Le Mans ticket checking procedures
Discussion
Living at Le Mans and being a journalist some stories are now coming out of the ACO in their war to combat ticket and pass fraud. Fast rewind to the DTM championship last October on the Bugatti circuit, run by the Krauts with their usual grimness and lack of humour, with all security and entrances at a french circuit controlled by non french speaking gorillas. Even the marshals were made to park their motorhomes and go in on foot to get their passes before they were allowed in to park. However, during the racing weekend security found a large number of cars on post 8 and investigated. They found that 6 cars had the same pass scanned. Result? One marshal banned and the rest escorted out of the circuit.
Security has been getting tighter and tighter for the last four years but the latest rumours, perhaps not for this year but shortly in the future, will include bar codes and gate and parking personnel being equipped with bar code scanners. A scanned pass will show up in a flash. I have several cars here at Le Mans and tended to use blutack or vaseline, but the staff are getting wise to all the tricks. Only with one car with a perspex windscreen did I get away with it because you can't get the ticket off afterwards without damaging the screen but I reckon this year even that won't wash. Bending over the corners and just using the edges is old hat but the staff are becoming wise since if you tear off the whole strip top and bottom it shows the multi coloured band the full width of the ticket and they are looking to see that.
I'm not trying to be a prophet of doom and gloom but seeing some of the comments above I am just trying to give you a heads up on what you might face. You have been warned.
Security has been getting tighter and tighter for the last four years but the latest rumours, perhaps not for this year but shortly in the future, will include bar codes and gate and parking personnel being equipped with bar code scanners. A scanned pass will show up in a flash. I have several cars here at Le Mans and tended to use blutack or vaseline, but the staff are getting wise to all the tricks. Only with one car with a perspex windscreen did I get away with it because you can't get the ticket off afterwards without damaging the screen but I reckon this year even that won't wash. Bending over the corners and just using the edges is old hat but the staff are becoming wise since if you tear off the whole strip top and bottom it shows the multi coloured band the full width of the ticket and they are looking to see that.
I'm not trying to be a prophet of doom and gloom but seeing some of the comments above I am just trying to give you a heads up on what you might face. You have been warned.
Sadly, I think you're talking to yourself (well me too!), these days on here the opinion seems to be that it's perfectly fine to copy passes and transfer them from one car to another. I'm with you but it seems to me you're flogging a dead horse here!
Although I would say that having run DTM at Brands last year it is a very different kettle of fish - they brought their own security team in and ran things in their own way and we had virtually no input in how things were done. They "locked down" the outer Paddock in a pretty impressive way!! (amusingly they didn't issue any ear protection to their security guys though - the poor bloke at the rear entrance to Race Control right next to the practice start box was VERY pleased to see me arrive with some earplugs for him!!
Although I would say that having run DTM at Brands last year it is a very different kettle of fish - they brought their own security team in and ran things in their own way and we had virtually no input in how things were done. They "locked down" the outer Paddock in a pretty impressive way!! (amusingly they didn't issue any ear protection to their security guys though - the poor bloke at the rear entrance to Race Control right next to the practice start box was VERY pleased to see me arrive with some earplugs for him!!
Edited by Piglet on Monday 19th February 20:42
welshnobby said:
....very clever, i will be employing that technique this year.
hello Nobby long time no see
I have always managed to just fling my on the dash. As i have the roof of I allways say in my pigeon french about the sticker getting ripped off..and drive on quickly. Hasnt been a problem for the last 5 years with the Griffith...I guess this year will be now i have said that
BB
Ballistic Banana said:
hello Nobby long time no see
...oh i float in and out from time to time. Jus about to book the tickets for our group. Same again this year, folkstone to calais eurotunnel thurs morning returning monday. Going to stay in Houx Annex again this year....and no it isn't my stag do
welshnobby said:
Ballistic Banana said:
hello Nobby long time no see
...oh i float in and out from time to time. Jus about to book the tickets for our group. Same again this year, folkstone to calais eurotunnel thurs morning returning monday. Going to stay in Houx Annex again this year....and no it isn't my stag do
Nobby, I will keep an eye out for you again, were in Houx Annexe also, will look forward to seeing the new toy
Piglet said:
on here the opinion seems to be that it's perfectly fine to copy passes and transfer them from one car to another.
Is this common place? I'd always got the impression people didn't like to stick them on the windscreen because of the fact they bond like they've been spot welded. For the sake of about £20 per person (assuming 2 per car) it's a bit of an effort considering you're driving about 1000 miles and money is obviously not a serious issue.
Piglet said:
I'm with you on this Piglet. I camp on MB, where it's general knowledge that ACO are planning to intrioduce stricter rules on plot size etc and maybe even numbered pitches. If ticket fraud is prevalent as described in the linked thread, it must be one of the driving forces behind the change. It's no wonder people can't get a pitch on Friday, if some groups are bringing in multiples of the numbers of vehicles they have paid for.
