Editor’s note: This article was first published in December 2013. It is based on news stories from that month, including a driver fined in Gran Canaria for talking to his passenger and a back-seat passenger fined for not sitting properly. Its remark about electricity prices refers to that time.
A few days ago we heard the news that a driver had been fined for talking to his front-seat passenger, or because his passenger was talking to him (whatever). Some of us are already picturing our future road trips, driving from Granada to Bilbao quieter than the deceased at a wake. And it didn’t stop there, because we then heard about a passenger who was fined for not sitting properly in the back seat of his car.
Apparently the traffic code says we must keep our backs completely against the seat, and lifting them away from it is expressly forbidden. According to the passenger, the Guardia Civil (Spain’s Civil Guard, which patrols the highways) pulled them over onto the hard shoulder and, after checking that the paperwork was in order, that they were within the speed limit and so on, decided to fine the passenger sitting in the back. Ironically, that passenger says that after more than 40 years with a driving licence, he got his first fine on the road at the age of 58, and, to top it all, he wasn’t even driving.
Having confirmed that the government is not really robbing its own citizens (although it sometimes looks that way) with these fines, which, even if they don’t have a blatant revenue-raising aim, might give that impression, several entrepreneurs are already working on a device that will, in time, be highly recommended in Spain.
Of course, these entrepreneurs still have a lot of problems to solve, because, as one of them says, Spain is very complicated in this respect: “It’s not that they can fine you for anything, but legally nothing is allowed, although our leaders do us the favour of giving us a bit of a break now and then.” Legally, you can be fined for running on the pavement, and that’s no joke.
What is the Inmosilent?
As its name suggests, this invention is ideal for immobilising and silencing your fellow passengers, and so avoiding fines.
The invention is still in the testing phase, using some ropes and a gag, but it’s already producing good results, although passengers tend to complain that it’s very uncomfortable. To which we reply that being cold at home is uncomfortable too, but with electricity prices the way they are, who can afford to turn the heating on?
We foresee a major drop in fines thanks to the Inmosilent.
Is it suitable for children under 9?
Bear in mind that children distract the driver, so even if they’re in an approved car seat, we will need to gag them too, as they could be fined for distracting the driver, and since they’re minors, their parents would have to pay. So yes, it’s advisable.
Featured image: Jerónimo Roure Pérez, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
