Club Arnage

I have done Le Mans for the last five years and I never thought I would say this, but I think that I am going to take a break for a few years.

I love the racing - and this year was one of the best races ever - but I don't like the hooligan edge, crap French organisation and attitude. I have a limited understanding of French - enough to get buy - but the French shrug of shoulders to say "yes you have a point but I wont/cant do anything about it" is sooo irritating. 

Unfortunately I can't make this year's classic so will have to wait until 2010 - so is there anything else that is a suitable alternative?  I will be doing Britcar 24hr in September at Silverstone.

Sebring in March ! No attitude just a friendly open paddock, a friendly camp area oh and lots of great nice people out at Turn 10  ;D

Or just go back.  If it is not your scene, then avoid the times and places that you don't like and go to the places you do like at the right times - which is why we avoid Arnage, the road outside Bleu and HA on a Friday afternoon/eveningm, which seems to work pretty well for us, and there are alternatives to the circuit campsites.   

MG Mark 

Mark has hit the nail right on the head here.

However, if the ACO piss up about again, most of our lot will be saying goodbye to LM24 and going to the Manx TT instead. Only to return to La Sarthe for the classic and will be hotelling it.

Over the last few years, I have done exactly what Mark suggests and have avoided any trouble which makes things more enjoyable.
Although at Expo, you can view some burn out antics near the bar and still be fairly safe. Just don't take the car.

from my perspective, over the years, the racing has taken a bit of a back seat to the social side.  Don't get me wrong, I'm as petrol headed as they come, but Le-mans for me is all about the combination of being at a motorsports event, and having a dammed good party at the same time.  Sadly this has started to be overtaken by the hooligan element, but you can avoid that side of things.  The Guiness bar on Saturday night for example, was rammed, and was absolutely buzzing, but still fairly sensible - sure there was dancing on tables, and general silliness, but actually it was just people having a good time not a hooligan in sight (unless you count Steve being wheeled around in a wheele bin!).  Areas to avoid in my opinion include bleu Nord/Maison Blanche through road, HA roundabout, and sometimes sadly the Champagne Bar on a saturday night....but the rest should be seen as a celebration that we are all part of the greatest race on the planet.... IMO of course...

It does seem to be losing its magic.  Too many hooligans, too many pikeys, too much catch fencing, too many dumb Controlees on the campsites but not enough showers/toilets and no electricity for the price.

We will be there next year and every year until I am physically or mentally unable to attend.
LM changes every year and we have to adapt to it.
Its a week in a field in France with the best people you could ever hope to meet, the best fun you could ever have unless being a member of Motley Crue in the early 90's and it will never end >:D

I appreciate that there are aspects that people dont like, so do your best to avoid them, It's not that hard...

This year was fantastic for us and all our crew.

A quote from Mr A. Zarse on Saturday night "They will never beat us"

This year we really made it happen despite all the ACO f**kups..... Roll on 09. Planning is already underway ;D

well as for 2009 my changes will be made.

1. The usually crew i go with are not going so i can do what i want.
2. i will NOT be taking my mate who came this year as hes a moaning pain in the arse
3. i will be seeing more of the CA gang

Fine decision Kev... you must pop down our way for one of our meets!

will when i have recovered from the financial spends of last week!

Pretty much the same thread comes up every year, and to large extent I agree.

The people who just want to go for the beer and seem to think that normal laws do not apply because 'we are brits in France' does give the impression of being on the increase.

However anyone who was there in the 80's will tell you it was the same then, I guess the differance then was the draw of the Jags, now the draw seems to be beer.

Having spent this year watching the race on telly, I can tell you twats or no twats I will return!

I can agree with Big_M on a lot of counts and also understand where Nordic is coming from. The '80s were a little wild but it seemed like more fun and I do not think as busy, that fact that you could turn up and get a camping ticket a day or so before the race is proof of that. There was also a lot more spectacle, do you remember the fair? Also the cars sounded like cars. Against it were the state of the toilets and cold showers.

It would be good if DFH can get a block booking for MB for next year. I for one do not want to be on the once hallowed ground of HA.

Anyone seen my hat?

>Martini...

