A Dutch woman named Floortje thought having her wisdom teeth extracted would be the most painful part of her day, but she was wrong. Driving home from the dental appointment holding an ice pack to her face wound up costing her $500. It turns out that an overly zealous traffic camera mistook the ice pack for a smartphone. Ironically, she had spotted a police car while driving home and thought, “I hope they don’t think I’m on the phone with that ice pack against my cheek.” While the police didn’t spot anything suspicious, the traffic camera did. A letter from the Dutch Central Fine Agency announced that she was holding a mobile device while operating a motor vehicle and assessed her fine at €439 ($500). Floortje, who hardly ever makes phone calls in the car, was confused at first. Then she remembered having her wisdom teeth pulled and the ice pack she used to keep the swelling down. Hopefully, the Dutch authorities will acknowledge that an error was made and remove the charge. Floortje plans to challenge the ticket, and she believes she can win.
