I was one of the many caught between Alencon and Sees during the return trip on Monday at about 10.30am. Lovely stretch of new dual carriageway begging for it!. They clocked me at 168 Kph - didn't see the camera (hand held in the bushes). Pulled in by a bike cop at the end of the carriageway into a comandered yard - plenty of parking. I was told that I could no longer drive in France and had my License confiscated. The gendarme asked if my son had a license - I replied no, he's only 17 (min age 18 for driving in France, so no insurance and has the car is a DB9 there is no f**k*ng way he was going to drive it. He then told me that the fine was 750 euros (£630). I didn't have that much on me so he said I could drive the car to the nearest cashpoint providing I let him have my Passport. On my return from the cashpoint my son told me that me they had done another six while I was away (15 mins) and there were 4 more in the queue to pay after me. Once I had displayed enough remorse and parted with the cash the kind gendarme allowed me to continue drivng but kept my license. My license was posted back to me within 5 day with no points but I received a ban from driving in France for 6 weeks - shame!
I told the gendare that he would be busy that day what with all the ENGLISH going home. He replied that it wasn't just the English and that they had been there all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday. When he took out an envelope stuffed full of euros I remarked that they should be careful that they did't get mugged and I wished him a 'bonne vacance' when I handed the cash over - which raised a chuckle from his chums.
I then proceeded on my way with the cruise control set to 110 kph - thereby saving a sh*t load on petrol up to Cherbourg.
I was wondering, what with modern technology, whether there was some way of fore-warning fellow brits of such nasties - perhaps by text etc - I'm sure one of you techies out there could think of something!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS
I've had the ticket framed
PPS
We had the last laugh - stopped for a coffee half hour up the road and one of my friends who was pulled in with me produced a bunch of keys from his pocket - 'LOOK WHAT I'VE GOT' he said.
'WHAT'S THAT' I enquired.
'THE BIKE COPS KEYS' he replied