Well, I guess I'm an old f*rtess but I was absolutely glued to my grandstand seat from 6 in the morning until after the end of the race, having left it at 3 in the morning for a kip I regretted at the time and still do.  Although I want to walk around the circuit, I found I couldn't keep my eyes off what was going on on the track this year.  Although I felt the three other classes were a bit dull - especially after the Porker shunt early on which ruined GT2.  I bet the factory is really proud of the driver they gave to Raymond... ::)

Yes, I hate the chav element but it's avoidable.  The 'poo bar meet was much improved this year for the lack of (dare I say it) Tw*ts in evidence.  DFH party was great as ever, although MB did seem subdued.  I'm convinced that a block booking will help that side of it for next year if it comes off.

I do feel pretty sorry for the ACO employees on the ground who seem every year to have to enforse dafter and dafter rules and put up with downright rudeness from some of the "audience".  The farce in the booking office during PQ was something to behold with the organisers having left the staff with the impossible problem of only being able to sell tickets for PQ, so that those who wanted to buy all inclusive tickets with the race weekend included couldn't do so.  There was nearly a second French revolution.

And those wanting to avoid the Mad Friday idiocy could always have raced me round the back lanes of the Sarthe if they'd wanted to..... :)

After arriving this year and finding that BN was a bit of a mess regarding putting people in the space they had been allocated.
I did have a moment of "I've had enough of this." But then the bier kicked in I started to bump into CAers and of Course DfH
and I was cured.

Yes one does get the idiot element but they are easily avoided. 

This year was one of the better years IMVHO both on and off the track.   So 2009 will have a hard job to do better but thats life.

For sure if I choose not to go again I'd have to leave CA too as I would be most upset to read about the fun I missed.
When I didn't go in 1981 due to lack of funds is was hell I really didn't like that.  So while I can I plan to continue to make the trip.

t.

That's the rub, L/M.  The one year I didn't go was absolute hell - I could think of nothing through most of the year but what I would miss/was missing/had missed.  And anyway, like so many things, LM is what you make it.  Although I wish I understood why some people come who have absolutely no interest in the track action.  I still don't get why they can't stay at home and leave the circuit and the campsites to those who give a stuff.  Meeting your mates and having a p*ss up is great, but I don't get the mentality which invades our hallowed ground to do nothing else but.

Definately an old f*rtess.

Actually 2008 was one of our better years in Le Mans.

After nearly a decade on MB we were a bit fearfull of the relocation to HA, but upon arrival Monday we found a nice spot on mid HA-sud near Smokie/Canada Phil and FS.
We are self-sufficient on electricity and know how to hotwire a watertap, after fencing off a decent plot we settled in fine.

HA was not bad at all, sure there was the occasional w*nker with 2am techno sh*te, the moped/quad idiots racing up and down and on Thursday it got rather busy, so busy we found a bunch of guys trying to put up their camp within the perimeter of ours.
But all in all it was not bad, the toilets were fine and the new toiletblock just after the new entrance to the track was even better, showers were working but busy as usual.

On Thursday a drive to La Chartre-sur-le-Loir, where we had a very good lunch at the Hotel de France with at the table next to us the very friendly Jacky Ickx and his daughter (not Vanina).

Friday we decided to get away from the madness and we went for golf and lunch in Belleme, only when we got back from downtown Le Mans at midnight we saw some of the chavs near HA but decided not to stick around.

Watched quite a lot of the race too, Saturday the start(proceedings) from the grandstand, after 6 pm we slowly made our way up to Tertre Rouge, to retire to HA for dinner and drinks.

Nightime viewing at Tertre Rouge, a couple of hours sleep and we went to Arnage corner at 7 am followed by breakfast and watching the cars on the Mulsanne straight.
Then a little nap and back to the grandstand for the last few hours.

A great week, HA was fine, we avoided the chav element completely, bringing bikes was absolutely great, the KangarooTV was very usefull too, finally it was nice to meet a few CA-ers that I hadn't met before.

Can't wait for the Classic although for that no camping but staying in a house in downtown Le Mans.
Only negatives, the hassle with the campsite tickets and the keyed cars of our neighbours at HA.

I will bother for Le Mans 2009!

