Vincent Oberle’s blog
Estonia and law enforcement
In Estonia you can drive like an idiot in the city and put lives of children and woman in danger and you will never get fined. But park one time wrong and you will get immediately a parking ticket…
In Estonia the parking enforcement is sub-contracted to the all-powerful security company Falck. Falck security agents are present everywhere here, they feel like a second police (you see them more than the police in fact).
So parking enforcement is very efficient. Take the central market. Parking is just stupidly organized there, with half of the places that are free and the other half where you have to pay. Today we went there to grab some fruits, didn’t stay more than 5 minutes and got a ticket. Another example, my precedent apartment was in a zone of paying parking, but since I live there I had an authorization to park. One day my authorization was not visible in the car and I got a ticket. I went to the Falck office and explained the situation, but they didn’t want to hear anything, while I was perfectly honest.
Now anybody visiting Tallinn will tell you that people drive like idiots here. On Narva mnt. for example, they are speeding races in the evening. But there you never see the police. Estonian politicians should go to the end of their logic and give this also to Falck. Law would be applied by a company looking like a para-military organization, but for sure it would be more efficient.
August 2nd, 2006 19:25
Vincent, are you becoming an anarcap
?
If you want to know more about the private production of security read this:
http://www.quebecoislibre.org/020706-11.htm
It is quite interesting
August 11th, 2006 02:24
I have to say, it has become much better since the late 1990’s. Last time I was stopped by the police was for an “illegal left hand turn.” The intersection was not marked as such, there was no traffic and no pedestrians. However, I was let go with just a warning. I find the border patrol that routinely stop cars near the Russian border quite friendly.
August 11th, 2006 08:54
congratulations !
August 11th, 2006 16:02
Don’t worry Vincent, you can get ticket not only near supermarket, but near hospital too (like i’ve got it on Monday when i was there to check by foot). This is so stupid!!! :O
August 19th, 2006 11:11
Had same experince when parking in Tallinn.
Falck agents incentive may be based upon the
fines they give.