Toys out of Pram. Overtaking Roger Wills cost me 90 Euros for the MRL race at Le Mans

[MartinSmith]

Thats right all, for those of you that were not on Facebook, On the way down to Le mans last week...I noticed a car coming the other way down the peage flashing his lights...I eased off to see a creamy white 4x4 on my side of the road...clearly caught speeding....poor chap I thought...

about 20 mins later and the same white 4 x 4 (although i didn't realise it was) is now in my mirror....and he and I now begin to play....you know...he goes in front, then I do...then he does....anyway ...I get bored and overtake him...and put my foot down....suddenly...he eases off and I wonder why

round the corner a lone figure on a motorcycle is awaiting...I have now slowed...and as soon as I pass him....he joins the motorway....and...he has friends...they are blue and are attached to his handlebars....he signals for me to pull off.

I must say he was the politest (and actually quite dishy) copper..."'Bonjour Madam....szis car...is a very fast car....but it should only ave been doing 130 kph....but it was doing 158kph....." "the fine for this is 90 euros and is payable immediately!"

Trouble is we only had 87 on us!!!! so we had to be escorted to a local bank to get some funds!

He then escorted us back to the motorway and waved goodbye

Moral of the story...If ya wanna race Roger Wills.....do it on a track....although...thinking about it ...it wont be any cheaper at all to do that will it!!!

[henk4]

this wakens up the moralist inside me. Do not ever race ANY car on the French motorways, they are already dangerous enough....and around LM time, you can be sure the police is extremely active.
(And Gary Pearson and Jon Minshaw love racing Roger Wills...)

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/galle...i-5300-GT.html

[Tim Falce]

It's OK Claire, just give us the nod and we can give him a few weeks ban from here, that'll learn im.

[MartinSmith]

Thanks Tim

I fear I may have used the wrong terminology, but I can so there.

When I say "racing" perhaps I should have said "Overtaking" as that is what I actually did at just under 100 MPH (158KPH) sorry if I have offended anyone!


Tim, change the tittle to "Overtaking Roger Wills cost me 90 ........" please if you could x

[Mike Bell]

When the Superbikes come to Snetterton the A11 has cameras and radar everywhere. So what do the bikers do? Ride at the speed limit! That foxes them.......

[midgetman]

Mike, let's hope Claire hasn't got ideas for next time *someone* is caught speeding in the pit lane at the 360

[MartinSmith]

Now Now Mr T....Peage is a big wide road with three lanes....Pit lanes are about ten foot wide with pedestrians!!

[henk4]

Originally Posted by ClaireSmith

Now Now Mr T....Peage is a big wide road with three lanes....Pit lanes are about ten foot wide with pedestrians!!

but peage is used by French drivers...

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by ClaireSmith

Tim, change the tittle to "Overtaking Roger Wills cost me 90 ........" please if you could x

Done.........................sort of

[chunder]

Lincolnshire used to call Cadwell PArk superbikes, pay day

Scotland has to be the worst, going up there before a bank holiday I have heard countless stories of scores of English being done for pathetically low speeds or very minor offences, speed camera vans everywhere etc.

Easy pay day for the Jock polis I guess

[terence]

Sitting there at 140mph was quite amusing seeing all of the cameras pointing north.On the south bound side. Being on the Northern direction,not one ticket!

[The Fat Clerk]

I find Wales much the same. Every time we go to a rally there we see unmarked vans parked up looking to nick people.

[GORDON STREETER]

http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....9&postcount=26

I actually got carted off to the nick until I paid one in France back in the 70s.
I was towing a speedboat enroute to Spain and got done for 140km, I think the fact that I jokingly said that "it's a speedboat so it has to go fast" did'nt work with their sense of humor !

[Alan Raine]

I was stopped in Chenonceau a few years ago. Le plod got a bit of a surprise when they tapped on the window and found my wife driving without a steering wheel

They then asked me how much I'd had to drink, believed me and let me go (not that I'd had a drink anyway...hic!)

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Alan Raine

They then asked me how much I'd had to drink, believed me and let me go (not that I'd had a drink anyway...hic!)

I used to do a lot of Disco work back in the 70s and I got pulled up at about 4am coming home from London in the van, the copper talked to me through the window and asked me what I was doing and had I had any intoxicating beverage, and then his attention was attracted to a topliss "young thing" in the passenger seat ! he then walked round to the other side and tallked to her for a while and asked if "everything was all right".
When she said "no problem officer" he promply waved us off

[SidewaysFeltham]

Word to the wise.......

Living much of life now in la belle France, it is now la vacance season and the Police Nationale, Police Municipale and Gendarmerie Nationale can all serve traffic duties: as can and do the riot squad, the CRS (Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité) and the Gendarmerie Mobile.

Quite some years ago, with the panic rush to leave the cities and head South for the sun, the old RNs were littered with dead, dying and seriously injured.

Along with the rapid roll out of new Péages (Toll Roads) and Autoroutes (free motorways), a wholly new civil Code for driving was brought in.

