Driving in France.
Discussion
Mucho scary. I was the co-pilot on a Calais to Provence expedition in the Summer. We sent the women and child folk by plane and Saabed are way down the autoroutes stopping at a variety of 5* establishments on the way. The grub was great, the views were groovy but the driving was as mad as a bag of hassled hornets. Tail gating..not one..not two but three sometimes four or five cars at a shade over a ton. A metre between each. One lad we videoed to alleviate the boredom. He was on the blower doing about 100 about 1m from the car in front. I assume he was steering with either his chooper of his knee as he was having serious trouble with the stereo with the other hand. Oh yeah he didnt believe in seat belts. Now I'm one of those passengers who really doesnt like being a passenger on motorways. I lke to be in control. I take risks and I do at times drive a little brusquely but usually when I'm on me own. Wrong side of the road, nutcases everywhere, a serious laden motor and my slightly aggressive brother at the wheel. Neither of us to keen on the Frogs. The radar was working well but for the first 200km we kept jumping on the brakes for the liberally spread cameras which we eventually found were fancy looking road side phones. Next time I'm driving and I'm fitting weopons.
Blimey ... when I drove from Calais to the Dordogne I was pretty impressed. Lane discipline was good, very little tailgating and everyone either cracking along at a good pace or keeping out of the way. However, I hear the Parisians are nutters ... which is good thing, coz it kills me to offer them a compliment
Gotta be careful in France.
Friend of mine had a Snooper fitted to the window with the suction cups. He hid it when he entered the country under his spare wheel as they are apprently illegal.
Got pulled (for speeding!) the copper saw the suction marks and searched his car.
They confiscated it for just having one in the vehicle and gave him a largish fine.
Nasty!
Friend of mine had a Snooper fitted to the window with the suction cups. He hid it when he entered the country under his spare wheel as they are apprently illegal.
Got pulled (for speeding!) the copper saw the suction marks and searched his car.
They confiscated it for just having one in the vehicle and gave him a largish fine.
Nasty!
I think france is deffo getting worse, went head to toe on my bike this year, from border to border, they drive obscenely. tailgating my bike is frightening.
we had people overtkae on bends toward us, pull out of side roads in front of us..
The easy way to highlight it, did you see piles of car junk yards? thousands of totalled cars every 20 miles. in the UK its becasue there old and knackered, in france the cars are nearly new and crushed.
we had people overtkae on bends toward us, pull out of side roads in front of us..
The easy way to highlight it, did you see piles of car junk yards? thousands of totalled cars every 20 miles. in the UK its becasue there old and knackered, in france the cars are nearly new and crushed.
Away from Paris and the motorways France is a great drivers county. They don't have anywhere near the amount of traffic we have, much more space and less preoccupation with revenue generating speed cameras. Can't beat a TVR and open road in France. Having said all that there's recently been some nasty motorway accidents, too close, too fast and fog. Their news programs were even saying that the UK is a good example of correct driving. That must of hurt!
Mick
Mick
Interesting views from fellow PHmen.
I'm seriously thinking about buying a camera detector but can't make sure of what would happen if plod caught me with it.
Soulpatch,
IMO your friend was lucky because he was a foreigner; as a french, I think I would have my driving license suspended and I might even go to jail...
>> Edited by Thom on Friday 20th December 19:38
I'm seriously thinking about buying a camera detector but can't make sure of what would happen if plod caught me with it.
Soulpatch,
IMO your friend was lucky because he was a foreigner; as a french, I think I would have my driving license suspended and I might even go to jail...
>> Edited by Thom on Friday 20th December 19:38
I've always enjoyed driving in France (except once) at least they get a move on and don't block the m'way outside lane, seem to respect Bikers and above all don't shove speed kills down your throat all the time.
Political Correctness doesn't seem to have caught on yet.
Also enjoy driving in Italy (never seen a gatso!) and they have some of the best roads.
BTW the "once" in france was; got caught at 201 kmh on autoroute, cop was ok but had to pay 2000fr on the spot - still that's light compared to the UK I'm currently facing a "world of sh1t" for 101mph (alledgedly)
Political Correctness doesn't seem to have caught on yet.
Also enjoy driving in Italy (never seen a gatso!) and they have some of the best roads.
BTW the "once" in france was; got caught at 201 kmh on autoroute, cop was ok but had to pay 2000fr on the spot - still that's light compared to the UK I'm currently facing a "world of sh1t" for 101mph (alledgedly)
"interior minister". 
Thom - shocking news this.
Like others on this thread, I have always found France to offer access to quite the most sublime high speed driving, with a population that seem to appreciate rather than resent, obscenely rapid carriages and display this with, I must exclaim, the most fabulous lane discipline in the world!
Indeed, my finest automotive moment came courtesy of the routes through Le Massif Central and a 4.5 litre TVR Cerbera...
I pray to God that our gallic neighbours resist the cause celebre of driver persecution that has become de rigeur in Blighty, something rammed home to me yesterday as I shot eastbound on the M62 with my usual disdain for the wholly inappropriate NSL, that better befits the Ford Anglias for whom it was originally set than the V8 under my particular hood, as I observed a veritable plethora of insidious SPECs devices.
As I slowed down, I aggressively flicked Vs at the odious opressors of our motoring liberty and noticed one or two BMW drivers clapping the action. (Salut! whoever you were.)
