Boris fines Obama for not paying congestion charge
Barack Obama's presidential motorcade has been fined for not paying the congestion charge in London.
And you can't say that the US president was not warned.
London Mayor Boris Johnson button-holed him at a State banquet in May to raise the issue of US diplomats in London not paying the congestion-busting levy. They have run up a bill of more than £5 million since 2003.
At the time, the Mayor of London also publicly made clear that he wanted the £10 congestion charge paid for Mr Obama's security vehicle "The Beast" and other cars in the president's motorcade.
But the US authorities defied the request and have now been hit with a £120 fine.
"The Beast" escaped a congestion charge ticket as it was travelling so slowly and closely to other vehicles in the presidential motorcade that its details could not be recorded by the street cameras.
Only one vehicle is understood to have been issued with a congestion charge notice.
A Transport for London spokesman said: “TfL pursues penalties from foreign registered vehicles that have not paid the charge.
“No Congestion Charge payments were made for the vehicles in the Presidential motorcade. TfL has issued Penalty Charge Notices to the registered keepers where it was able to do so.”
But the American Embassy defended the refusal by US diplomats to pay the C-charge insisting it was "wholly in accordance" with the 1960 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which a spokesman said "prohibits the imposition of this sort of tax on diplomatic missions".
Nicholas Cecil
But the American Embassy defended the refusal by US diplomats to pay the C-charge insisting it was "wholly in accordance" with the 1960 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which a spokesman said "prohibits the imposition of this sort of tax on diplomatic missions".
notify WH Press Obama not allowed into London w/o first paying his fine.
Now w/late charges. Court costs and interest.
Posted by: grace GSNP | 07/19/2011 at 07:43 PM
Come arrest our Chicago thug-of-a-prez and shove his b u t t in your jail and keep him there - we don't want him.
Posted by: HansJurgen | 07/19/2011 at 07:54 PM
Come arrest our Chicago thug-of-a-prez and shove his b u t t in your jail and keep him there - we don't want him.
Posted by: HansJurgen | 07/19/2011 at 07:54 PM
Dangerous game considering all of the tickets run up at the UN, etc. over here in the states. Understand the principle of asking but lets not get carried away.
Posted by: winston | 07/19/2011 at 07:57 PM
Come on folks! This is King Barry Barack Hussein Obama you are imposing fines upon. Do you fine Queen Elizabeth II for anything? King Barry puts himself above all mortal people, be they common or royal. He also puts himself above any laws be they US or UK or anywhere else. Now you have done it. You are going to be blamed by his puppets and minions in the US government as being "racists." First he's African-American. Well, Kenyan and claims to be American. That will be one racists charge. Second he's Muslim. Well, he doesn't go to a mosque but then he doesn't go to a church either, unless it would be a political advantage to have his picture taken doing so. He did go to church prior to becoming President but that was the Reverend Wright Church of I hate everything White and American but you can see that it was not to his advantage to let that be known. So now you are racists in to different ways: making a poor half black muslim wannabe to pay a fine for violating one of your laws. Good luck collecting!
Posted by: kimdi01 | 07/19/2011 at 07:57 PM
yeahhhhhh London!!!!! :)
america is sick of this arrogant asshat
Posted by: tracy | 07/19/2011 at 07:58 PM
Yes, please arrest this Scofflaw-Thug President. His address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C., USA.
And to remind you, according to the 1960's Urban Black Panther Code and Conventions, there are no give-backs once an arrest is made.
Posted by: Chicagoman | 07/19/2011 at 08:14 PM
London, Now you've gone and done it! Obama is going to be very angry with your country now...Don't tempt him, he may decide that you are now Americas enemy along with the other 90% of the world.
Posted by: Karen | 07/19/2011 at 08:15 PM
London, Now you've gone and done it! Obama is going to be very angry with your country now...Don't tempt him, he may decide that you are now Americas enemy along with the other 90% of the world.
Posted by: Karen | 07/19/2011 at 08:15 PM
Next time he's in merry ole London, put the Denver boot on his car.
Posted by: Bob G | 07/19/2011 at 08:18 PM
If you would just hold him in jail until after November 6th of 2012, we would appreciate it very much here in The States. Thank you.
Posted by: Kent | 07/19/2011 at 08:19 PM
Well, since Obama wasn't actually driving or even OWN the car he was in, they can't actually fine him. Nice job by the d-bag writer of this article to try yet again to grab attention by mincing words and twisting the truth just to gain a few more views online.
Posted by: Rhyno | 07/19/2011 at 08:20 PM
Silliness by a small politician, both in standing and action.
I suppose the British diplomats will now set a good example and pay all those overdue fines from DC and New York City (United Nations)?
Posted by: pnkearns | 07/19/2011 at 08:28 PM
Boris is totally fine with Indian Diplomats beating their wives. And Kent, he would still be President for two months if he wasn't re-elected, which he surely will be, on 11/6/2012. Tea baggers are nothing but racists in pigs clothing.
Posted by: Adam | 07/19/2011 at 08:32 PM
We'll repay that as soon as you repay the 4.4 billion we gave you after the World Wars. Not to mention, saving your country from extinction...twice.
Posted by: Andrew | 07/19/2011 at 08:35 PM
We'll repay that as soon as you repay the 4.4 billion we gave you after the World Wars. Not to mention, saving your country from extinction...twice.
Posted by: Andrew | 07/19/2011 at 08:35 PM
How dare you fine our Dear Leader? You should be paying him for the privilege of his visit.
Posted by: wes | 07/19/2011 at 08:36 PM
Yes please come and arrest our Chicago Thug President and throw him in one of your castles deepest dungeons and throw away the key...
We don't want him...
Posted by: GalfromChicago | 07/19/2011 at 08:40 PM
Please have him pay the fine in person--keep him, and his little teleprompter too.
Posted by: ANon | 07/19/2011 at 08:43 PM
I can't believe the number of morans that have no patriotic pride. For god sake, do you have any idea how much her majesty royal diplomats get away with here in the US?
Posted by: CommonSense | 07/19/2011 at 08:54 PM
Problem is, we American taxpayers will be footing this bill as we do everything this simeon does.
Posted by: BadGolf | 07/19/2011 at 08:57 PM
Dear England,
On behalf of the United States of America, I would like to sincerely apologize for the continued slights, insults and blatant disregard our President has continuously demonstrated toward You, America's greatest friend and ally.
Heck, our Commander in Chief has apologized to everyone else, someone needs to address the UK...
As an American, I'm truly sorry and embarrassed. Help is on the way! 2012 is right around the corner!!
PS - I'm pretty sure the next First Lady will know better than to touch the Queen........
Posted by: Josh | 07/19/2011 at 09:01 PM
londonistan. The true birthplace of communism and most other "isms"
Posted by: jewbag | 07/19/2011 at 09:02 PM
londonistan. The true birthplace of communism and most other "isms"
Posted by: jewbag | 07/19/2011 at 09:02 PM
@CommonSense
We have plenty of patriotic pride, just not in this pResident that currently resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. He by no means has made this Great Country what she is today. The only thing he gets credit for is trying to bring her down with his every action.
Who cares about how much her Majesty Royal Diplomats get away with? By the same token how much do our diplomats get away with in England?
So lighten up...
I'm sure that if this was about a Republican President you would be poking fun at that person.
Posted by: GalfromChicago | 07/19/2011 at 09:09 PM