Pope Runs Afoul of German Law but Divine Intervention...
Dec 3rd, 2011, 08:19 AM
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Pope Runs Afoul of German Law but Divine Intervention...
is obviously what got him off - an average citizen would have been squashed by the city I fear---
http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...iDO_story.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...iDO_story.html
Dec 4th, 2011, 04:11 AM
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Attempts to arrest foreign heads of state (or even ex-heads of state) are, of course, always just hot air.
But they're almost always a good indicator of popular feeling. English-speakers, by and large, don't take petty traffic infringements seriously: in Germany it's not rare to be accused of baby-murdering if you jaywalk (the argument being that you're encouraging children to behave irresponsibly, and sooner or later one of them's going to get killed)
On this occasion, I'm with the self-appointed prosecutors. The law in Germany is about buckling up, and that applies to a Pope (who, however many dozen square feet of sovereign territory he's absolute monarch of, is still German) just as much as to a Turkish guest working street sweeper.
It's appalling manners for any visitor in the public eye to break a local law, however trivial. If Obama did the same thing, the US loonies would be demanding his impeachment.
Bennie really ought to know better - and this trivial bit of thoughtlessness just draws attention to the Church's alleged contempt for local law in really serious circumstances.
But they're almost always a good indicator of popular feeling. English-speakers, by and large, don't take petty traffic infringements seriously: in Germany it's not rare to be accused of baby-murdering if you jaywalk (the argument being that you're encouraging children to behave irresponsibly, and sooner or later one of them's going to get killed)
On this occasion, I'm with the self-appointed prosecutors. The law in Germany is about buckling up, and that applies to a Pope (who, however many dozen square feet of sovereign territory he's absolute monarch of, is still German) just as much as to a Turkish guest working street sweeper.
It's appalling manners for any visitor in the public eye to break a local law, however trivial. If Obama did the same thing, the US loonies would be demanding his impeachment.
Bennie really ought to know better - and this trivial bit of thoughtlessness just draws attention to the Church's alleged contempt for local law in really serious circumstances.
Dec 4th, 2011, 06:50 AM
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Executive Summary: Rubbish.
In detail:
German traffic laws only apply to public roads and streets.
As you can drive without wearing a seat belt on your own private property, the traffic code also did not apply on that bit of street that got fenced off for the Pope's parade, and thus was not a public road anymore/ temporarily. Same as with any kind of parade where people stand on floats while those move, or similar.
Furthermore, the pope's defense would probably argue that the Papamobile is a vehicle not equipped with seat belts (or would it be "standing belts"?). Therefore, under German law, the pope would not have to buckle up - as there is nothing to buckle up with. This exception of the law usually applies to, but is not limited to, historic cars, which do not need to be "upgraded" with seat belts.
So the old man in the funny costume did a lot those days in Germany worth questioning i.e. talk the usualy nonsense about STDs, people's sex lives, etc. which interest maybe still 5-10 pct of the German population -- but his compliance with the German traffic laws had been impeccable.
In detail:
German traffic laws only apply to public roads and streets.
As you can drive without wearing a seat belt on your own private property, the traffic code also did not apply on that bit of street that got fenced off for the Pope's parade, and thus was not a public road anymore/ temporarily. Same as with any kind of parade where people stand on floats while those move, or similar.
Furthermore, the pope's defense would probably argue that the Papamobile is a vehicle not equipped with seat belts (or would it be "standing belts"?). Therefore, under German law, the pope would not have to buckle up - as there is nothing to buckle up with. This exception of the law usually applies to, but is not limited to, historic cars, which do not need to be "upgraded" with seat belts.
So the old man in the funny costume did a lot those days in Germany worth questioning i.e. talk the usualy nonsense about STDs, people's sex lives, etc. which interest maybe still 5-10 pct of the German population -- but his compliance with the German traffic laws had been impeccable.
