France: FLT's beware

[eurajohn]

There are many posts referring to the increasing trend for French communes to charge for overnighting in their village or town, a lot of them are resorting to providing a paid for decent area with controlled access, often what used to be the municipal campsite.
Having provided the facility they are keen for motorhomes and PVC's to use them, there are still many users that will not pay, so continue to park up wherever they can, to try to stop this many have resorted to placing notices prohibiting overnight motorhome parking, many of the communes have been taken to law and have found to be unlawful in the placing of and wording of such signs.
It seems a few have resorted to another lawful way of ensuring the supplied space is used.
A decree which prohibits night parking for certain vehicles, not motor homes, but “ Vehicles transporting gas cylinders or storing waste water ”.
A clever wording as in French law the motorhome does not constitute a category of vehicles.
Apparently it is also OK for them to only post such prohibition notices on the feeder road into village rather than adjacent to the area in question, fines issued for non compliance are apparently being enforced.

 

[Figaro]

I'll bet the French motorhomers shrug and ignore it

 

[eurajohn]

I'll bet the French motorhomers shrug and ignore it

I got the info from a French motorhome magazine and apparently fines are being given for being ignored, one person that received a fine, claimed because they arrived during a heavy storm they couldn't or didn't se the signs, they had to pay up anyway.

 

[gpat]

There are many posts referring to the increasing trend for French communes to charge for overnighting in their village or town, a lot of them are resorting to providing a paid for decent area with controlled access, often what used to be the municipal campsite.
Having provided the facility they are keen for motorhomes and PVC's to use them, there are still many users that will not pay, so continue to park up wherever they can, to try to stop this many have resorted to placing notices prohibiting overnight motorhome parking, many of the communes have been taken to law and have found to be unlawful in the placing of and wording of such signs.
It seems a few have resorted to another lawful way of ensuring the supplied space is used.
A decree which prohibits night parking for certain vehicles, not motor homes, but “ Vehicles transporting gas cylinders or storing waste water ”.
A clever wording as in French law the motorhome does not constitute a category of vehicles.
Apparently it is also OK for them to only post such prohibition notices on the feeder road into village rather than adjacent to the area in question, fines issued for non compliance are apparently being enforced.

I think that's fair enough. The whole point of the community providing an aire is to bring business to the town. If people just freeload then what's in it for the Town.

 

[Stealaway]

Not really a problem.There are still hundreds of free Aires to stay overnight at before having to pay a bean, obviously us committed FLT will be sticking to them.

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[gpat]

Not really a problem.There are still hundreds of free Aires to stay overnight at before having to pay a bean, obviously us committed FLT will be sticking to them.

Even free Aires cost somebody something. What do you think gives you the right to freeload off them. Human civilisation depends upon trade. You give something...you take something. If everyone only takes them that model isn't sustainable.

 

[Jays2]

Go Diesel with your services , and no grey water capture. Fixed

 

[Stealaway]

Even free Aires cost somebody something. What do you think gives you the right to freeload off them. Human civilisation depends upon trade. You give something...you take something. If everyone only takes them that model isn't sustainable.

What do you mean by freeloading.
They are provided free by the local town's to encourage you to stop over and maybe spend some money in their town .
Have I gotten it wrong?

 

[GJH]

What do you mean by freeloading.
They are provided free by the local town's to encourage you to stop over and maybe spend some money in their town .
Have I gotten it wrong?

Possibly. See This Post from a few years ago.

In any case, the premise put forward only works if the cost of providing something without charge is affordable to the town.
If it isn't, perhaps because costs have risen or users aren't spending enough in the town, the model doesn't work.

 

[jongood]

This is almost certainly aimed at a small proportion of the French Camping Caristes, The ones that will take a plastic bottle to the toilet tap rather than stick a euro in the slot.

Thanks for posting it though eurajohn its one to look out for. Our position is that we re happy to pay for whats provided as long as its practical for our needs. If it isnt then the next place down has probably got one that is France is great like that.

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[nicholsong]

What do you mean by freeloading.
They are provided free by the local town's to encourage you to stop over and maybe spend some money in their town .
Have I gotten it wrong?

I think I am with Alex Stealaway on the use of the term 'freeloadng', because to me it means not paying for what you should have paid for.

My Mother was Accomodated by RUKBA charity when she could not look after herself. She paid over her State Benefits to them but the rest was free - was she 'freeloading'? Same with all other recipients of charities.

The towns and villages with free aires are entitled to take that decision.

Singling out MHs by whatever wording when allowing cars to park for free seems discriminatory, especially if the MHs only need parking and not services.

How are these towns/villages policing this policy, by the Gendarmes or Mairie staff? Are they going to trawl all the side-streets, and what search warrants are they equipped with, if an owner remains silent as to what he has onboard?