My enforced decision to stay at home this year meant that I suffered the agonies of not being able to spend months planning the trip in meticulous detail, allocating tasks to Tres Hombres team members, organising the tour shirts, booking the tickets, endlessly checking the camping gear and making unending lists etc etc. Oh bloody hell I missed that!!!!!
The TV coverage was pretty good and the internet link to Radio Le Mans brought a smidge of the atmosphere chez moi but not being trackside was agony.
I've spent the last 13 years camping on Maison Blanche and whilst I've had some fantastic times I am getting a bit long in the tooth for ant-infested tents and warm beer. (I know, I know - get a gennie and a fridge but I just cant be arsed)
So, the planning has started for next year and it looks like we'll be flying to Paris and taking the TGV to LM staying in a hotel.
Anyone had any experience of decent hotels in town (clean, comfortable and not overpriced). Will I need to be getting a reservation now?

Cheers

Steve

You'll need to have got a reservation about 5 years ago, Steve.

Seriously, we like the Galaxy opposite the station but it will probably be booked by now.  I think Lynx has a few contacts though who may still have room.

The FIA GT race from Adria that was just on telly looked good.   

Might be a nice visit for next year - drive over after LM for an extended hols!   ;D

F

I felt the same as you Big_H a couple of years ago, however I kept on going and started to enjoy it all over again. Unfortunately, I had everything booked for this year but with about 5 days to go I ended up in hospital for a week. All my mates went and I had to stay at home which in itself sent me crazy. I’m already booking for 2009 and after missing just one year, one thing is for sure, I will not be missing another.

This was one of the best years for me at Le-mans, we had good company in the Liverpoolboys and Lawnmowerman paying the odd visit, also a nice group of French race fans from Lehave who arrived with there van on a breakdown truck and spent the first 3 days fixing it, but they were friendly and tried to communucate with us even if they did not speak so much English. I do wonder if they were more friendly to us because we were camped under a Norwegian flag.
BN was alittle mad when we tried to find our pitch they had missed out the 2 rows we were on completely, but the Liverpoolboys had blagged us a pitch next to them so that was great. We did not see any of the theiving that went on the year before, other than a bottle of Pepsi.
The Football element was lower i felt this year but i did witness 2 idiots throwing water balloons into a boxster with the top down, but my sugestion for avoiding this to join in with Termiee and enjoy the drive out in the country away from the idiots that are too drunk to get there, you do not need to avoid Le Mans because of it but just adapt with the times. It used to be the thing to do to drive to arnage and look at the nice cars now it is like running the gauntlet. But now i think it is better to drive your car out to the Great British welcome and enjoy the time in the company of other car enthusiasts not beer enthusiasts.

I for one intend to come for many years to come, but i do not expect things to always be the same just make the best of what is going on around.

Not quite on thread, but what happened to the chap who dropped an engine on his foot 3 weeks or so before LM - did he get there? 

Might have been kiwipugfan, but equally might not - seem to remember it was someone coming from a fair distance!

F

Steve i did this one year you will miss the atmosphere and still need some where to take a break during the race, i recomend hireing a motor home if you want some comfort.

Steve, we are organising something for 2009 where you can rent a house/appartment locally for reasonable prices.

Something like; clean and reasonable accomodation (and possibly shuttle transport) for clean and reasonable people who can be trusted with somebody else's home without a gazillion caution.

drop me a pm if you're interested, I am going to visit several places at the classic with my local friends.

If you're prepared to be a short drive away, I do know of a stonking gite round here which will probably be free if you book soon.  5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, with pool.  Not cheap but great (the owner used to work for Lotus, back in the day.)

I also know a small hotel, but again it's near me so a bit of a drive away (well known to those who've done the "Cavalcade".)  There are plenty of local cab firms who could do the driving. It normally takes us about 35 mins door to door (even on Sunday morning of the race). Just a thought.

Well, I don't get the point of that thread. Sadly there were 10 cars keyed on HA, but that is sadly the risk whilst attending a major event. The same can happen around football stadiums or whatever. I just feel sorry for the owners.
The stealing is a common practice, as it looks like especially on Bleu, but you can prevent if you know about.
Our genny was fitted to my wheel with a motorbike insurance chain and lock and the wheel protected with a special bolt, all valuables inside the locked car and the key at night IN my sleeping bag, not somewhere in the tent.
Call me crazy, but my camera and lenses together with my friends had a value of around 4000€, 2500€ of that my equipment.

