Le Mans and the misery of French plod!

[kossuman]

at the risk of incurring a chorus of "its nobody elses fault but your own" does any one else think that the French plod were out to get us this weekend? I was returned home for the early bath after the Gendarmes decided that my 360 was worth every penny of a 750 euro fine even though I swear on all that is holy I was travelling no faster than 180 kmh. They insist that I was at 203 kmh when they passed their little electrickery device over my number plate. They refused to show me any evidence and it was a simple choice of cough up or "we av zee Ferrari"!
I returned home with my tail between my legs, no liscence and 750 euros lighter!
They insisted that I have to return to France in September to go in front of the magistrate. Has any one else suffered this fate, and if so did you attend the hearing or were you able to plead by post? If any one else has had any similar experience please can you provide details? I really don't want to go back unless it will prove to be a stiffer sentence by not doing so.
Any help gratefully accepted
VIVE LA FRANCE

[Jasandjules]

What, French Police targetting Brits to fine? I don't believe it..................

[vonhosen]

What was the limit ?

[greygoose]

If you're at least 50km/h over the speed limit on the weekend everyone blasts their flash cars through France what do you expect?

[Marcellus]

come on... it's common knowledge that les Gendarmes target the Le Mans to the Coast road on this weekend.... police offices from all over Northern France have a competition to see which can raise the most revenue...... speed on the A28 and expect a ticket.

Doesn't make the 750€ any easier to pay mind!!

(BTW Von... assuming off the auto route limit would have been 110kmh unless you go past a village sign when it is reduced to 30kmh.... so the OP doing 190 is 57% above the speed limit.. so in sterling OP was claims he was only doing 111mph in a 68mph whereas les gendarmes claim 126mph.... the 15mph would have made no difference to the fine if it makes him feel any better)

Edited by Marcellus on Sunday 14th June 17:00

[vonhosen]

Marcellus said:

come on... it's common knowledge that les Gendarmes target the Le Mans to the Coast road on this weekend.... police offices from all over Northern France have a competition to see which can raise the most revenue...... speed on the A28 and expect a ticket.

Doesn't make the 750€ any easier to pay mind!!

(BTW Von... assuming off the auto route limit would have been 110kmh unless you go past a village sign when it is reduced to 30kmh.... so the OP doing 190 is 57% above the speed limit.. so in sterling OP was claims he was only doing 111mph in a 68mph whereas les gendarmes claim 126mph.... the 15mph would have made no difference to the fine if it makes him feel any better)

I was just interested in what the actual limit was, so that we know the actual margin over the limit.

Edited by vonhosen on Sunday 14th June 17:07

[JonRB]

vonhosen said:

I was just interested in what the actual limit was, so that we know the actual margin over the limit.

Does it matter, von? A law has been broken and he must surely pay the price?

C'mon, you know you're itching to say it.

[vonhosen]

JonRB said:

vonhosen said:

I was just interested in what the actual limit was, so that we know the actual margin over the limit.

Does it matter, von? A law has been broken and he must surely pay the price?

C'mon, you know you're itching to say it.

But the margin over the limit has relevance.

[p1esk]

vonhosen said:

JonRB said:

vonhosen said:

I was just interested in what the actual limit was, so that we know the actual margin over the limit.

Does it matter, von? A law has been broken and he must surely pay the price?

C'mon, you know you're itching to say it.

But the margin over the limit has relevance.

I expect he drifted over the limit, but it was a bigger drift than plod were minded to overlook.

Anyhow it's all academic to me. As a poor OAP I can't afford these foreign jaunts. The occasional half-day in Filey is about my lot.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[kossuman]

vonhosen said:

What was the limit ?

the limit was 130

[kossuman]

greygoose said:

If you're at least 50km/h over the speed limit on the weekend everyone blasts their flash cars through France what do you expect?

yes yes I know. I did mention that in the first line!

[p1esk]

kossuman said:

vonhosen said:

What was the limit ?

the limit was 130

So you were nearly 40% over it; and that, as Von would say, is showing wilful disregard for the law.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Marcellus]

vonhosen said:

But the margin over the limit has relevance.

ok so at best 58mph over a 68mph limit!!

[EU_Foreigner]

A Ferrari without "protection" ? Madness ... it is so easy to damage the front when parking

The margin does matter, our last tour of France included someone getting caught at 180 km/h which costed him 90€.

