The bursting of the tech bubble has been felt in many corners of the globe, but has it ever been an issue in traffic court? Today it was-in Helsinki, Finland-where Mr. Ansii Vanjoki appealed a fine that he received for speeding in October. Vanjoki, a well-known Harley-Davidson fan, was caught on his bike doing 47 mph in a 31-mph zone. What does the tech bubble have to do with this? In Finland, speeding fines are calculated according to income. And Vanjoki, who is an executive vice president of the telecom giant, Nokia, is near the top of the income pyramid. But he argued in court today that incomes at Nokia aren't necessarily what they used to be. He claims that his fine was based on his income in 1999 when the bubble was at its height, and he cashed in on stock options for Nokia shares that were selling at about $50 a share. Today the stock closed at $21.46 a share, down 5%. Why all the fuss? If Vanjoki doesn't get his fine reduced, he'll have to pay $103,000. That's not a typo. That's his fine: $103,000.
I love it.
"Those who would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither." -- Benjamin Franklin
