Which can happen (and happened to us roughly 25 years ago, "only" 40 over...), when at the end of the houses everything looked like open road again, but the "end of town" sign came after 2 more curves... accelerated and got caught... They frightened us with taking our licenses, not allowing us to go further. At the end, they just wanted money (and were prepared to take ANY currency, as long as we pay them right there...). It was a large group of policeman, the laser-camera guy stood hidden behind a bill-board and the rest 2 curves further on behind a hotel on their parking lot. They pulled over bikers and cars almost every second minute. good income...
Ever since, I try to avoid Austria as much as I can. Roads are nice, people and food, too, but you either pay the maut or you pay the ticket - they robb you one or the other way...
To be fair Lothar, there are road signs all over the place, especially so in heavily-enforced Austria and Switzerland. Sure, if you're completely focused on hooning, all too easy to miss. But, what more can one say... own bloody fault, isn't it? Pretty sure you and your group weren't the only ones nicked that day. The cops have to listen to all manner of stupid excuses all day long, no wonder they get fed up and fall into scary tactics. I guess
you learnt your lesson though.
All too easy to go around moaning "fuckin' cops..." It's not all just about generating revenue, the law enforcement bodies know very well where to position themselves to make the most of their driving behaviour "lessons", be it for revenue generating or "education", the taxpayer is fronting up for them to do it in the first place. The police forces are usually commissioned by local governing bodies to enforce traffic laws at focal points, they rarely do it of own accord (at least in civilised, democratic states where the police is but an executing body, not the legislating). Might be a good idea to risk a peek into the regional newspapers, probably dozens of items to be found covering fatal or near-fatal accidents in the area. If you would be living there, you'd want the authorities to do something about it too.
Speed traps are simply a thing we'll have to put up with until each and every one of us complies with local road laws, if we like it or not. We cannot expect the authorities to protect us from larceny, homocide, terrorist attacks etc while we spread carnage over the public highways. Just because we get our kicks from hooning to our delight doesn't mean we're exempt from the laws that the majority of us has consented to. Not every speeder turns out a murderer, but is definitely a potential one.
I'm no exception!
The situation in Austria is rather special. As I understand it, Austrians are fed up with their roads being mis-used as a transit race track by vacationers (especially bikers) on their way to Italy and back home. To avoid highway tolls, A- and B-roads are overloaded and often jammed during the tourist season, causing all sorts of chaos in tiny and already cramped villages. Not only is the onslaught of traffic a problem, the accompanying noise becomes more than a little annoying.
Again, I'm no exception!
piets' 2 cents worth
