As shown in the picture, all four drivers are holding up their cell phones and letting traffic police answer calls—a very common practice in China. （I am Chinese）
These traffic violators often know local officials, and if the police don’t exempt them from punishment, their career advancement as traffic police officers is essentially over.
I plan to live in Germany for one to two years in the future. I know Germany is a democratic country governed by the rule of law, but I’m concerned about whether it can truly achieve independent law enforcement in matters as minor as these.
For example, in Germany, if my parents or acquaintances are local officials or the head of the transportation department, are there similar ways to avoid punishment?
ps：The Chinese meaning in the picture：Without extraordinary means, how could one amass great wealth?”
https://i.redd.it/tc6wrfq5uvgg1.jpeg
Posted by Rude-Ad2101
37 Comments
NO
No
This would not work. The opposite would be true.
No. Most of the time it would even get you in more trouble.
In a small town wher everyone knows everyone, maybe. Big cities not really
No.
Don‘t violate laws, don’t get punished. It‘s as easy as that.
Be a politician then everything goes with vitamin c you won’t get far.
Yes. As a family memeber of policemen there is a chance you don’t get a ticket for minor charges like speeding or something. At least if you live in a small town where pretty much everybody knows everybody
No.
Not yet.
No, trying that will probably get you into more trouble.
Not in this way, no. If you happen to be an acquaintance of the officer stopping you, then yeah, there’s a chance they let you go with a warning. But if you try to extort them, you will find out that they will just slap you with addtional charges.
I‘d say: never in a city, but out in the country, where everybody knows everybody, it is a different story.
Couple of years ago, a state minister had to apologize in state parliament because he got caught driving 120 km/h instead of 80 km/h (he was driving as a private person). I think this is absolutely right.
With a random police officer? Absolutely not.
If you happen to run into your police officer best friend for a very minor offense? Maybe
Only diplomats. But their embassy will still get notified.
Worst case is that they have to leave the country.
If you personally know the officer and it’s just some small Ordnungswidrigkeit, yeah sure. In any other scenario no
My dad was a driving instructor and expert for traffic law on the local court.
The stories he told me about corruption inside the police, TÜV, courts were brutal, so yes.
Edit: Here is one of the most severe story I can remember: On Carnival, the highest ranked police officer from our county district was stopped on a DUI checkpoint because he was driving his personal car. The both police officers immediately recognized the strong smell of alcohol and told him to get out of the car. He was so drunk, he crawled out of his car on all four like a toddler. They brought him to the local hospital for a blood alcohol level check. That was the only time in history where a blood sample got lost in that hospital. The both police officers got shifted to some absolutely shitty locations.
And regards alcohol. A handful of people in our city were allowed to drive under influence and were never stopped by police. One was the most famous doctor we’ve ever had in town, the second guy was the husband of the chief of the local Landratsamt and the other ones were local politicians.
A lot of people here dont know any corruption because most of it happens on the local and cantonal level, and most german redditors live in larger cities.
Especially in rural areas / the amigo state of Bavaria, it does happen that things like parking infractions of certain people won’t be followed up upon.
For bigger things cum-ex, the connection of the former chancellor Scholz with Warburg bank was highly questionable at the very least.
But all on all, it’s certainly still not as bad.
Absolutely not.
As you said, Germany is a democratic country, that is an essential part of democracy.
As it says in the Grundgestz (Basically the German Constitution):
GG Art. 3 Abs. 1: “Alle Menschen sind vor dem Gesetz gleich.”
Engl. “All persons shall be equal before the law.”
[https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/BJNR000010949.html](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/BJNR000010949.html)
[https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/englisch_gg.html#p0027](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/englisch_gg.html#p0027)
And Corruption in that area is very very uncommon.
Probably because it is a very minor thing, and traffic penalties are very very low, (in my opinion much too low)
To me it feels insane that people are actually concerned about this, and that in many areas of the world, and for a huge minority of world population, everyday corruption is just an everyday thing. And I am very thankfull, that I can live in a democratic country.
