Caught speeding in Dunkerque, license taken away....

[carinaman]

What's the take off velocity for a DC2?

[BigMacDaddy]

What do you mean; African or European?

[elanfan]

Been a customer of the same bank for over 45 years and they still wouldn't allow me to take out 750€ in one go.

[cashmax]

When I had a similar incident, mine came back in the post after a month.

[DaveH23]

So they took your licence and you paid cash?

Does anybidy think these chaps that took said money will have a hell of a weekend?

[cashmax]

They ONLY take cash.

[DaveH23]

cashmax said:

They ONLY take cash.

What hapopens if you don't have any and no means of withdrawing any?

[toxgobbler]

Stickyfinger said:

dannyDC2 said:

That is the car park where they pulled me over. As you can see there aren't any signs warning me of my speed prior to that.

90mph isn't "allowed" anywhere but the autobahn, but every now and then you've got to push on.

think about what you just said.....have a hot chocolate and then go out and get the form/phot's from the post office.

But France is easy for speed limits, they've got 3 (unless raining)! There's signs like these when you get off tunnel & ferries, an industrial area is still within city limits so 50 unless otherwise signed:

[MOTK]

From a car hire site written in 2013, I believe this still applies now.
"Pleading that you have no cash won’t work for you will be driven to a cashpoint machine to withdraw the funds and if you still cannot pay, you’ll have to go before a judge and spend three days in custody whilst your car will also be impounded until the fine is paid."
No help to the OP but a good story none the less 5 or so years ago I was caught doing a relatively similar excess of speed in a 70kph zone, totally empty dual carriage way through the Pyrenees about 11 am on the road to Barcelona and I see some people in the road, get closer to suddenly realise, oh st... made an effort to stop in time but there was no chance. I indicate to them that I'm going to pull over as I pass, they don't seem to believe me. Cue rear view mirror of said gendarmes running to their motorbikes, moment of madness I think it's a great idea to carry on, a suitable turn off handily presents itself immediately and I hide up in the hills. 4hrs later of bricking myself I eventually crept into nearby spain. Never heard anymore about it.

[matchmaker]

Breadvan72 said:

anothernameitist said:

Report your license as lost ...

...

I give up, I really do.

You're peeing against the wind, BV!

[bitchstewie]

Kind of by the by but I thought you could only withdraw £200 from a UK cash machine, but you can get £750 out of a foreign one?

[cmaguire]

Dog Star said:

147 in a 50 - good effort!

No use moaning about it - it's the law.

I got done in 2005 for 188 in a 130 (which was rounded down to 171 (they have to do that)) for which I got a 135 euro fine and a two month French ban. Ban is for over 170 - so one km less and I'd have just had the fine.

I never ever got my license sent back, but just got a new one in the UK. One thing I did do was to wait til the day after the French ban expired so that I could in all truth not tick the box on the D1 form that says "are you CURRENTLY banned in another European country" - the word "currently" being key.

I also got a letter asking me for 135 euro which was actually for the original amount, nothing to do with a "deposit", which I'd already paid. I filed in the bin. No problems since.

I now make sure that I never go more than 30kmh over the limit on the autoroutes.

Pretty much my thoughts, the road looks like a 60mph road so 90 would be a bit naughty but not much else.
I drive to S.W. France several times a year and take the 90 Euro fines when they happen as an occupational hazard, as the reality is (much like here) all my 'speeding' is outside of urban areas so is fundamentally harmless contrary to current propaganda. I actually find the fact I even have to be concerned about it on any level somewhat irritating. France used to be somewhat of a free-for-all as you say, so 150mph speeds on the autoroutes was not uncommon, especially on a bike. Even as recently as the late 90's you could pass the Gendarmes doing a ton without worrying too much, they were often ton'ing it themselves anyway.
Now, as the 90 Euro fine I got last week shows, ton'ing it is frowned upon. Shame though, as some of those French roads are begging for top speed runs.

[don'tbesilly]

bhstewie said:

Kind of by the by but I thought you could only withdraw £200 from a UK cash machine, but you can get £750 out of a foreign one?

750 Euros is approx £560 in sterling, not that it makes much difference as most UK banks have a daily limit on the amount that can be withdrawn, mine (RBS) allows £300.00 per day.
Perhaps the OP has a different arrangement, or took cash out from two different bank accounts.

I got an instant 6 month ban some years ago not far from Boulogne, and just requested a new one (licence) when I got back to the UK, the one (license ) I had confiscated was never seen again.

[rsv gone!]

Ekona said:

I got caught doing 171 in a 110 in France a few years back. Licence confiscated on the spot. 750EU fine.

Got home.

Applied for new licence.

Got new licence a week later.

Old licence arrived from France a couple of days after that.

Letter from French courts arrived a few months later, telling me I was banned for three months.

Another letter arrived 6 months after initial incident, asking for another 750EU. Their error, I did reply and then heard nothing more.


So there you go. You're very lucky they let you keep the car, normally anything 50kmh over the limit and they'll seize that too. Apply for a new licence anyway, and then just wait to see what ban the courts slap you with. They may well increase the fine as well, they're perfectly entitled to do so: In my case, they hadn't taken into account the initial 750EU on the spot, which acts as a deposit for the final amount.

+1

I was doing 167 in a 90 but otherwise, word for word. Even the 'error' with the fine.

OP, you were very lucky to keep your car. Anything over 70kph over the limit is where they start keeping it. I was told I was 3kph below, after 'retenue' (about 10kph taken off the reading as a correction).

[Sushifiend]

For Breadvan72: The license lisenser licenced the license licencer's lisence with a stamp on his license. He was incensced to find it covered in lice.
For Brits: Licence is what Danny had taken away. Hopefully he'll be relicensed.
For Merkins: License is what they take when they mess with our language. License is what they hold and license is what they do.
For dummies: Licence=noun. License=verb.

[rsv gone!]

bhstewie said:

Kind of by the by but I thought you could only withdraw £200 from a UK cash machine, but you can get £750 out of a foreign one?

Fortunately, I had several cards with me so I made three withdrawals from bank and CC accounts.

[Chris944]

The OP's experience sounds totally st. Sympathies.

[Blaster72]

Your fine seems very low for the speed but they only took your licence to prevent you driving in France. You might get it back when the ban is up (how long were you banned for?).

As above, if it doesn't turn up after the ban expires just report it lost and get a new one. Simple.

[Vaud]

toxgobbler said:

But France is easy for speed limits, they've got 3 (unless raining)! There's signs like these when you get off tunnel & ferries, an industrial area is still within city limits so 50 unless otherwise signed:

As I said to a French friend, how is "raining" defined....?

[Stickyfinger]

Vaud said:

As I said to a French friend, how is "raining" defined....?

Wet stuff falls from the sky....same as over here I think.