Now personally, I much prefer the concept of clear legal parameters for moving vehicle offences, rather than the UK's archaic woolly system dating back to the 1930s: careless, lack of due care, lack of consideration etc. Plod can take his pick of which tree to hang his pointed hat on.

Speed: 130 KPH max on péages and autoroutes so marked: however, be careful as the speed often drops to 110 KPH ahead of major junctions and towns; suddenly!

When raining, max speed drops; 130 drops to 110 and so on.

Driving too close: code offence: double the distance when wet. Headlights must be deployed in wet, drizzle and mist.

Cutting in too quickly after overtaking: code offence.

Lane changing for no good reason: code offence. Lane weaving: code offence.

If non-French registered vehicle, must have either a Euro index plate or GB badge/sticker. Beam deflectors, mandatory, unless headlights adjustable to change dip beam to the right.

Hi Vis tabards (2) and a triangle mandatory. and must be within the vehicle, not in the boot or tailgate area if an estate.

Mandatory now are at least two Alco-Test kits, within date and French approval. Buy these in France, not from ferry and Eurotunnel terminal.

Sources: a Tabac; Gifi; Kandy; etc. Here you will pay just €2 per kit, as against the obscene prices in UK!

On public holiday weekends, les flics often gather at the exit roads from major autoroutes, pull everyone over and breathalyse the lot!

I always carry,a complete spare bulb kit; not mandatory, however if a bulb blows then you can be nicked on the spot.

Plus first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.

Now Claire I'm sure will emphasise. The average A127, A13, M25 driver hooligan in Essex nicked by a French traffic cop would be walking, after driving too close, cutting in, lane weaving and etc.



(The worst drivers I regularly encounter hitting the autoroute just outside Calais, are the standard 4X4s particularly Range Rovers, and Audis, mercs and Bimmers; all carrying UK registration. Still think they are on the M25!)

Yes, walking: since on the spot fines apart, if the cop is really peed off at you then he will confiscate your wheels and take them to a gendarmarie some distance away to teach you a lesson.

If France has just lost the rugby World Cup or a major footer match then the Brit registered car is a magnetic target and they will go all through to check you and your car's compliance.

Same with major events like Le Mans: far too many clever buggers believe they can burn up the French roads en route: and the Gendarmarie and Police Nationale plus the CRS will be out in droves.

Tempting, I know, as in majority French autoroutes and Péages are wide, multi-laned, very well surfaced and often rather empty, compared to the UK.

Also remember if you are staying in say a Gite and decide to pop down to the village to grab a baguette: do not forget to take your passport, driving license, MOT cert if required and insurance details and cover note. Illegal to drive in la belle France without all these docs.


Be safe- Drive safe.

[henk4]

please post the above again around June 10th next year

[Aysedasi]

Agreed.

But hey, just slow down.... There's no need for paranoia about speed limits in France if you just slow down. How many of us actually needed to go fast for any particular reason? Staying off the major routes, avoiding the peages takes you through some seriously beautiful countryside - which we were determined to enjoy. And anyone can do it now, thanks to the wonders of satnav or a decent navigator!

[henk4]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Agreed.

But hey, just slow down.... There's no need for paranoia about speed limits in France if you just slow down. How many of us actually needed to go fast for any particular reason? Staying off the major routes, avoiding the peages takes you through some seriously beautiful countryside - which we were determined to enjoy. And anyone can do it now, thanks to the wonders of satnav or a decent navigator!

and the irony of it all is that your are actually allowed to go faster on the peage than ANYWHERE on your bloody island

[Aysedasi]

Quite so!

[SidewaysFeltham]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Agreed.

But hey, just slow down.... There's no need for paranoia about speed limits in France if you just slow down. How many of us actually needed to go fast for any particular reason? Staying off the major routes, avoiding the peages takes you through some seriously beautiful countryside - which we were determined to enjoy. And anyone can do it now, thanks to the wonders of satnav or a decent navigator!

Necessary to equip oneself with a good set of French maps, IMHO.

Friends came to visit and stay over a couple of years back; and he was burning to show off his new Jag and its whizzy satnav.

Returning from the coast and our favourite seafood restaurant, normally takes circa 1 hour 20 ish.

Thanks to the whizzy sat nav it took over two hours and involved a hugely circuitous meander along tiny rural roads, around farms, through herds of cows. Exciting!

I gave them clear simple instructions for the route when they exited Eurotunnel at Coquelle first of all.

Huh! Who needs such! SatNav works far better!

We were holding a meal and our guests arrived, tired, wan and anxious after about 2 1/2 hours when it takes me 50 minutes!

[Aysedasi]

Depends what settings you put into it in the first place.......

[SidewaysFeltham]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Depends what settings you put into it in the first place.......

Well I watched him programme the destination: indeed, I provided our code postale.

Problem in la France profonde is there are dozens of different ways to get from A to B through minor roads......

[henk4]

Originally Posted by SidewaysFeltham

Well I watched him programme the destination: indeed, I provided our code postale.

Problem in la France profonde is there are dozens of different ways to get from A to B through minor roads......

that is why Tour Auto is always such a discovery trip...

[john ruston]

...and most drive stupidly on Tour Auto.It is crazy on road sections.