Apart from the above mentioned keyed cars I only experienced very friendly people on HA. The Beer Disposal Team seemed to be friendly, I had no further contact with them, but there was nothing to complain about.
The english group with at the junction on the other side of the Disposal Team was friendly as well. Great party on thursday, all very friendly people and probably due to their age it was possible to sleep next to their gazebo later that night. 2am and it was done.
Also the guys between that group, us and the Pistonheads were all very kind, we helped them erecting their tent (they said it takes 10min in the shop ;D), they gave us some beers, we loaded a flat battery with our genny, got a pack of smoke on sunday afternoon.

Hey, HA is a party zone, but I can't complain at all. I was sleeping good every day, nothing destroyed, nothing nicked, not a single problem with other people.
Spend a few minutes at the roundabout coming from the parade, but for me there's no point standing there, and I had the wrong clothes on, a little cold it was.
Also on Friday there's a meet and greet of the German Sportscar magazines on Houx (and their forum members), so that's the way to go. Sadly Richard Lietz didn't find time this year, but 2007 we had Stefan Mücke joining us for 30min and 2006 T2M engineer Martin Stessl spend 2 hours answering EVERY question.
So with the new tram that's the perfect relaxed friday for us starting with the pitwalk at noon. Hopefully Embassy Racing will stay for some more years ;)

The only thing that annoys me is that I don't have media accreditation with track access unlike in the Le Mans Series. Those catch fencing and the new Esses/Tertre Rouge really took away some atmosphere.

2009 planning has already started, ordering tickets via a fair priced dutch agency saves you some nerves

For me it wasn't just the hooligan element.

We have always gone to the driver's parade on Friday night.  It is a great way to meet the drivers and enjoy the carnival atmosphere.  But this year only a handful of drivers actually made it out of the cars to give autographs/posters etc.  As a consequence, several people were jumping over the barriers and climbing on the cars to get to the them.  Now if I owned one of those classic cars, I would be pretty pissed off with someone jumping on the running board.  The French security seemed to be disinterested.   

As we went by tram, we had to pass through some of the roundabout antics. Betime we were there the Police were in full force so the activity was subdued.  But it was almost impossible to walk down the pavement due to people watching the cars.

Now I don't actually mind the music and with the aid of ear plugs, can sleep through it quite well.  The problem was Sunday night - we usually like to leave early to get back to the UK - can't use ear plugs or I will sleep through the alarm.  Thanks to some assholes playing their music loud until 3.20 am, I had three hours sleep.  Not what you need before a long drive.  Fairplay to the guys in the purple TVR Chimaera who left at 6.00 while we were packing up and used an air horn to make sure the whole camp knew of their departure. 

I have never had anything stolen from my tent or damage done to my car in five years - but it is only a matter of time. 

We're not going next year, for me it's the annual aggro of getting a group of camping passes on MB - I don't know what else I have to do, I applied for MB/Bleu before the race last year and got BSJ  ::)

For KK getting media accreditation means jumping through increasingly higher hoops and then the "what are they going to chuck in at the last minute'ness" of the ACO with regard to how and where the media can work.

The chav aspect is too tedious and I really really struggle without sleep - this year was fantastic, the only night that was loud was Sunday night and that was Audi's party and I suppose they deserved to be able to party!  I sleep in earplugs but that doesn't help with something like the w**k*r boys in the truck last year.  I can't spend a week without sleeping, drive home and then go back to working 12 hour days, it just doesn't work.   This year we didn't arrive until Wednesday and that was better, if MB continues to be allocated and the ACO decide I'm worthy of tickets (or I have a brain transplant and buy from an agency ;D) we might give it a go again and just come down for the long weekend. 

We're definitely not going next year as we have a house move and a build project to deal with, we're hoping to do Sebring and the Classic in 2010 and there are a whole load of other events we'd like to get to but haven't had enough holiday to do and then we'll see. 

Our plan for 2009 is a "it's not Le Mans" party in Dorset, so we'll pitch tents on the garden (actually we'll be living in a caravan so perhaps we won't bother!), we'll watch LM on TV, drink beer, listen to RLM and BBQ dead cow  ;D

Sorry Big_M but your story sounds a bit like complaining for the sake of complaining.

Sure and that can be avoided like many others here have explained.