This kind of corruption doesn‘t exist in Germany. If you‘d try you will most likely get into more trouble.
Please don’t try doing this lol
We just made the fines so small that anyone with the power to pull shit like this doesn’t give a fuck about them
In my experience anybody with the smallest amount of authority over you (immigration office, driving license office, police, doctors secretary, teachers, you name it) will take any chance they get to exercise their authority to the fullest. You’ll get nowhere trying this. Unless it is your uncle in law from down the road
No. Calling someone who “has the power to get you out of this situation” won’t work in Germany. It will do the polar opposite. This is an attempt of corruption and will usually result in heavy fines on top of the fine for your traffic violation.
If you directly know the specific police officer, it might help you, sure. But the odds are incredibly low to meet an officer that you know. Unless you are a police officer yourself.
Being a popular politician yourself might help too, but it has to be on a level so that everybody knows you, like being the major or something like that. Being just a relative of a politician usually won’t help you at all.
Unless you are not a friend of related to the officer the chances are 0%. Even If you know the officer or are related it might be a relatively low chance which might also depend on the 2nd officer.
And of course depending on the offense.
Nobody is above the laws. That’s why they are there.
Everyone is gonna tell you no.
But you don’t even need connections, you can pay someone else to admit and get the fine (& the license points) instead of you.
Assuming you weren’t stopped on the road, but rather got a fine sent to your address asking whether or not it was you driving the car.
Just don’t commit any crimes and everything will be fine. If you’re planning something like that, don’t come to my country.
Police in Germany has a certain leeway with minor traffic offences, like only giving you a verbal warning instead of fining you. So what could happen if you’re stopped by your best bud is that you’re more likely to get a verbal warning if your infraction wasn’t that serious. If your infraction was serious enough though, that wouldn’t help you.
Something like “I know your superiors best friends cousin” won’t help you though. No police officer will risk his career over saving you a few bucks.
Also helps to keep in mind that in Germany police usually patrols as a pair, not one officer alone. That makes most sorts of corruption usually harder. Or more expensive, however you wanna see it…
No. Better don’t try. The most likely outcome is that you and that official will find themselves with an indictment for attempted bribery or witness tampering.
The only way you might get out of a ticket might be a small town and you personally know the officer that stopped you.
Elected officials in Germany have essentially zero influence on the police. They make laws that the police follows. But name dropping or similar will turn you €60 fine in a criminal matter. Don’t.
If you are planning to move to Germany, is this really your first priority? Your question is valid but it wouldn’t be my first priority.
Are you from India?
As a German, it’s crazy to me how many people say this doesn’t happen in Germany. It might not be as rampant as China (though it honestly also might) but it definitely does happen. The way it’s done here is more low-key and also it’s legal. You just pay a lawyer that’s friends with the judge or state attorney and you never get charged with anything.
German corruption is on a whole different league, these small fines are “not worth it” (let’s put it that way).
You shouldn’t be concerned about others breaking the law to your detriment or progress, instead, you should be (very) concerned about your lack of connections if you come to Germany without knowing anyone… THAT’S what could make your life significantly harder (search about “Vitamin B” on the web to know what I mean).
Low social mobility is a big issue in Germany, specially for immigrants, the sooner you realize it after arriving and make something about it the better.
unless you live in the countryside, are police yourself or a diplomat the answer is probably not.
i used to live in a small city (35-70k people) and i had law classes from a local attorney and every time i got in trouble for traffic violations i “hired” him (we had legal protection) and every time he got on the case they eventually dropped all charges after a couple of months of him doing….whatever it was he was doing. that was the closest that i ever came to feeling this powerful. he once delayed a case for more than 2 years until the police couldnt even remember themselves when it came to the main trial so the judge just had to let me go. (it was nothing serious but im also not very proud of that either).
now i live in berlin and am happy to take the öffis everywhere i need to go. 🙂
Nope.
Even powerful politicians get fined over here. This kind of corruption at least doesn’t fly in Germany.