Nobody in the free world drives at less than 90 on relatively clear motorways in any modern vehicle today so it's about damn time governments stopped being so blatently short arsed about this and retasked their budgets and police forces to more fitting pursuits (quite literally).
Let's hope the gallic sense of 'b*ll*cks to rules' is maintained in this quest for the general maintenance of free European gumballing.
Hail & kill.
Like others on this thread, I have always found France to offer access to quite the most sublime high speed driving, with a population that seem to appreciate rather than resent, obscenely rapid carriages and display this with, I must exclaim, the most fabulous lane discipline in the world!
Indeed, my finest automotive moment came courtesy of the routes through Le Massif Central and a 4.5 litre TVR Cerbera...
I pray to God that our gallic neighbours resist the cause celebre of driver persecution that has become de rigeur in Blighty, something rammed home to me yesterday as I shot eastbound on the M62 with my usual disdain for the wholly inappropriate NSL, that better befits the Ford Anglias for whom it was originally set than the V8 under my particular hood, as I observed a veritable plethora of insidious SPECs devices.
As I slowed down, I aggressively flicked Vs at the odious opressors of our motoring liberty and noticed one or two BMW drivers clapping the action. (Salut! whoever you were.)
Nobody in the free world drives at less than 90 on relatively clear motorways in any modern vehicle today so it's about damn time governments stopped being so blatently short arsed about this and retasked their budgets and police forces to more fitting pursuits (quite literally).
Let's hope the gallic sense of 'b*ll*cks to rules' is maintained in this quest for the general maintenance of free European gumballing.
Hail & kill.
Hail & Kill indeed, but this won't get us anywhere with the boneheads who have always been in charge of motoring matters down here, currently at their worse under the régime of King Chirac Crook Ist.
I'm glad to read most Brits have always had good motoring adventures in France but I'm afraid this will all come to a halt if all the new "nazi-ish" laws get voted.
When you all come down to Le Mans, I will pray for your driving license and your wallet;
I don't intend to scare anybody out here but it currently sounds REALLY bad.
(I better find myself a radar detector do my best to avoid police gestapo controls...)
Soulpatch,
I wish I could provide you with an answer but I have no clue about it.
Thinking about your question, I don't know if anyone actually ever asked here it since it definitley do not suit the "french mentality"
Sorry, I miss the words to explain it...
I'm glad to read most Brits have always had good motoring adventures in France but I'm afraid this will all come to a halt if all the new "nazi-ish" laws get voted.
When you all come down to Le Mans, I will pray for your driving license and your wallet;
I don't intend to scare anybody out here but it currently sounds REALLY bad.
(I better find myself a radar detector do my best to avoid police gestapo controls...)
Soulpatch,
I wish I could provide you with an answer but I have no clue about it.
Thinking about your question, I don't know if anyone actually ever asked here it since it definitley do not suit the "french mentality"
Sorry, I miss the words to explain it...
Nice to see im not the only one giving the Vs to specs and other cameras.
Good show Deres!
Last time i went up the M5 at Manchester area they were breeding like rabbits.
Drove past eveyone of em at 50 with my bro hanging out the side window and two sets of erected digits raised in defiance at the basts.
Down with SPECS and UP YOURS!
Good show Deres!
Last time i went up the M5 at Manchester area they were breeding like rabbits.
Drove past eveyone of em at 50 with my bro hanging out the side window and two sets of erected digits raised in defiance at the basts.
Down with SPECS and UP YOURS!
- Automation of road controls with installation of better speed cameras (automation of these controls will reduce the possibility to contest);
- If drivers want to contest their fine, they will have to pay it first, prior to get in court;
- on the motorway: possibility to fine drivers out of calculating their average speed between two "péages".
- possibility to sentence drivers to jail for high speeding.
- If drivers want to contest their fine, they will have to pay it first, prior to get in court;
- on the motorway: possibility to fine drivers out of calculating their average speed between two "péages".
- possibility to sentence drivers to jail for high speeding.
An interesting point to note on this – I recently came back from the South of France and headed for the motorway for quick blast up to Paris. However when I went through the toll booth about 4 hours out of Paris (sorry can’t remember the name of the town) it failed to give me a ticket. I sat there for ages waiting for something to happen but had to move because I was getting blasted by about 30 horns behind me.
Then spent 4 hours blasting up the motorway at some ridiculous speeds simply because I figured they couldn’t time me without a ticket, finally got to the other end explained what happened and where I had come from, they were fine with it and just charged me the necessary fee – I figure they didn’t think I was pulling a fast one because I didn’t try to pretend that I had only got on 20mins down the road. Besides I think all the dead bugs on the front of the car gave it away!!!
Moral of this story? If you are in a hurry pretend the machine did not dispense a ticket and hammer it, I probably shaved a good hour off my journey and hassled a few more powerful cars in the process……great fun!!
Then spent 4 hours blasting up the motorway at some ridiculous speeds simply because I figured they couldn’t time me without a ticket, finally got to the other end explained what happened and where I had come from, they were fine with it and just charged me the necessary fee – I figure they didn’t think I was pulling a fast one because I didn’t try to pretend that I had only got on 20mins down the road. Besides I think all the dead bugs on the front of the car gave it away!!!
Moral of this story? If you are in a hurry pretend the machine did not dispense a ticket and hammer it, I probably shaved a good hour off my journey and hassled a few more powerful cars in the process……great fun!!
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