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MOSCOW, Mar 8, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- On International Women's Day some Russian traffic police will give female traffic violators flowers instead of a fine.
"Traffic policemen will not darken the holiday for 'driverettes,' " said a senior police official, referring to the March 8 holiday which is traditionally Russia's second biggest holiday after New Year's.
Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Chekalin told a news conference that "representatives of the fair sex" would not be punished for minor traffic violations on Wednesday, The Moscow Times reported.
Traffic police in some regions of Russia already have a tradition of letting women drivers get away with infractions on the holiday, Chekalin said.
"In some places they congratulate the women drivers, and in other places they even give them small presents such as festive postcards with the traffic police insignia or small bouquets of flowers," he said.
In the cities of Nizhny Novgorod and Krasnodar traffic police plan to present women they pull over with flowers rather than traffic tickets, RIA-Novosti and Interfax reported.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