You forget that going to the Parade was much easier because of the tramway this year.
The parade was what it always was and why are you disturbed by people jumping the barriers and getting (too) close to cars that you admittedly don't own.
The French security allowed it obviously upto a point and frankly the parade is a must-see thing once, maybe twice but after that it's more of the same.

If you had gone from the tramway to the nord-entrance of HA you would have had no problems at all.

Sorry mate I too hate a-holes playing loud music in the middle of the night, but if you _have_ to be up early and can't use earplugs than just accept it, deal with the source, book a later ferry or find a hotel for that night.

Nope the Le Mans week can be very good but you'll have to be informed and that is what CA(guide) is for.

BAS...

Not getting at you.

My group had been getting bigger and bigger each year. Last year a lot had seen enough, no massive car crashes but a fair list of "issues".

Being the souls we are, we over came them somehow and with a lot of help from people who use this site.

The "knob" element are too simular to those i meet dy in , day out, so i either confront them ( sometimes risky - i have got away with it most times ) or ignore it. f**k em. There sad little deparved minds can only cope with one being, regrdless of which country they live in.

We have got through..

Bottle of red wine smashed over an open TVR ( sister driving )
Bottle of piss thrown at bus.
Bottle of beer thrown in open wondow.
Pint and glass thrown over me ( small confrontation afterwards )
Car door wrecked fom un-insured car
SPS banner nicked ( and recovered from rick )
Theif caught in our camp on Maison Blanche
Broken motorbike
Idiot controllers and CRS, Customs
Brittany Fisheries ( says it all )
Loud German loved music - suropop stuff.
Gennies that were "stopped " in the night


All got sorted, and most people actually helped to remidy it. The folks i thought who damaged the genny helped us fix it ( always helps having SKY tv when football is on )

I couldnt go this year, and was a little gutted. The girlfriend wasn't, but i'm already sorted for going next year.

** Would i guess you live in a nice area ?? **

Robbo,

There is no excuse for leaving a gennie running at night ! Personally i would have got out my tent to go and switch the bugger off as well.

Have to admit, reading all of this really makes me want to go back.  Last time I was there was 2002, and I'd thought the event had to sh*t in a handbascket then, but Yeesh!  I'll stay here and go to Sebring, and the Petit.  Where we don't don't have to worry about theiving f**k*rs, angry pikies, drunk idiots (well, there are some of those at Sebring), vandalizing bastards, etc.
Fax

Le mans to me is always what you make of it, all regulars know the problem areas, so if these are an issue for you avoid them  :). Different groups enjoy different aspects of the week at LM.The group you go with and people you meet have a big influence on your enjoyment of the event as does the quality of the racing (this year was a great race).
Our group range in age from 21 to 63 not everyone does the same stuff, but all enjoy the event  ;D. I am already putting together the 09 trip and have more people wanting to take part than ever  :) :).
I have only been going for the last six years and every year has been different, but thats part of the draw of LM you do not know what to expect from year to year, which keeps the level of interest high in the event.

This is a great place to be, filled with great people and one of the best motor sport events on the face of this planet.  :) :) :)

Last few years I have had plenty of 'sod this, never again' moments. I don't like camping as much as I used to, moaning mates, pikeys, warm beer, bad hangovers etc. But missing a year has helped me put things in perspective- its still the best gig in the world and I won't be missing any more!

Well, I had a great time, and I think the rest of our group did too.

I avoided the idiots.......watched all the racing I could manage (was awake for the whole race)......the car survived.......no speeding tickets........and I will go back next year.

Priority for me is the race, with some beer and fun thrown in when the cars are not keeping me entertained.

Already thinking to next year.

Not an old f*rtess at all.  I wish they wouldn't blo*dy come either.

Thought last year was worse. Had an excellent time this year, one of the best. Tecnoparc was realtively quiet due to it's late opening. The Gendarmes seemed to be getting a handle on the mad friday excess. Perhaps if the ACO and Gendarmes banned supersoakers and gopeds then some of the chavs may not come back.

Well said!

Hurrah! f**k*ng goped and monkey bike riding little twats. I thought the Cutler camp were rigging up some sort of garotte trap but just turned out to be routing a hose for their shower  :(

As for super soakers, marginally amusing until the booze kicks in and they start filling them with wine and piss. We popped out to Arnage on friday while they were still relatively sober but still had windows done up.