I don't understand how sharing a ticket between vehiles works. In theory you can get a car in using the method, but in every campsite I have been in the marshals have come round at least once a day to check each car has a pass.
So the only option would appear to be to copy or scan the pass, but to be honest the cost of a camping pass is so reasonable why not get an additional one?
Although part of the problem is of course those that sell tickets on Ebay making it difficult to get the right tickets from the ACO.
So the only option would appear to be to copy or scan the pass, but to be honest the cost of a camping pass is so reasonable why not get an additional one?
Although part of the problem is of course those that sell tickets on Ebay making it difficult to get the right tickets from the ACO.
Piglet said:
Well in this case then the ACO should just sort out how they verify the legit cars from the cheapskates. Also, if it's so easy to make a copy of a ticket then there's nothing to stop dodgy folk copying them and selling them in eBay either.
Trying this kind of scam does sound a bit of an effort considering how far you're driving - for the sake of a few quid and the hassles of sneaking cars in it's just not worth it. If you're that tight go and watch the cars at Watford Gap services and steer clear of La Sarthe.
For some people it isn't a question of money, it's doing it for the hell of it. I've spoken to a lot of them. Scanned passes, if done on a laser printer and the right type of paper, do look identical but if they come round with a bar code scanner then they are in for trouble. Please understand that the ACO, the police, the stewards, all the french put up with a lot each year from some people because they know which side their bread is buttered; 120,000 british tourists at Le Mans, more than half the assembled fans, means a lot to the whole economy here where, just to put you in the picture, the AVERAGE wage is £7 per hour. However, the ACO feel that some people have gone too far and as usual it is everyone who in the end will suffer for the few. This year no ticket will give the right to enter the paddocks for example after problems last year.
The motor bike events here lead to so many deaths that the sale of beer in any supermarket is forbidden between opening on Friday and Monday lunchtime and everybody is searched on entry. The result of people waving chain saws in the crowd, revving old cars until the engine blows and catches fire and so on.
I understand that for many who come it is an annual holiday event and a lot of drinking is involved, but when someone tries to let down a police car's tyres at Arnage, gets caught and is thrown in jail leaving two teenage children to fend for themselves (a London copper at that), when a chap previously warned for his behaviour by the police is caught doing doughnuts in his Cobra replica three times over the limit, and so on then in the end people here are going to react. Yes, they'll continue to accept fun in the right sense but be warned that things are getting, and are going to continue to get, tougher.
The motor bike events here lead to so many deaths that the sale of beer in any supermarket is forbidden between opening on Friday and Monday lunchtime and everybody is searched on entry. The result of people waving chain saws in the crowd, revving old cars until the engine blows and catches fire and so on.
I understand that for many who come it is an annual holiday event and a lot of drinking is involved, but when someone tries to let down a police car's tyres at Arnage, gets caught and is thrown in jail leaving two teenage children to fend for themselves (a London copper at that), when a chap previously warned for his behaviour by the police is caught doing doughnuts in his Cobra replica three times over the limit, and so on then in the end people here are going to react. Yes, they'll continue to accept fun in the right sense but be warned that things are getting, and are going to continue to get, tougher.
Since 1996 I've parked in Parking Blanc car park outside the circuit near to the Maison Blanche Grandstand. I book a hotel for the duration but don't use it the Saturday night so I can see as much of the race as I want, then sleep in the car when necessary. It always amazes me the number of people who camp in Parking Blanc, usually trying to take up more than their alloted car space. It causes friction if you arrive at your space and cannot get on it. I'm no complainer and I don't want to spoil the fans' trip to the event but it seems to me that ACO should either ensure any tents are within alloted spaces or are banished from Parking Blanc. I'm worried that if there is going to be tightening up within the official camp sites then the ordinary car parks will also become unofficial camp sites so there will be more tents than ever. Hopefully ACO can keep on top of this.
I support the ACo if they clamp down on this - i didn't realise it was a problem but it couldcertainly account for some of the overcrowding which takes place. The tickets are cheap enough, just buy the amount you need and accept the cost. Camping is a pretty small part of the overall cost of the weekend and i have no objection to paying for it.
andyps said:
I support the ACo if they clamp down on this - i didn't realise it was a problem but it couldcertainly account for some of the overcrowding which takes place. The tickets are cheap enough, just buy the amount you need and accept the cost. Camping is a pretty small part of the overall cost of the weekend and i have no objection to paying for it.
The cost of the tickets isn't the issue - it's availability.
We ordered 12 camping passes but have only been allocated 8. We have 5 bikes in our party which need a pass each, and most of the cars are 2 seaters. The space from the 8 passes is more than enough so we are going to get some parking passes in Bleu for the remaining cars. We had considered copying the camping passes, as on bikes they are rarely checked properly, but after driving/riding that far it just ain't worth the risk of getting kicked out.
Anyone who does is asking for trouble.
Buck
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