> A man in Georgia took his Porche to a dealer for service and then left on a business trip to North Carolina. After he got home, he got a ticket in the mail for running a red light. The picture clearly showed his car with his license plate on it. So he took documentation from his office that clearly showed that he was out of the state, and the bill from the dealer showing that his car was in their shop while he was traveling, so he could convince the court that he didn't run the red light. The police said that he had to provide the name and address of the person who was driving his car, or pay the ticket. But no one at the dealer could (or would) provide that information.
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> What do you think the outcome of this should be?

From the police point of view, to my mind it's simple. The man was able to provide clear documentation that he was not in the state, and that he had left his car with the dealership and not authorized its being driven in his absence. There's no reason to imagine that he returned to the state just so he could go out for a quick risk-free joyride in his car, nor that he gave permission for *anyone* to drive the car. So the fine should be dropped.

From the point of view of the dealership, it's a little stickier. The simplest explanation by far is that someone working for the dealership did a Ferris Bueller in the pretty Porsche. This is a pretty dramatic breach of trust, and I would think it's huge PR trouble for a dealer, especially one that works with high-end sports cars. If they're going to admit that it was probably one of their employees, what they have to say is, "We were guilty of a huge breach of trust, we're profoundly sorry, and here's what we'll do to keep that from happening ever again." If they know, or can easily find out, who was driving the car, then firing that person might be all that's needed. If they can't identify the driver, maybe adjusting their security procedures would do it. (From a PR perspective, it doesn't even have to be a hugely effective change: it just has to look like it.) But in any case, I think they're better off admitting probable guilt and grovelling in the best American tradition, including throwing handfuls of money at the car's owner.

From the man's point of view, I imagine a lawsuit would have a pretty good chance of success (assuming his documentation is solid.) But if it were me, I'd calculate the time and risk involved, decide it wasn't worth it, pay the stupid fine, and broadcast my story all over the place, including the name of the dealership. Or, if I wanted to be a little more aggressive, maybe enlist a lawyer and try to get a settlement with the dealership, where they cover all my costs without admitting guilt. And in either case, never ever take my car to them again.