Sneaky French Copper (1 Viewer)

[deanroofing]

Homeward bound come through Rouen and the first Aire as you come out of Rouen, there was a copper hiding behind a post no high vis like our boys, with his speed camera just sticking out, glad l had the cruise control on, bet he got a few peeps.

 

[makems]

You want to see the "speed gun ninjas" in Morocco.
They will hide in between the Armco barriers in the centre reservation of the motorway and just pop up to fir the gun and catch you. Or hide behind the pillars of a bridge. Then radio his comrades who will be waiting at the next toll booth.
They will also choose locations such as outside the speed limit area to catch people speeding up as they approach the speed delimit sign. Or hidden in bushes or trees.
Sneaky so and so's, but if you stick to the speed limits they won't be a problem.

 

[JohnH]

Many years ago we took our two sons to France with a trailer tent. Lots of French drivers were flashing their headlights at us and waving. We thought then, what a friendly country and such lovely people. We had to stop a few kilometres further along for my eldest boy to relieve himself. He was only about nine and the washer was weak. He went to the nearest bush and starting relieving himself then shouted "why is that man watching me". I jumped to his defence and came face to face with a very bedraggled gendarme.
He was very upset and said something to do with going to change his shirt and the machine he had in his hand which was dripping with you know what.
I often wonder if a few motorists that day knew that a small English boy had saved them a few Francs.

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[Chris]

I saw loads of them hiding behind trees and signs on the exits to the motorway aires last week.

They didn't stop me thankfully as I didn't have my breathaliser kit, wasn't displaying GB plates, hadn't altered my headlights and didn't have any reflective vest or warning triangle.

 

[Fenman]

One of their favourites in France is, particularly on autoroutes, where the limit comes down to 90kph - often as you come to a viaduct or roadworks - and only a matter of yards inside that sign they will be hiding with the old hair-dryer in their hand.
It's very easy to miss those sudden drops as you simply aren't expecting them and concentration is a little lax when it's a long dual carriageway run.
And, of course, as they are not fixed traps then TomTom doesn't bleep for them.

 

[busby]

I saw loads of them hiding behind trees and signs on the exits to the motorway aires last week.

They didn't stop me thankfully as I didn't have my breathaliser kit, wasn't displaying GB plates, hadn't altered my headlights and didn't have any reflective vest or warning triangle.

You don't need a Breathaliser kit or or a GB plate if you have uk on your no plate...BUSBY.

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[Chris]

You don't need a Breathaliser kit or or a GB plate if you have uk on your no plate...BUSBY.

We don't have Uk on our plates(on my wife's car anyway).

 

[DanielFord]

I did see a lot of the Gendarmes hiding in very sneaky locations on our recent holiday. Hiding behind motorway bridge supports seems to be a favourite!
One jumped out on us in a 80kph over 3.5tonne section. He held the gun on us for ages, he must have been gutted that we were doing 50mph on cruise. It was running through my mind "It doesn't matter how many time you check, I ain't speeding!"

 

[KeithChesterfield]

I don't want to sound like a killjoy or jobsworthy but why haven't you got a High viz jacket/s and warning triangle in the vehicle?


Which ever country you're in it makes sense to have them and is definitely illegal in France not to have them and the fines are between €90 and €135.

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[DanielFord]

I don't want to sound like a killjoy or jobsworthy but why haven't you got a High viz jacket/s and warning triangle in the vehicle?


Which ever country you're in it makes sense to have them and is definitely illegal in France not to have them and the fines are between €90 and €135.

Agreed, it is a bit silly not to carry these items, OK they may well serve no purpose, but it is the law. I believe I picked up all of the above for around £15 from Halfords. Not a breath test kit, these are no longer mandatory, the lobbyist (who probably owned shares in a breath test kit company) failed to get the law to stick.

Every country has it's own laws, for example the road safety groups would have us believe that driving at 80mph on the motorway means that you are a homicidal maniac, however, that is actually the speed limit in France. Observe the law in the country you are in!

 

[Chris]

I don't recognise French law.

That's the simple answer.

I do though have high viz vests and triangle in the van.

 

[maison]

I saw loads of them hiding behind trees and signs on the exits to the motorway aires last week.

They didn't stop me thankfully as I didn't have my breathaliser kit, wasn't displaying GB plates, hadn't altered my headlights and didn't have any reflective vest or warning triangle.

But other than that, you were strictly legal.

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[Chris]

I don't recognise French law.

That's the simple answer.

I do though have high viz vests and triangle in the van.

Didn't phrase that very well.

What I meant to say was I don't recognise the authority of the French authorities to impose rules on me.

I know they have that authority and I would get fined if caught but its just my little pathetic protest.

 

[yodeli]

Well ... I don't have a breathalyser and I do have a GB stuck either on my car and on Max .... There is a small F too but who cares .... My heart is French but my spirit is English ... What can they do hey? No one has ever bothered asking me anything lol ! Mind you I have a big English flag on my car.... ok colours are different but you deffo recognise what it's claiming!

 

[busby]

Didn't phrase that very well.

What I meant to say was I don't recognise the authority of the French authorities to impose rules on me.

I know they have that authority and I would get fined if caught but its just my little pathetic protest.

Good job the majority of our immigrant population or foreign visitors don't think the same...BUSBY

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[Robert Clark]

Maybe he's fed up with scraping dead bodies off the road and has decided to take direct action?

