Mad Friday

[Matt Harper]

but it must be possible for us Le Manners to police this ourselves in some ways.

squirting water in peoples eyes, threatening behaviour and destruction of private property is not acceptable and advising of the consequences of failure to abide by these simple rules.

People on here may disagree with this approach, but at least I am trying to suggest something positive before it ruins it for all of us. Somebody, surely, must have some ideas too.

Taking it upon yourself to enforce your (quite reasonable) standards on a bunch of drunken, sh*t for brains, scum-suckers is likely to end up in tears. Leafleting the arseholes is presuming they can even read.

What would the consequenses of failure to abide by the rules be?

Like you, Andy, I have some bad memories of late 80's Jaguar fever, which descended into another exhibition of English moronic pack behavior - where so called race fans threw rocks and bottles at Mercedes and Porsche road cars entering the Houx and Garage Verte car parks. The CRS quite quickly put a stop to it - and I don't really think there is any better response to 'the baying mob' than a good dose of whup-ass and the CRS have quite a rep for dishing it out.

Le Mans has become a party destination - no painless way of stopping this sh*t - particularly with pond-life that has no respect for law enforcement - or fear of the consequences of abusing law enforcement officers.  I really worry that we'll see water cannon and tear gas at Le Mans if this sh*t is allowed to get out of hand. Let the CRS crack a few skulls now and maybe it'll be nipped in the bud.

   

[Bob U]

Hopefully next year, being world cup year the moronic element will stay away from Le Mans and will either be in Germany or at home watching football on TV.
I for one would not relish a kicking as a result of intervening and asking these pricks to calm it and respect others property. So I'm afraid I stand back and say nothing (a sad reflection of our society) as many others do.
 It saddens me to read that one of these arseholes was wearing a CA t-shirt as this will reflect on all of us. In general I have only heard good things about CA members. People have commented on how advise has been offered and help given with problems without being asked for. I hope this was an isolated incident and this idiot has not blackened the name of CA.
Saying that it will never put me off returning to the worlds' premier motor racing event every year.

[Andy Zarse]

Matt, your right about the eighties, do you remember the big punch up in the beer keller in 88, with tables and chairs flying around like a hurricane had struck the place? Very frightening and being a coward by nature I exitted stage left with a German bloke and cleared off to another bar and had a pint with him.

I would add that general anti-social behaviour is not limited to the Brits. At 03.00am on sunday morning we spent ten minutes queuing to buy some chips. On reaching the head of the queue I was somewhat perturbed to be barged out of the way by a French guy who clearly thought he wouldn't waste his valuable time waiting to be served. A polite query on my part as to his intentions was greeted by a mouthful of abuse and a raised fist. My vernacular French isn't particularly good, but I certainly understood the gist of his sentiment. I therefore invited him to have a chat with the floor, travelling to his destination backwards over a bin. In hindsight things could have turned a bit nasty as he was with half a dozen pals.

[Nordic]

I think a couple of these may help keep things under control.

Will 'Pet World' be stocking them?

[Robspot]

I bet the guy with the monkey is thinking "sh*t, I wondered why it was so cheap"  

[Steve Pyro]

Although not an expert on these matters at all, it is my understanding that, in previous years, the 'party' element had got a bit out of hand at Sebring.

Hence, when I was there in March, I noticed that there was a strong, but silent, police prescence in parts of the camping and trackway areas.  

Apparently, the craze at one time was to wedge vast quantities of pissed youths in the back of pickup trucks (usually standing) and then hoon around the trackways.

All very well until some unfortunate fell out and was run over and killed.  So now the police seem to enforce a responsible attitude to drinking and driving within the site.

[chop456]

Although not an expert on these matters at all, it is my understanding that, in previous years, the 'party' element had got a bit out of hand at Sebring.

Hence, when I was there in March, I noticed that there was a strong, but silent, police prescence in parts of the camping and trackway areas.  

Apparently, the craze at one time was to wedge vast quantities of pissed youths in the back of pickup trucks (usually standing) and then hoon around the trackways.

All very well until some unfortunate fell out and was run over and killed.  So now the police seem to enforce a responsible attitude to drinking and driving within the site.

There were LOTS of undercover cops at Sebring this year.  They themselves will ride around in the backs of pickups holding empty beer bottles to fit in with the crowds.  They made a ton of weed possesion arrests this year, also.  From what I was told, the new county sherriff wanted a major crackdown this year to make a name for herself as being hard on crime and they arrested loads of people.