As for this thread, if you don't like it, don't go. Why do something you don't like? For me this year was one of the best ever but that's because of all the brilliant CA people I spent it with. I didn't go anywhere near the trouble areas because they don't interest me. I have to say that despite its openness, HA Nord had no thievery that I'm aware of which I was quite surprised about.

It is, as ever, all a matter of perception.  From another (non motorsport) forum today:

"Le Mans 24, Brit fans a credit!!
 
   
 
 
  Whilst driving through France en route to Le Mans and beyond, three days before the Le Mans 24, we were thrilled to be part of a massive UK (mainly lads) convoy to Le Mans.

There were hundreds of British sports cars, ordinary older UK cars painted in racing colours and numbers, vans and mini buses with notices announcing things like 'Lads Le Mans Tour'. Our favourite was the brightly coloured estate car that seemed to pass us time after time and had the words 'Beer Support Wagon' plastered all over it. And when we stopped in rest areas, there were often big groups of young Brits (behaving impeccably) and holding races in the car-parks for their remote controlled cars!

An absolutely fabulous atmosphere all along the A28 autoroute and the Brits taking part were a credit to themselves and the UK!

The sad thing was though, on our return to England last Friday, we saw a couple of the older cars that had given up the ghost on the way back. I only hope their owners go back for them at some stage and not abandon the cars in France for others to deal with ...  "

 
 
 

...what staying at home?

Great year, good to meet soo many from Club Arnage. Need to sort out tickets for next year for sure, Not using Brittany Ferries to many great shots of fun on LD Lines.

See you all at Silverstone for MKII.

Your login name is not fooling anyone ;)

brad u are vair quick  :D

I can login to what I like at Lunch nad after 5:30, so actually it was pure chance.....

not at looking at the post...derrrr....you are back to being slow....... 8)

and you're ginger, but do I abuse you for it??

We can't help the way we're made

<runs away>

Fast ? ? ? ? ?

Not bloody likely.....

brad i can always dye my hair........... ;)

and shave your box

kev how dare u offend me!!! i ALWAYS wax.... :D

Can't we tell your back Kev! a little braver as well i might add.........

Wot?!! Rex hasn't tempted you with the 'Gaffer Tape Pubes be Gone' kit available from all good Screwfix outlets ?

Rusty  ;D

Wax? Gaffer tape? Screwfix? Ginger? Sounds like my ideal night in!

With yourself I presume  ;D

If I'm lucky and Master's out with 'the boys'...

and maybe kev??? he deserves it....

and shave your box
[/quote]
Kev, you need to put that 1984 copy of Knave back into your secret hiding place and move forward in time...
The Buffalo forehead look is long gone mate.... ;)

I think that was the year he was born as well!

You may be right there....  perhaps the mag was a hand me down in the family ;D

Cold Beer, Fresh food....

No one hs ever actually turned it off until sunday evening..... it occasionally runs out of juice... or oil, or a spare plug, or iAN  bought one and it stopped.

This subject crops up every year, and each year i seem to make the same comments.

I have to say I entirely fail to see how things have changed to any remarkable degree in the last five years, that's but a blink of an eye in LM terms. The ACO have always been a complete bunch of muppets who couldn't organse a piss up in a brasserie. There's always been a hooligan element, and it's a lot less now than it was say twenty years ago. And why would you not expect to get a Gallic shrug, Le man's in France last time I looked.

We're all entitled to an opinion and nobody forces anyone to attend. Now call me a mysogenist, but perhaps LM isn't really for girls anyway, particularly not if all they're going to do is complain about everything.  :(

Replacement events? Maybe you could try the International Kitten and Needlework Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham.  ;)

Mmmm Kittens and Needles!!!

It seems to me to be mostly blokes doing the whingeing, non?

Nowt's gonna stop me coming (death apart, of course).

Call you a mysogenist, Andy?  Heaven forfend! ;D

You won't catch me complaining about anything..... one of the best bits of being "femme" at LM is jumping to the front of the toilet queue while all the blokes wait in line with their knees clenched together!   ;D

F

At times it was not my knees that were clenched!  ::)

   I must say that I saw no more loutish behaviour this year than in the past. In fact the short time that I spent at HA roundabout I found it to be a whole lot quieter than previous years due to an increased police presence. I assume that this was due to the new circuit entrance and the tram being accessable from the roundabout. This can only be a good thing as, the way it was heading, it was only going to be a matter of time before someone was seriously injured.

