, but actually it was for me, he said. It had his name on it but he meant the contents related to me, so what did we have? A letter from the Kantons police. Here is a translation of the content:

“On Friday 9^th May, 2008 at 07.04 hours (in the morning of course) the following breakage of the law was registered according to article 90 of the national law relating to traffic:

Car registration no. SO ......
Place: Riedholzstrasse, Feldbrunnen (the road to work)
Direction: St. Niklaus (just as I left the castle grounds)
Measured speed: 38 Kilometers per hour
Allowed speed: 30 Kilometers per hour
Safety margin: 5 Kilometers per hour
Speed Exceedance: 3 Kilometers per hour

Well I must say they are very exact arn’t they?

Then came the hammer: Speed exceeded within city limits around 1-5 Kilometers per hour = CHF 40.00

We request that the fine of Forty Swiss Francs is to be settled within 30 days. You will then save (I will save – big deal) further following costs. If you do not transfer this money within the said time, we will commence with the proper actions and give the records to the office of the district attorney. This fine will not be registered.
Should this reservation be sent to the vehicle driver or you would prefer the proper criminal procedure (I am already a criminal?), please return the formula duly filled out on the back of this letter. etc. etc.”

The pink slip at the end of the letter is a ready made payment slip for transfer of the money to the police. In other words I got a speeding fine for being 3 kilometers too fast. Although the letter was addressed to my husband, it seems this is because the car is registered in his name. Perhaps according to the law he should pay but I decided not to pursue this matter. I never really wanted this S90 Volvo. I had such a sweet little fiat and I am sure I that car would never have exceeded the speed limit. When hubby got the senior citizen status we only needed one car, so mine was sold and we kept the Volvo. The problem with a Volvo automatic is that it almost drives itself, just put the foot down and it goes. They are so well made you just don’t notice that they are going fast. Smooth and noiseless – the only problem is the size, but finding two parking spaces empty next to each other is no problem in the park house and at work I always take the space where I can drive straight ahead with no complicated manoevers. Unforunately you have to put the foot on the break youself and look at the speedometer now and again. What annoys me is that where we live we have a 30 Kilometer per hour limit and no-one really keeps to it. When I think of those poor cats that have to risk their lives crossing over the local road. You never see a police control in that area. Come to think of it you never do see them. They must have been hiding behind a tree when I passed and waiting for me. I didn’t get a photo, just a letter. Mr. Swiss says be glad as they are very expensive photos. Apparently I got the cheapest fine possible.I told him it was the car’s fault, but he didn’t really agree.