FINE FOR FARTING IN AUSTRIA

A man in Vienna who was fined 500 euros ($595) for breaking wind loudly in front of police appealed his fine and had it reduced 80% to 100 euros ($119). The unidentified culprit was charged with farting provocatively at police on June 5, 2020. The man successfully challenged the hefty fine by arguing his flatulence was a “biological process.” He also claimed that breaking wind should be seen as a right under freedom of expression. The judge decided that the eruption was a “form of expression that transcends the boundaries of decency,” and concluded the man only had “average” culpability for the act, but as it was his first offense, reduced the fine.
* The fine dissipated, but there was still a lingering amount left.
* As the Austrians say, “Mach schmell!”
* It helped that the judge hearing the case was Gunter “Stinky Lederhosen” Schmidt.
* Considering this is the country that produced Hitler, things could have gone so much worse.