Australia, freshly infested with high-definition traffic cameras, is issuing substantial fines to drivers filmed using phones—or holding anything that looks like one, such as a sunglasses case. A woman in Syndey was upset to learn that proving she owns a case consistent with the image is immaterial to the enforcing agency—whose name, "Revenue", seems to offer a clue about the priorities at hand.
"Why bother having a review process if they're not going to do anything about it?" she said. "It's just really disappointing, they say you can apply for a review then do nothing. It's a big sum of money coming at a time when everyone's struggling financially." …
"There's been plenty of people I know who were mistaken for holding other objects such as wallets, cigarette cases and other objects that were not mobile phones and sadly got punished for holding a mobile phone whilst driving," [Sydney motorist Andy Man] said.
In May a Sydney driver was wrongly fined $387 and 10 demerit points for handling his wallet while behind the wheel, while another driver last year was fined $362 for holding a children's toy.
What part of $387 do you not get? Every part of it!
ENHANCE.
