Did the Gendarmes spoil it for you too - easy pickings?

[Andy JB]

What ashame that the Classic event was spoilt this year for our small group of two cars by the seemingly anti-'brit in a sports car so you must be speeding' approach taken.

A great weekend marred by getting spot fines on a relaxed journey down via B roads on Friday from Le Havre. A very dubious motorcycle stop & fine in progress when hand on heart i can say no excess speeds were registered and no evidence provided either.

If we had been enjoying a taz down it would have been a fair cop. However, we had been stuck behind trucks for miles & overtook them when dual carriage way (and speedlimit) allowed, apparently when converting back to single lane they 'recorded' a speed excess, pulled & fined us.

The plod kept speaking about a 'cannon ball run' so not sure if he was getting us confused with previous problematic events. He showed no evidence of this excess & we think it was one who had stopped a speeding motorcycle & simply saw us go past & pulled us.

Very short-termism after no speeding fine for 25 years in the UK and then after 2 hours in France we become lunatics. Well it did spoil the weekend and make us somewhat paranoid afterwards.

I have a family holiday booked in August in the Pacardy region - that will now be cancelled with immediate effect and i won't be attending anymore Le Mans after several years attending them. Shame

Anyone else have similar problems?

[Nick M]

Andy JB said:

I have a family holiday booked in August in the Pacardy region - that will now be cancelled with immediate effect and i won't be attending anymore Le Mans after several years attending them. Shame

Forgive me, but that seems a slight over-reaction.

OK, so the policeman was probably out of order, but it seems a case of cutting your nose off to spite your face, IMHO....

[spanishchocolate]

Boo. I have to say that I found the opposite. I don't have my front number plate attached, didn't have a GB sticker (and it's not on the plate on the rear), and didn't have headlight doubries - and drove past a lot of Gendarmes without issue [touches wood]. I was impressed how chilled out they were. We stuck to the speed limit for the most part, with the odd very short blat, with no problem - but we were travelling on Tuesday and Monday, so perhaps outside the peak times

Bad news that it happened when you weren't speeding. Cash cow based on speeding is one thing, but injustice and being taken for a ride is another

As Nick is getting at - don't let it spoil more than the time it took talking to the Policeman though

Edited by spanishchocolate on Wednesday 14th July 14:03

[Garlick]

Passed plenty of French bib in the M3 without drama or incident. Sounds like you were unlucky, and that's a shame

[Engineer1]

Are you 100% that you where right? had you passed through a town or missed some other reason the speed limit was reduced? Remember that a town name sign is the start of the 50 limit, if it is raining limits are reduced etc.

[Mark B]

Nope no problems at all, in all 900 miles in France and some spritely driving we only ever greated with smiles form the Thunderbird esque Gendarmes. We weren't dring well beyond the limit due to how stringent it has been recently.

Sounds like you were unlucky, shrug it off and get over it.... Don't let it ruin the weekend for you.

[RVVUNM]

So you will let that ruin your future Le Mans trips? Very shallow, forget it and move on.

[FUBAR]

Andy JB said:

journey down via B roads on Friday from Le Havre.

We must have done exactly the same route as you on Friday (the fast cat?) and didn't see a single Gendarme. I think you were extremely unfortunate

[Deva Link]

Nick M said:

Andy JB said:

I have a family holiday booked in August in the Pacardy region - that will now be cancelled with immediate effect and i won't be attending anymore Le Mans after several years attending them. Shame

Forgive me, but that seems a slight over-reaction.

I don't know - I won't drive in N Wales for the same reasons.

[croyde]

It on the French News this morning that the Gendarme concerned was most upset that you would not be returning to France and for the sake of his country has now resigned.

[Eugene7]

Never had a problem, and we use our Sevens to get around the track viewing points as well as the blat there and back...

Do tend to use D roads there and back though, but do 'push-on' when we can

Sounds like you were just unlucky.

[NormanD]

I've been lucky the last few years but I have helped the BiB Illegitimate Children's Fund in the past.


I just put it down as part of the LeMans costs, Ferry, Petrol, Fines, Tickets, Hotel, Beer, Food and Ladies

[EdJ]

I've not had any problems in about 10 years of regular trips to France. I think the main issue for a lot of Brits is the different approach. The Gendarmes are far more likely to stop you on the motorway than the British coppers would do - the French tend to focus less on speeding through small villages in my experience.

I know this isn't the case here, but it seems that loads of people who never get speeding tickets in the UK, frequently do so in France, and most of those tickets are given on the autoroutes.

[Tin Hat]

I must say that I have been stopped and fined in France without any evidence to support it - Too loud (UK legal) and too fast, 2 separate fines and the typical take it or leave it atitude from the Gendarmes (pay up now(in cash!!)/no way to contest).

My opinion is that the French just accept Police authority without challenge, whereas our BiB have to back up their claims with suitable evidence, which can be challenged relatively easily.

Don't let it taint your holiday plans - I wouldn't let a parking ticket stop me from shopping!

[spanishchocolate]

NormanD said:

...BiB Illegitimate Children's Fund...

...and Ladies...

[Hammerman]

We found the police very friendly, we got lost coming out of town in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A police car pulled over and radioed for a cab.

[The Contractor]

NormanD said:

I've been lucky the last few years but I have helped the BiB Illegitimate Children's Fund in the past.


I just put it down as part of the LeMans costs, Ferry, Petrol, Fines, Tickets, Hotel, Beer, Food and Ladies

What he said, we were pushing on a bit when we could but generally very aware that we would be targetted so not taking the proverbial. Luckily we saw very few Gendarmes but it is just part of Le Mans. Just be pleased that you got relieved of a few Euros but gained no points on your licence.

[croyde]

Motorcycling to Le Mans in 88 or was it 93, me on a CBR600 and mate on VFR750. Narrow roads and we are overtaking traffic when my mate, who is in the lead, pulls back in just as the double whites start right in front of 2 French Bike cops.

He's pulled over and I bravely cruise past and wait for him at the next village.

He catches up and tells me that they wanted £90 right there and then, our spending money for the trip. He tries all his schoolboy French on them and they do the typical Gallic shrug. But then one of them pulls out a folder with paragraphs in French and translations in other languages.

They find the one that basically says that you have been cautioned for crossing the white lines, please be aware and keep your speed to the posted limits. Please enjoy your stay in our Country.

They then waved him on his way.

Can't imagine our BiB having a book like that.

[spanishchocolate]

The Contractor said:

Just be pleased that you got relieved of a few Euros but gained no points on your licence.

True

[Wadeski]

i didnt see any cops between dieppe and le mans? i did see plenty of people travelling at warp factor lepton, and even joined them for a time....