Club Arnage

I met with Andy from Team Langoustine yesterday. He told me that his partner in the business had just been to Normandy with his family and had been subjected to a random breath test. Apparently a long line of vehicles were driving through a village and of them all he was pulled over y the Gendarmerie and immediately given the test. Surprise surprise, all the other cars, which had French number plates, weren't stopped. Just afterwards, he was also followed for 8 miles by a different Police Car!

He also told me that a couple of years ago, a guy he spoke to was stopped and done for D&D. Fined €500 on the spot. PLUS, the passengers in the car were also fined the same for allowing him to drive!

Be warned people, they are looking to raise Euros and we are easy pickings! Be safe!!

Sound advice Mark, I do have it on very good authority though, that the UK does NOT allow the French access to our driver records for fixed camera fines. However we can expect the usual keeness of mobile camera's, spot checks, timing between tolls and general instant fine revenue generation to pay for plod's overtime.

I'd like to add that the Gendarmerie has recently taken delivery of a large amount of new Scoobies (on of which stopped me the other week  >:( ) and they are already deploying them on all of the Autoroutes I use (seen them on A16, A28, A11 and A10 so far) along with all the standard Gendarmes in the white unmarked radar cars ....

(http://images114.fotki.com/v633/photos/4/42477/156881/1FranceSubaruGendarmerie2-vi.jpg)

It's inconcievable that they won't be out in force on the A28 next week - drive safely guys!

PS - you may also want to keep an eye out for black Audis and grey Honda Pan-european bikes too (see the attached file!)

cheeky buggers  :o

John,

Thanks for the attached file - wow!  - Glad i have cruise control.

What worries me, how long before we get the same in the UK  ::)



French surrender cheeky buggers monkeys

French surrender cheeky buggers monkeys

[/quote]kind of makes me glad when i drive anywhere there its at night and the front plate isnt on the car  ::)

I hate to be a party pooper, but anyone caught drinking and driving deserves all they get!

If you don't want to part with your cash then it's simple(s), don't drink and drive, and keep to a sensible speed!

I'd rather get to LM 10 minutes later but with all of my money and still in one piece....  We are easy pickings because we make it so...

All very scary

Tend to agree with the above, and I know JPC will as well - However the  warning is still valid, especially given that the french laws are so tight - on a short crossing, a simple "two beers at the bar" which we are used to getting away with over here, would leave you banged up over there. 

I personally feel that even having one and driving is pushing it a little bit, but I know plenty who drive on two pints of standard lager - this will perhaps provide a reminder that what we can get away with in the UK, is not necessarily so in France.

Safe journey everyone.

To the PDF, those in the guardrail are reported already for several years in the Netherlands, including a location list. I pass by at least three of those reported locations regurlary, and I've never seen any of them, and passed by thos locations also several times on too high speed without being ticketed. So I don't really beleive in those.

On the other hand, doing 130 kmh with my vehicle is fast enough in France....

Absolutely!!

Oh, and watch out for standing water ;) ;)

And cars on their rooves coming at you in the opposite direction. :)

Safe journey, one and all.

 ::) ::) ::)

I've just come back from a week in France (now you know why the Euro went down 4 centimes) with little evidence of the Gendarmerie at all.  They're all practising for next week ;D

Latest news is that diesel at supermarkets is € 1.13, and it took an English credit card, petrol was about €1.28, Kronenberg €9.89 a case (other shops €12)

John that Subaru is at least two years old as the new even uglier model has been out for two years already... unless Subaru France had a stockpile of the old (better) ones they need to get rid off.

Anyway, it's only a standard WRX, someone in a hotter STI should be able to easily outrun them, see JPC for details  ;)

Andy, just a stock piccy I found on the net (to pretty-up the post a bit) - they've had 'em ages but there are a heap of new ones that have also arrived recently (I don't the the 'friendly' Gendarme who stopped me would have taken too kindly to me snapping him and his motor ....)

As for MArk's one ....... humm !!

Ah I see...  :)

Hope we manage to meet up this year John, it would be good to make your acquaintance. Bleu Nord/Club Carnage?

Thats a 2005 standard WRX I think. Just like mine accept Prodrive have had a tinker under the bonnet and with the ECU. So it is now considerably quicker and in partciular torqueier (is that even a word) than that gendarmes model.

I agree the new hatchback version is pretty ugly. I find it looks pretty similar to the Mazdaspeed 3. Not a flattering comparison.

Another warning - see this thread (heard of this before over here)

http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=1542#fnew

Snokie,

I understand you comments and generally agree with them. But are are 'races' that do this in the UK, Somalies are prevalent in this kind of tactic. I had had knife at my jugular untill a a size 2 shovel landed him at Kings Cross.  He was from eatern europe, but judging at the force of the shovel by one of my site gang, he may be permenant in hospital at our cost. That was in '94. But agreed the east europeans are definately up there.

The 'police' (OK, I've annoyed a few people) don't really want to know. Too much paperwork and target square crossing agendas.

The sooner we get rid of paperwork and get the job done, the better life will be.

MB this year Andy, somewhere along row P I seem to remember. Just look for the shortest fattest bloke there and you'll likely as not be spot on  ;D