Sensible family daily wagon - Mercedes Benz S211 E500

[idealstandard]

Great reading as always Bolide....

I have kept my speeds relatively low (150-160kph) in France for many years now after being stopped on Le Mans weekend and the chap in front of me having been caught at over 200kph having his rights read to him. Not sure what happened to him but his Porsche left on a low loader.

[bolidemichael]

tobinen said:

Rotten luck BM. I guess you had a good run over the years but the 3 month immediate ban is harsh IMO

Draconian deterrents deployed.

[bolidemichael]

AC43 said:

tobinen said:

Rotten luck BM. I guess you had a good run over the years but the 3 month immediate ban is harsh IMO

After many years of pretty much ignoring speeding they really started cracking down about a decade ago. I got nicked two years in a row and decided to slow down a bit.

You can still cover a lot of ground at 95mph and that sort of speed is more relaxing, anyway.

Anyway, sorry to hear of your plight, BM, Enjoy being chauffeured :-)

Quite... it's just that the E500 is so well maintained that it's a pleasure to drive at speed. It's a crime that we aren't left to our own devices to makes progress safely.

[bolidemichael]

brickwall said:

Indeed bad luck BM. You definitely had a good run though.

Was 181 kph the speed they zapped you at, or the speed written on the ticket? IIRC they take 5% off the speed they zap you at as a “technical allowance” (hence the 138 kph practical enforcement limit)

From recollection after accounting for the technical allowances it works out at
130-137 kph: Not enforced
138-157 kph: €45 fine
158-168 kph: €135 fine
169-189 kph: €135 fine + license suspension
190+ kph: €1,500 fine + license suspension + potentially other trouble too

It was 181kmh with 171kmh marked as the technical allowance afforded.

He told me that the threshold for enforcement is 138kmh with anything over 189kmh being subject to €750, tribunal and confiscation of car for one week.

The chauffeur said that his drive a customer's Bentley recently. The Brit had been clocked at 240kmh, fined €1,500 and had the car confiscated for one week.

Informally, the chauffeur told me that they won't bother chasing you if clocked on the radar at up to 40kmh over the limit, which is 170kmh or 105mph. Tolerable.

[bolidemichael]

trevalvole said:

bolidemichael said:

I wonder whether it may've been to do with the fact that the guy was turning the key as a conventional ignition start and holding it open, as opposed to snapping it open as per Mercedes requirements.

Could you expand on this, as I haven't heard about it before? Thanks.

Sure, the ignition is a switch so doesn't need to be held open -- just a 'herr flick' will do.

[bolidemichael]

Shinyfings said:

I’ve been lasered in France and not stopped (but a lot less than 181kph as it was a Disco4). Also flashed by a camera post Brexit. Anyway, the real point of my post. How on earth did you rustle up a chauffeur at short notice in the middle of France? Are such people on a dial a chauffeur site? Anyway sounds like he’s saved your trip for sure.

Did the ticket from the camera arrive? I think that I got flashed for 45mph in a 43mph zone around Lyon a little earlier.

How did the chauffeur get organised? The police produced a business card and got him on the blower before I had the opportunity to concoct a cunning plan.



In hindsight, I may've been tempted to ask them to drop me at a local destination and just driven myself to my destination at the speed limit... perhaps one risk to many, so I'll take my medicine.

[bolidemichael]

idealstandard said:

Great reading as always Bolide....

I have kept my speeds relatively low (150-160kph) in France for many years now after being stopped on Le Mans weekend and the chap in front of me having been caught at over 200kph having his rights read to him. Not sure what happened to him but his Porsche left on a low loader.

Thanks, I may've come up with a cunning plan to collect Mrs and Mstr BoMi from Nice... a friendly local has offered me their French plated car, so that I can fly under the radar until Mrs BoMi arrives to spend three days fussing over the fact that she'll have to drive home and all the indulgent narrative that goes along with it.

Thank goodness she arrives on Valentine's Day, there will be roses aplenty awaiting her on arrival!

[Shinyfings]

bolidemichael said:

Shinyfings said:

I’ve been lasered in France and not stopped (but a lot less than 181kph as it was a Disco4). Also flashed by a camera post Brexit. Anyway, the real point of my post. How on earth did you rustle up a chauffeur at short notice in the middle of France? Are such people on a dial a chauffeur site? Anyway sounds like he’s saved your trip for sure.

Did the ticket from the camera arrive? I think that I got flashed for 45mph in a 43mph zone around Lyon a little earlier.

How did the chauffeur get organised? The police produced a business card and got him on the blower before I had the opportunity to concoct a cunning plan.



In hindsight, I may've been tempted to ask them to drop me at a local destination and just driven myself to my destination at the speed limit... perhaps one risk to many, so I'll take my medicine.

Hi no ticket arrived as I suspect the one Brexit benefit is that the French can’t access the DVLA database. I think (despite the no doubt large cost) it was safest to just use the bloke the Police suggested. A night in the cells might make Mrs Boli very cross with you should you have been stopped again - unlikely but I have seen spot checks in France.

[bolidemichael]

Shinyfings said:

bolidemichael said:

Shinyfings said:

I’ve been lasered in France and not stopped (but a lot less than 181kph as it was a Disco4). Also flashed by a camera post Brexit. Anyway, the real point of my post. How on earth did you rustle up a chauffeur at short notice in the middle of France? Are such people on a dial a chauffeur site? Anyway sounds like he’s saved your trip for sure.

Did the ticket from the camera arrive? I think that I got flashed for 45mph in a 43mph zone around Lyon a little earlier.

How did the chauffeur get organised? The police produced a business card and got him on the blower before I had the opportunity to concoct a cunning plan.