 

[Mack100]

One of their favourites in France is, particularly on autoroutes, where the limit comes down to 90kph - often as you come to a viaduct or roadworks - and only a matter of yards inside that sign they will be hiding with the old hair-dryer in their hand.
It's very easy to miss those sudden drops as you simply aren't expecting them and concentration is a little lax when it's a long dual carriageway run.
And, of course, as they are not fixed traps then TomTom doesn't bleep for them.

Your Tomtom mustn't bleep anyway, it's an offence for a satnav device to warn of speed traps in France.

 

[DanielFord]

Your Tomtom mustn't bleep anyway, it's an offence for a satnav device to warn of speed traps in France.

TomTom updated their software, when approaching a speed trap, it now warns of an accident blackspot, which is of course perfectly legal!

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[Mack100]

TomTom updated their software, when approaching a speed trap, it now warns of an accident blackspot, which is of course perfectly legal!

That's right, I think you have to activate it as a warning sound in settings.
I haven't done this but it may be worthwhile, cheers!

 

[KeithChesterfield]

Not this time Inspector Clouseau

 

[filopastry]

Shock of shocks ..... ye olde (or young) Gendarmes do not really need a speed gun ... I believe if they say you were speeding then you were speeding. No cameras with double flashes with lines on the road to prove the distance travelled in a given time. cameras take one photo and bingo you win a prize. No euro equality here sirs, but then again if we speed "just a little" then its one point not three as in Blighty . Here a bald tyre .... naughty buy here's your fine maybe 90 euros .... BUT ..... no points strange init .... so much for Europe and equalisations eh??

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[EuroTrotters]

And I wonder how many of those old French boys and girls in the rusty old Renaults and Citroens done for not having high vis, spare bulbs, warning triangles etc.

Tax the Tourists

 

[busby]

And I wonder how many of those old French boys and girls in the rusty old Renaults and Citroens done for not having high vis, spare bulbs, warning triangles etc.

Tax the Tourists

Been going through France now twice a year for 15 years and never been pulled so either i am lucky or they are not picking on tourists,,,BUSBY

 

[filopastry]

And I wonder how many of those old French boys and girls in the rusty old Renaults and Citroens done for not having high vis, spare bulbs, warning triangles etc.

Tax the Tourists

Got to say we have an old citroen estate 328000 kms still going well rattles alot and been stopped 5 or 6 six times for random breath tests at all sorts of times of the day but never had a check for other items aboard ... don't think they do really unless you break down at the side of the road and don't have the triangle and high vis then BINGO. Generally Gendarmes don't seem to sit in laybys waiting for cars to pass by as in the UK .... there aren't THAT many of them really

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[sdc77]

And I wonder how many of those old French boys and girls in the rusty old Renaults and Citroens done for not having high vis, spare bulbs, warning triangles etc.

Tax the Tourists

I don't know anyone who's been done for that. .. know a few who have been caught speeding though. It's a calculated risk.. can't complain if you get caught.. (they all thought that way too)

 

[EuroTrotters]

I have seen numerous lay by and roundabout spot checks in France over the years. In Spain, we have been stopped and checked many times in cars, hire cars, minibus but never the motorhome.

I am all for the idea, should have more here.

Barely a mile passes without seeing illegal blacked out windows, no lights, smoke bellowing from engines, duff tyres. Basically a lot of very bad driving and illegal cars in the UK.

TM

 

[iandsm]

I have no problem accepting and obeying the law of whatever country I happen to be a guest in and I expect and require anyone coming to my country to accept and obey it's laws. i cannot see a rational reason not to do so.

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[B-well]

I saw loads of them hiding behind trees and signs on the exits to the motorway aires last week.

They didn't stop me thankfully as I didn't have my breathaliser kit, wasn't displaying GB plates, hadn't altered my headlights and didn't have any reflective vest or warning triangle.

Ahhhh the old grey waste pong.....................done the trick again did it.

 

[EX51SSS]

Didn't phrase that very well.

What I meant to say was I don't recognise the authority of the French authorities to impose rules on me.

I know they have that authority and I would get fined if caught but its just my little pathetic protest.

Their laws are not personal to you, as in imposed on you, they are imposed on everyone in the country whether French or not as out laws are imposed on everyone in this country whether British or not (except Scotland that has variations). Mind you, it does appear that our guests get away with breaking laws we wouldn't.
Why, if you visit France or any other country for that matter, not comply with their laws? I always thought that funsters were law abiding and trying to promote good conduct in whichever country they are in.
As a professional driver, I'm more than happy to comply with laws in whichever country I'm in. My licence is my livelihood and its clean and I drive around 70,000 miles a year in my job.
Why not stick to our laws not the French laws and drive on the British side instead of the French way?

 

[Chris]

Their laws are not personal to you, as in imposed on you, they are imposed on everyone in the country whether French or not as out laws are imposed on everyone in this country whether British or not (except Scotland that has variations). Mind you, it does appear that our guests get away with breaking laws we wouldn't.
Why, if you visit France or any other country for that matter, not comply with their laws? I always thought that funsters were law abiding and trying to promote good conduct in whichever country they are in.
As a professional driver, I'm more than happy to comply with laws in whichever country I'm in. My licence is my livelihood and its clean and I drive around 70,000 miles a year in my job.
Why not stick to our laws not the French laws and drive on the British side instead of the French way?

Bully for you

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