Campers abused by the ACO in 2007!

[Christopher]

KN was the usual free for all (apart from the large areas sectioned off for the sea of red tour tents).

[JDS]

Are the ACO saying all sites will have numbered pitches? I've only seen it mentioned before in relation to Maison Blanche. It won't be the same at all if we don't get our usual track-view pitch on Tertre Rouge.

I thought it was for MB, Bleu Sud and Bleu Nord only.  But if BSJ was marked out in pitches this year, it would appear that they will be numbered next year.

What about the other sites??  KN?? Expo??  Were they marked out in pitches this year??

Del

Well, I for one am hoping KN stays the free-for-all it always has been ("DanishTown" excluded) as it gives me the chance to put the camper next to the fence lengthwise so we can sit on the roof (or lie inside and watch when it's pishing down) to watch the race. I'm sure ultimately all the sites will be marked and it'll all work out (there will be a way to specify what pitch 'type' ie: to make a square or rectangle etc. you need/want at ticket request time), but it will take a good few goes to get it right and for the moment I'll be happy with the 'chaos' that non-marked pitches brings, it's all part of the weeks entertainment.

[Topcatz]

The 'free for all' pitch selection is a much more enjoyable experience. We found the 'neighbours' much more relaxed and friendly when they/we had chosen our own location.

This year, with it's allocations, was a little more tense, not unfriendly, but I think people felt that they were crammed together a little too much, it's that rats in a cage thing, overpopulation causing stress levels to rise.

Got the impression from the folks we spoke to, that it took a few days before they felt at ease with those around them, whereas in previous years there always seemed to be a free exchange of beer and help (or beer for help!) and idle banter from the outset.

I really do think the 'organisation' has detracted from the 'community' spirit of years gone by.

[6 Euros - JD]

According to the ACO 2008 leaflet BSJ and the two new sites are not numbered however, in 2007, BSJ had two public sections. One offered the usual 5m x 7m pitches which weren't marked out while the other area nearer the bottleneck entrance offered 105m2 pitches which were marked out and numbered.

We had bought 4 pitches and had to undergo the Gestapo goose stepping out our allocated area. As it turned out (yes we did have a surveyor's measure!) we got a far bigger area than we had actually paid for.

The formality did detract from the atmosphere to start with but the weather kept most people holed up in their own accommodation quite a lot.

The 105m2 pitches were occuiped by large groups, most of whom departed on Sunday after the race. This left loads of cheap gazebo parts available to replace the ones that got wrecked in the severe storm of Wednesday evening. It also gave a setting for one of the  most surreal pyrotechnic displays ever. 5 or 6 gazebos sprinkled with barbeque fluid and then ignited with fireworks really has to be seen to be believed.

Damned resourceful fellows those Germans.

[nopanic - neil]

I think the ACO may have missed a point about having numbered pitches and the use of Gestapo enforcing the camping pitch areas.

If I can book my pitching area, and is numbered, so I know exactly where I will be camping. Then I have no worry or need to get there early.

I can turn up Friday or even Saturday morning, a good 3 days later than normal. And still get a good camping place.

Which means they and the Le Mans area, will loose 3 days of me spending my hard earned cash. Multiply than by others who can and will do the same. So in the long term the will have a lot less money in there coffers and in the local community.

Yes I will miss meeting up mad with all the other mad people and the crazy antics that go on.

But I won’t miss the queues for toilets (and the game of toilet seat roulette – spin the wheel, will I get a toilet seat or not), the showers and the training ground for the new fanatical security guards (who all bugger off by Sat mid day - so who was the security for?)

Which means they and the Le Mans area, will loose 3 days of me spending my hard earned cash. Multiply than by others who can and will do the same. So in the long term the will have a lot less money in there coffers and in the local community.

I still struggle to understand what the big plan is for Le Mans, what are they aiming to do?  In the short term or long term.

Can someone enlighten me, please?

[Lorry]

Can someone enlighten me, please?

Ummm  Its French, but the big money and corporate hospitality are rolling in and pushing the punter out

Numbered pitches would work but

1  It needs some clever oranisation 
2  You can't choose the numbers
3  By Thursday security have given up and its a free for all.  I think it goes back to the war  They make a big fuss to start with and then give up.

There were a couple of empty spaces next to us, did they notice (see point 3 above)

I think its all illegal anyway, as many French campsites quote the legislation and there has to be a 5 metre fire gap between units.  Not 5 inches