  OK, so my car and a few others were keyed on Friday night. It was bloody annoying as I thought that we all went to Le Mans because we liked cars. A bit of a downer but not the end of the world. This happens in any carpark in any town at any time of the year.

  Yes, the tossers riding around on gopeds and minibikes kicking up dust are annoying, but then so is a wasp buzzing around your picnic. Heaven knows what kick they get out of it but they are muppets and are easily pleased.

  The way I look at it is. If as many people who, having drunk as much, wandered around after a football match or congregated outside a town centre pub in England I'm sure there would be considerably more trouble and more tension in the air than any of us saw or felt at Le Mans.

  It's a matter of percentages, they say 260,000 people attended LM and how many reports of trouble were there? I can understand that if you encountered some of the few idiots that you would be pissed off but the vast majority, myself included, found it no more troublesome and intimadating than it has ever been.

  Get youself back next year. You'll only regret it if you don't.

The keying incident was really sad - as you say not least because we like to think we're here to enjoy the cars, not abuse them.  It's unknown over here normally, so I just hope this habit doesn't start to rub off on the locals.  The UK seems to be the only country on the planet which has this particular problem - I wonder why that is?

Deb, the consensus at the time was that it was done by French/pikeys, not Brits.

Only Brit cars were damaged. Someone had seen some swarthy looking French(ish)youngsters seemingly "casing the joint" on the friday night and had put them straight. It was assumed, rightly or wrongly , that they'd damaged the cars in retribution. 99.9% of the Brits who attend are petrol heads of one sort or the other, and whatever else they do, are not likely to damage cars deliberately.

Filthy untrustworthy foreigners, that's who did it.

 ;D
It does appear though, to be a peculiarly British thing (keying that is) the French are more into burning cars!

Unfotunately keying is common in France.

This sort of thing is not uncommon if you own a Ferrari in Paris and park in the wrong place.

Then I stand corrected, but I have NEVER seen it round here before.  Blame the Parisiens (definately a Sarthois sport!)

I can vouch that it also happens from time to time in Spain, Portugal and Italy.  And my GB plate car was grafitti'd in Germany (not sure what it said, but I am told the GB plate was relevant!).

Also had a campervan stripped down to the bare bones in Bilbao when parked overnight following a breakdown... they took everything - including the kitchen sink!

F

Don't think it was any worse than previous years - saw one fight in the Stella Bar on Friday night and one after the Starsailor gig.  There should have been another fight in the Stella Bar on Saturday when the atmosphere was really tense but nothing happened.

On the campsite (HAS) all seemed pretty laid back.

Maybe your average Sarthois vandal would rather burn cars as you say. They set fire to at least 5 cars in and around Le Mans on a Friday night last month.
The keying issue is not confined to Paris. The middle photo in my last post was from Qumper.
Sorry to bang on (and I promise not to post any more keying photos) but, whilst I've lived in France for a long time now, and love it dearly, I think we should avoid the rose-tinted "doesn't happen here" view. So the images below are of cars in Rennes, Dieppe and Annonay. Far enough apart - do those Parisian vandals get everywhere?

This happens everywhere in the world. Pathetic people who are jealous of other peoples belongings! Or just plain vandals with to much time on their hands. Ask Floris,his car was severely keyed in Breda, not one of the most dangerous cities in Holland. To bad it happened to numerous people on this forum, but I am affraid there is very little we can do about it.

Do you know what I did when I saw my car had been keyed?  I called nameless, faceless people horrible words, took a few photos (including one of the sign on the merc window ;)), then went and had a beer.  I then spent the rest of the LM weekend thoroughly enjoying myself.  Yes it's a pain in the @rse, but it's just a bit of paint at the end of the day, and no way am I going to let a scratch in a bit of paint ruin what was an excellent holiday spent with some of the best people I know.

I could have got really pi$$ed off about it but instead I chose to go out and enjoy myself, and do you know what?  I had one of the best weekends of my life.  The great memories I have of great times spent with great friends are worth every penny it will cost me to get the scratch repaired.  ;D

Dx

See, that's the spirit!!