[Derek Smith]

p1esk said:

kossuman said:

vonhosen said:

What was the limit ?

the limit was 130

So you were nearly 40% over it; and that, as Von would say, is showing wilful disregard for the law.

I found the local police around Le Mans very understanding and flexible, certainly more so that British police would have been in similar circumstances. One time we were about to park a Tuscan 'inappropriatly' just when a police van came around the corner. A couple of lads got out, had a quick look at the car, then indicated that we should stay where we were.

I used to be irritated by foreigners who come to this country on holiday and took the mickey, knowing that they could get on the ferry and leave behind any fines. My feeling was that they were guests in my country and should behave as such. To do otherwise was at best boorish.

Apart from a tendancy to abandon their cars anywhere, I've found the French to be very polite and helpful when over here. I've had one or two problems with the Dutch but I must say that the worst, and by far, were the young Australians. They used to ignore laws of the country that was opening their doors to them. I felt it was very rude and they deserved the full force of the law being applied to them.

[Nigel Worc's]

I believe you can get another licence from dvla (I did), at the moment I think you can still tell them to bog off as far as going back is concerned, just don't advertise the fact you've arrived next time you go (use a different car), and hope they don't find you.

Its the opposite, but less serious, of that frog lorry driver that killed a British coach driver, and never came back to face the music.

I am led to believe that they are trying to tie the rules up, so you must go back, but at the moment I think you're ok, but I'd seek a bit of legal advice, just to make sure.

[randlemarcus]

Same sort of thing for me last year, except I was a little more erm, wilful in my disregard for the law.

The 750 euros acts as a deposit for the eventual court imposed penalty. In my case, I got to complete a few forms in the local plod station effectively pleading guilty. There was some french court form a while later, but never saw the licence again.

DVLA will supply a copy of the lost licence for £17.50 IIRC.

[kossuman]

Derek Smith said:

p1esk said:

kossuman said:

vonhosen said:

What was the limit ?

the limit was 130

So you were nearly 40% over it; and that, as Von would say, is showing wilful disregard for the law.

I found the local police around Le Mans very understanding and flexible, certainly more so that British police would have been in similar circumstances. One time we were about to park a Tuscan 'inappropriatly' just when a police van came around the corner. A couple of lads got out, had a quick look at the car, then indicated that we should stay where we were.

I used to be irritated by foreigners who come to this country on holiday and took the mickey, knowing that they could get on the ferry and leave behind any fines. My feeling was that they were guests in my country and should behave as such. To do otherwise was at best boorish.

Apart from a tendancy to abandon their cars anywhere, I've found the French to be very polite and helpful when over here. I've had one or two problems with the Dutch but I must say that the worst, and by far, were the young Australians. They used to ignore laws of the country that was opening their doors to them. I felt it was very rude and they deserved the full force of the law being applied to them.

check out the government figures. 40 million sterling remains unpaid in foreign visitor fines. The largest percentage incurred by,,,,,, yes you guessed it the French!
I do not disagree with the fact that I received a ticket for speeding I do however take issue when I am treated differently to a French person caught speeding and that my speed is exaggerated sufficiently to command an on the spot fine of 750 euros with no proof or evidence shown when requested. The irony continued when I was instructed to follow a motorcycle police officer to the local cashpoint to retrieve the 750 euros in cash. IN ORDER TO KEEP UP WITH HIM I HAD TO GO 30 KMH FASTER THAN THE STATED SPEED LIMIT. The whole episode is an excercise in cash collection from the Brits

[kossuman]

Nigel Worc's said:

I believe you can get another licence from dvla (I did), at the moment I think you can still tell them to bog off as far as going back is concerned, just don't advertise the fact you've arrived next time you go (use a different car), and hope they don't find you.

Its the opposite, but less serious, of that frog lorry driver that killed a British coach driver, and never came back to face the music.

I am led to believe that they are trying to tie the rules up, so you must go back, but at the moment I think you're ok, but I'd seek a bit of legal advice, just to make sure.

thanks for the advice

[kossuman]

randlemarcus said:

Same sort of thing for me last year, except I was a little more erm, wilful in my disregard for the law.

The 750 euros acts as a deposit for the eventual court imposed penalty. In my case, I got to complete a few forms in the local plod station effectively pleading guilty. There was some french court form a while later, but never saw the licence again.

DVLA will supply a copy of the lost licence for £17.50 IIRC.

Thanks for the info. Did you return the court forms completed? Did they want you to appear in person?