In hindsight, I may've been tempted to ask them to drop me at a local destination and just driven myself to my destination at the speed limit... perhaps one risk to many, so I'll take my medicine.

Hi no ticket arrived as I suspect the one Brexit benefit is that the French can’t access the DVLA database. I think (despite the no doubt large cost) it was safest to just use the bloke the Police suggested. A night in the cells might make Mrs Boli very cross with you should you have been stopped again - unlikely but I have seen spot checks in France.

Thank you for the positive reinforcement.

Given the fact that Mrs BoMi doesn't naturally exhibit as great a tolerance for personal risk as I (though conversely she chose to marry and remains married to me), that's well interpreted. In fact, when I told her how fast I'd been clocked, she thought that I'd exposed my daughter to 180mph

After that was settled, the speed seemed positively safe and she wasn't so concerned!

[brickwall]

bolidemichael said:

Informally, the chauffeur told me that they won't bother chasing you if clocked on the radar at up to 40kmh over the limit, which is 170kmh or 105mph. Tolerable.

Indeed. You’re basically “safe” up to 157 kph (which in practice translates to an indicated 100mph), and up to 168 kph (by this time probably indicating 110 mph ish) the worst that’ll happen is a €135 fine.

[bolidemichael]

brickwall said:

bolidemichael said:

Informally, the chauffeur told me that they won't bother chasing you if clocked on the radar at up to 40kmh over the limit, which is 170kmh or 105mph. Tolerable.

Indeed. You’re basically “safe” up to 157 kph (which in practice translates to an indicated 100mph), and up to 168 kph (by this time probably indicating 110 mph ish) the worst that’ll happen is a €135 fine.

I can love with that and then squeeze the throttle when it is clear that there are no coppers.

They were hidden before the entrance to a service station so I'll definitely be wary of those in future.

[tog]

Shinyfings said:

I have seen spot checks in France.

I got stopped in a spot check roadblock once in France. I was driving a friend's van (UK-registered) and he had neglected to furnish me with any reg or insurance documents so I only had my licence. The gendarme asked for my documents, I said that was all I had, she shrugged and let me carry on!

[sdh2903]

tobinen said:

Rotten luck BM. I guess you had a good run over the years but the 3 month immediate ban is harsh IMO

Is it though? If caught doing 112 in the UK you're odds on to get a ban and a rather more hefty fine to go with it. The instant nature of it I guess does cause problems though. It'd be nice if you could smoke around the UK motorway network at just sub 100 without fear of points and a fine.

Is this system the same for locals too or just for non natives?

[bolidemichael]

Where there's a will, there's a way!

[brickwall]

Wouldn’t do it myself!

[Macron]

So that's not your car, not your licence, and not your country,

Brilliant!

Where are you heading this time BM?

[bolidemichael]

We visited a town named Salernes, allegedly, which is a few miles down the road. The market was on so we had a nice sit down outside in the bustling square and ordered a drink, as one does, bought some honey for Maman and had lunch at an enticing restaurant that I spotted last year.











Salmon carpaccio, terrine, pate and red peppers with anchovy paste



Slow cooked veal



Fiadone, a rather pleasant Corsican dessert -- the lemon zest lifted it.

[Ken986]

Looks like a hard life

[bolidemichael]

I was coerced into being chauffeured, I'll have you know.

[bolidemichael]

So today was part deux of Operation La Resistance, a drive to Nice in another French plated car, allegedly, via the back roads which added an hour to the 1hr 40min drive via the autoroute. We left around 8am, after having checked the tyre pressures for the VW and seeing that they probably hadn't been checked in a year! They're supposed to be 40PSI all round, at the last and were all at 26.5PSI! The inside was a pigsty and the windscreen cleaned with a dirty rag, so driving in the low winter morning sun was a little like guesswork, at times. However, it was worth the early rise... my daughter dozed for an hour as we meandered through the deserted roads in the countryside.

The road to Tourtour, laden with spectacular views, was a vision invoked by Led Zep's 'Misty Mountain Hop' and the temperature hovered up and down between 0°C and 4°C as the ground was laden with frost. It brought back memories of driving through France in my 1275cc Mini after graduating from Uni in 2001, no phone, no internet, little money for tolls and no particular time pressure, other than to get my brother back to Blighty in time for him to begin uni in September. It's really the best way to appreciate France in its bucolic glory. Grasse was a bit of a palaver but we arrived at T1 in the end.



The VW Touran with some sort of derv engine is quite comfortable and pliant, in its way. The small wheel and large sidewalls help and the gentle parp of the impotent and flaccid powertrain remove any sense of trying to press on. It was quite suitable for the journey. Mrs & Mstr Bolide weren't impressed, however, the ungrateful sods.

We did find a lovely car park, nicer than many I've seen.



Whilst we were there... we walked down the Boulevard d'Anglais for a pre-booked lunch at the institution that is Le Safari on Cours Saleya -- a location for many restaurants and the marche, too. The food was decent and served speedily; the salt cod fritters and fresh, grilled swordfish went down well. It was pleasant to feel sun on our skin and for me, to oggle the fine young ladies displaying themselves in their youthful manner. Lots of lesbians too, some of them were pleasingly obese and some others, challengingly attractive. They appeal to the caveman in me.



There's a 'Carnaval' on at the moment, so we had a ganders at some of the props and took a ride on the big wheel for some fantastic, views of the city and surrounding hills.









For the drive back, we just took the quick route and said bks to chance. From now on, it'll be Mrs BoMi driving Magnus around the houses.

Edited by bolidemichael on Wednesday 15th February 17:16