It's American to not pay fines, I guess

[AzNMpower32]

Looks like non-payment of tickets and congestion charges is A-okay by American standards:

Obama's 'beast' slapped with fine - Yahoo! Cars

American President Barack Obama has been slapped with a £120 London Congestion Charge fine.

The ticket relates to the President's state visit to Britain in May, when his motorcade - including 'The Beast' - drove through central London's Congestion Charge zone.

There was no special exemption for Obama from the £10 C-Charge, with London Mayor Boris Johnson insisting the President pay up like everyone else. But he didn't, and so has been hit with a £120 penalty.



Mayor Johnson actually wanted a payment from every car in the Presidential Cavalcade, including The Beast, but because the cars in the fleet were driving so close together, only one number plate was photographed, meaning just one fine was generated.

However, it's unlikely that Boris will get his £120 from the President, with the United States pulling out a textbook excuse for not paying up: diplomatic exemption. The US Embassy claims that diplomatic rules mean it doesn't have to pay.

America isn't the only country charged with not paying its bills, with London owed more than £50m in C-Charge and parking fines from foreign embassies. America owes most, with £5m, followed closely by Russia's £4.4m bill.

I wonder what the VA DMV would say if I racked up 5mil quid in parking tickets.