Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I can't get away by saying "that journey didn't have a value of £2 to me, so I'm not going to pay an £80 fine"  . |
True. You'll probably be taken in as a smart aleck.
But what if you just politely say you don't have the money? Maybe that won't work where you live, but it probably will here, especially if the amount is much more than that.
This is a FOAF story, but I heard that criminal fines in New York City are rarely paid. Prosecutors supposedly tell each other that it doesn't matter, because "they all end up on the
island."
In as much as the fine is so high it can't be easily collected, I think it promotes disrespect for the law and indeed makes people more likely to wind up on Rikers Island.
I'd find it humiliating to be fined even $5.00 for cheating an author. It would also be humiliating if my family's internet connection was slowed down for a week because I cheated an author. That would deter me. Maybe most people wouldn't be deterred by it. But if something could reduce the problem by, say, one third, that would be big achievement.