"Zoning" of Maison Blanche, Bleu sud and nord...

[rcutler]

Last year we saved space for other late arrivals and the space was not large for the number of people that were arriving. A 15m x 15m space housed the Brethren and the SPS Crew.

Groups like DfH they probably have more tickets then space as there is only one communal space in the middle as opposed to 5 or 6, and they tend to box the cars in.

The zoning idea I can't see being policed very well as last year we did not pay the early arrival fee due to not speaking French at the time .

I was glad to see that Sunday arrivals had been turfed off the site last year. It should be open to all at the correct time.

My main concern is groups not getting the plot they are all after leading to arguments when they camp together anyway. I wonder how many passes the group at the end of the MB road had for the 40m articulated lorry!

We plan to camp near or with DfH again and will need 4 passes to justify the space needed. Just imagine how much hassle it is to get 4 Zone X tickets for E**Y.

[termietermite]

I have e-mailed the ACO explaining our difficulties and the fact that we are (between us anyway) potentially a very large group many of whom want to be together.  I pointed out that this represents an important part of the event to many of us.  Watch this space - the ACO e-mail system is hit and miss as you know.
If all else fails, I'll nip in and see them.

[il Cavallino]

I think it would be best for the ACO to make a late arrival zone and leave the rest to what it is. They should make sure that people do pay for what they use. And it would be nice if (regular) groups can have pre-located zones.

That's probably better for the ACO too since they can control the groups better because they know they will be coming and will be using a large area.  If there is a location that is assigned to a certain group, ACO can make sure the group gets the area it wants and they can make sure the area is sized according to the tickets they have. Easier to check for them during the weekend too.

[Piglet]

There are lots of problems, but I don't see how zoning helps to solve that?   Perhaps someone can explain?

There has been a notional space allocation per ticket for years 7m x 5m - I've only ever seen the ACO checking overall pitch sizes to parking permits once.   I appreciate that this would be hard work but why not enforce this?  They managed to enforce no swimming pools last year so why is this beyond them? 

If they were serious about solving the problems they would either allocate pitches or enforce the space allocation and more importantly remove the farcical ability for anyone to pitch on the site for free as long as they don't bring their car 

Some of the space taken up is difficult to defend but again surely that is up to the organisers to deal with?   and again - Zoning helps this how? 

Late arrivals is a tough one - there is part of me that says the event starts on Wednesday (actually Monday arguably) - it's always going to be difficult to get space later in the week.  That's why we go early in the week.  If we didn't we'd try to get passes for Houx.   Again, I don't see how zoning on its own helps this? Perhaps a late arrivals area is a good idea - I've got mixed thoughts on this though.

As for being better for the fans - that's what we are - there are usually four or five of us - we need enough space for three sleeping tents, a kitchen tent and a gazebo for shade so we have three passes and this give us enough space.   The difficulty is that the system for getting tickets seems to be a lottery - Paddy applied in May last year and was 13th on the waitlist (IIRC) yet they told me that it wasn't possible to apply for tickets until June 6th.  I applied then and was rejected. 

How do the normal fans get tickets?    How do the people on ebay have 10 tickets to sell?  The only difference that zoning makes to this is to reduce the supply of tickets and thus put up the ebay prices of them.

Why not a sensible system for tickets, scrap the "magic list", enforce 2 GA tickets per camping pass , enforce the space allocation properly on arrival and carry out a sensible analysis of the number of "pitches" available and sell the correct number of tickets.

Oh and stop the ability for people to walk in with no bloody camping pass at all 

[rcutler]

Why not give out 4 bracelets per car with the ticket. That would stop minibuses with 12 people and 12 tents on one pass! Sorry Robbo

Send out a letter with the tickets stating that bracelets must be collected in person with ID from a central place at Le Mans. That would stop tickets going on Ebay and stop people brining over sized vehicles rammed full of people.

[IanB]

Right.. got our letter today Ref Maison Blanche , so with a cup of coffee or

two I have counted the proposed pitches available ( Sad I know but ) the

results  give or take one or two are as follows

                               Zone A    172 piches
                              
                                ZoneB     327

                                ZoneC      217

                                ZoneD      272
                      
                                ZoneE      184



                        Total Pitches  1172



   Doesnt seem that many to me

[Piglet]

Why not give out 4 bracelets per car with the ticket.

Good idea and thinking about it they do this for the Moto GP already.....

[termietermite]

So come along then guys and gals, why aren't you all suggesting these great ideas to the ACO?

[knetter]

Suggesting this to the ACO might not be such a bad idea. Hoping that they will do something with the info is another thing. For us, if we do not get any ticket allocation for MB it will probably be Beausejour then, cheaper, cleaner and no hassle. I am getting a bit tired with the ACO, why don't we move the circuit to Great Britain, seeing that most spectators are from overthere anyway.

[Lorry]

Why not give out 4 bracelets per car with the ticket.

We've been doing this for years - they say "If lost, please return to Maison Blanche"

Now we can quote a zone and maybe a pitch number too.

And we can't move the circuit to Blighty, it might put the Dutch off, if they had to pay UK duty on all that beer.

[termietermite]

Suggesting this to the ACO might not be such a bad idea. Hoping that they will do something with the info is another thing. For us, if we do not get any ticket allocation for MB it will probably be Beausejour then, cheaper, cleaner and no hassle. I am getting a bit tired with the ACO, why don't we move the circuit to Great Britain, seeing that most spectators are from overthere anyway.

20% as a matter of fact.  And anyway, they'd put it on at bl**dy Silverstone, wouldn't they!

[redstu]

If they were serious about solving the problems they would either allocate pitches or enforce the space allocation and more importantly remove the farcical ability for anyone to pitch on the site for free as long as they don't bring their car 

Can't be that many people just turning up without cars though, if there (aco) was they would probably have found a space unsuitable for cars and charge for the privilige.And anyone without a car takes up far less space anyway.

The popularity of the event increases and the available space is now probably too limited.

Best not  complain too much or they may just take the english way of dealing with shortage of supply and hike the prices.

[garyfrogeye]

Sounds like that for 2008 we should have another go with our old idea of doing a CA mass booking with the ACO to get some campsite which we can "zone" according to our own needs, the "tropicoma zone", the "heineken zone",...

I fully support Werners idea.
As someone who can only get off work from Friday to Monday, I'd be buggered if it wasn't for my CA friends saving me a pitch.

Am I correct in saying that a camping pass allows a specific number of tents (something like five, i thought) or is it worked out by the size of pitch.
Either way, mine just covers Me, my two man tent and an 11ft 4 inch x 4ft 4 inch car.

[mal]

I must admit I have always found it annoying that a single guy on a motorbike and a small tent has to pay the same a twentry guys with a coach and twenty tents.

As for our group we all take two seater sports cars and bikes and therefore have to have 22 camping tickets for just 35 people.

The only fair way is that you pay for the area you use, which suggests pitches, but it needs to be done in such a way that groups can be put together and spread over a number of pitches

[knetter]

What would the effect of zoning be on the commercial vendors of the tickets? I wonder, if you order tickets from justtickets or what have you, do you all get them in the same zone? Or will they just supply them as they get them from the ACO. Or maybe they only sell tickets for the areas which are not in the zones but around them?? My bet is that this thread is going to be a long one!