Here here!  ;D

It might have been fun to catch them in the act too.

Yeah, that's exactly the spirit I had spending the night to monday sitting in my car as it was fully loaded and I had to wait for a new tyre from Point S monday monring. And that was after spending € 163,50 for towing and another 200 on monday for a Michelin. And another 160€ at home for a Continental as you're not allowed to run different tyres on one axle...

Anyone heard about people stabbing tyres on HA? Mine was damaged on the inside flank, I looked around and saw nothing harmful on the campground. Also the damage itself looked much like done by a screwdriver. Though it's hard to reach the inside with 8" wide wheels and being pretty low with the ride height.

Not to speak about the faulty german genny for a hundred (got that back) or 300 for an overpriced french genny...
It's Le Mans and as already said, if you're a regular you know where to go and where not to go on friday. And btw, we turned our genny off over night as we had a real fridge and temperatures were not that high overnight. Beer was still cold in the morning.

Yea it is the spirit.

Even after I got me genny nicked, my view was sh*t happens. I was just happy it was mine and not borrowed or hired.

Easy answer was just open another beer, even if it was a bit warm.

Mr Zarse.

I have a kitten you can practise with... He's currently known as hell boy.

Hell, even after nearly killing myself on the way there, did any of us think about turning round and going home???

I just hope for 2009 that all the groups are near each other. MB to HAN is too far to stagger to often!

Your LM spirit was very much in evidence, JPC.  I'm with you, although thus far (hand firmly gripping wood) I've been lucky.  I have even given Paul and my o/h strict instructions to dump my ashes on the Hunaudieres straight when I pop 'em so I'm going to be around forever, come what may.

Seconded about the painful walks - hopefully our dear Dutch friends will pull off the mass booking next year. :)

Its good to read the LM spirit aint dead, I for another had the best CA LM, blody excellents freinds met over the years, excellent time spent with them, also a few more faces put to names this year.
Don't let the buggers grind you down, some of us have the good sense to come back for more. ;D

Classic next month after a detour to Silverstone for some go-kart race!

Then that's it no Le Mans, or any "overseas" races next year(2009).

2010 maybe Sebring, LM classic with the Monte Carlo classic GP as an option along with Pau classic with WTCC a week later. All the normal UK stuff unless we don't run it (WTCC, A1GP, DTM) and assorted club meetings! 

Well said Doris. Spoken like a true Alfa owner <insert lame gag about the electrics giving up before the rust shows through here>

I do wonder whether we should all be together, it could get very insular and clannish. Much as I enjoyed my time in Stalag Catchpole in HAS, it was great to wander over to other deposits of CA ers round the campsites over the weekend.

And even after the Gimp, the thermite and the barbecues, I still have a job. WIld horses couldn't keep me away next year (Unless I can't get leave, in which case I shall sulk in a marked manner.

And Termie, Do be careful posting about firmly gripping wood, someone might spot an oportunity for mirth.

Agreed Nik, I enjoy the eclectic nature of the various sites and their occupants and the tours thereof. Do we really want to be like the Danes in their rows of identical Quechua pop up tents? It's not a pleasant thought, it would be too big and regimented. Team Zarse will continue to plough it's own unique furrow regardless. And I doubt it'll be on the newly souless Maison Blanch.

I admit it's different for me as I'm not around a lot when there's no racing on so I don't have much free time to wander the other sites (especially as I have my two encumberances to think about ::)) and visit everybody.  But I do take the CA ghetto point - we had really good neighbours on BN this year - French and English - and it is good to meet and chat to some different people.  There are upsides and downsides to everything, I guess.

Eleventh visit this year and I'll definitely be coming back. Sure, there are some idiots about, but fewer I think than a couple of years ago. I dont know anything in the Uk that compares. Give me a few beers, some charred meat, a muddy field and plenty of entertainment on and off track - I'll even forgive the b'stards on BSJ who played 1980s "classics" at 2000 watts until 5am on the last night. It would be too much like hard work not to come back!

Sorry to hear about the damaged cars - there are w**k*rs everywhere. But at least yours were still running. We lost one of our "British classics" about 1/2 hour out of calais on the way to the race.