The ways people "invent" to get your hard earned money never ceases to amaze me. There seem to be no limits or boundaries. Here's an example which makes my blood boil.
Gary Feldman was riding his scooter in Chicago Heights when he was hit from behind by a car. A witness saw what had happened and did the right thing, he called 911. The Fire Department arrived, as they should. Sometime after, Gary Feldman received a bill for US$200, while the person who hit him from behind (the one at fault) received a bill for US$100.
This is the so-called "Crash Tax", a tax that emergency service operators are applying in 41 states in the USA. In Chicago Height's state, Illinois, emergency service operators can bill up to US$250 per hour for their "services". And you must pay, if not, the bill goes to a collection agency.
But wait a minute... their services are paid for by taxes! So you end up paying twice for their services. It means that if you have an accident, even if it's not your fault, you still end up paying the bill. $250 per hour.... that's more than what most people earn, and they don't get a salary thrown on top.
Sounds to me like some money is going places where they shouldn't, like the pockets of some politicians or other elected officials. So why pay local taxes? And since you're now going to pay for the "service", it also means that you can expect more, and be more demanding, after all, you're paying extra for the service. It's like tipping... you should only do it when the service is better than normal.
I wonder if some smart lawyer can get onto the case. In the above case, Feldman never called 911, so he never "ordered" the emergency service. So how can you bill someone who has ordered something?
Via: Autoblog
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