The policy might benefit the adjacent town/village which does provide a free aire, so could backfire on those with restrictions.

Geoff

 

[gpat]

What do you mean by freeloading.
They are provided free by the local town's to encourage you to stop over and maybe spend some money in their town .
Have I gotten it wrong?

No you haven't got it wrong. You are spot on. Its the people that exploit it that spoil it for everyone else. If everyone just stayed on the Aire didn't visit the town then the town would just say enough is enough and shut the Aire.

Thankfully most people understand how the system works and are seen to visit the town

When we stay on an Aire we always make a point to tell the restaurant or bar so they know what a benefit the aire is.

 

[minesapint]

What do you mean by freeloading.
They are provided free by the local town's to encourage you to stop over and maybe spend some money in their town .
Have I gotten it wrong?

If the village/town has got arranged free parking it will probably be near to shops and restaurants, which for most of us is great.
gpat has got the answer, better than I but from a personal point of view, we like to use local restaurants etc.

If we do not use the Aires and the village/towns facilities they may just decide to close them.

So you may have got it wrong.

 

[deleted79651]

We have a free aire [toilets and fresh water only, with hardstanding parking] in the village where our hovel sits. We receive an annual summary of the village expenditures that explains every activity/service where our Council Tax is spent [never looked for M/Home expenditure because we only bought Brunhilde 7 months ago], so we are paying to provide a free to use service, in the hope that you will at least buy a couple of baguettes, or buy lunch from the Bar opposite ...

Steve

 

[adymazz]

Wtf will people stop using abbreviations!!!!

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[Coolcats]

Wtf will people stop using abbreviations!!!!

Wait till generation z join the site I was reading that they use abbreviations a lot such a K k. kk it’s a brave world out there and I blame the parents lol

 

[spitfire]

We have a free aire [toilets and fresh water only, with hardstanding parking] in the village where our hovel sits. We receive an annual summary of the village expenditures that explains every activity/service where our Council Tax is spent [never looked for M/Home expenditure because we only bought Brunhilde 7 months ago], so we are paying to provide a free to use service, in the hope that you will at least buy a couple of baguettes, or buy lunch from the Bar opposite ...

Steve

Might you the odd baguette won’t keep an aire open !!

 

[Googlebot]

Might you the odd baguette won’t keep an aire open !!

Will 2 croissants, a pain au raisin and pan de Sucre each day. It would be more but the wife doesn’t eat bread.

Oh and a baguette for lunch?

Also the odd patisserie for desert….

I like French bread shops!

 

[spitfire]

Will 2 croissants, a pain au raisin and pan de Sucre each day. It would be more but the wife doesn’t eat bread.

Oh and a baguette for lunch?

Also the odd patisserie for desert….

I like French bread shops!

Mmmm better but not quite there yet !

 

[deleted79651]

Might you the odd baguette won’t keep an aire open !!

The Boulanger does just about keep in business with the locals [village population 944], and with the Village having taken the capital cost of the ovens into its ownership, renting them back to the boulanger after the previous owner went bust. The income from passing trade can make the difference to keeping the village alive and it dying on its knees, leaving everyone to drive 5 miles each way to the local town, not something that the elderly residents can all manage.

The Council Reps and the Maire work hard and imaginatively to keep the village alive, something FLTs may not realise ...

Steve

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[spitfire]

The Boulanger does just about keep in business with the locals [village population 944], and with the Village having taken the capital cost of the ovens into its ownership, renting them back to the boulanger after the previous owner went bust. The income from passing trade can make the difference to keeping the village alive and it dying on its knees, leaving everyone to drive 5 miles each way to the local town, not something that the elderly residents can all manage.

The Council Reps and the Maire work hard and imaginatively to keep the village alive, something FLTs may not realise ...

Steve

Ours also closed two years ago but reopened last month but so hope it survives . We have lost our bar hairdresser and pharmacy in the last 17 years hence my reply

 

[two]

There's no such thing as a "free lunch".

 

[barsteward]

Will 2 croissants, a pain au raisin and pan de Sucre each day. It would be more but the wife doesn’t eat bread.

Oh and a baguette for lunch?

Also the odd patisserie for desert….

I like French bread shops!

I probably would like French bread shops if I had some teeth to eat the crusty bread with Sucking it for an hr or two doesn't really do a lot for me especially when my Fray Bentos pie is going cold.

 

[Googlebot]

I probably would like French bread shops if I had some teeth to eat the crusty bread with Sucking it for an hr or two doesn't really do a lot for me especially when my Fray Bentos pie is going cold.

You need to eat it straight away, everyone knows French bread hardens like quick set tile adhesive.

 

[barsteward]

You need to eat it straight away, everyone knows French bread hardens like quick set tile adhesive.

And I've been using Fixadent why didn't I think of Patisadent before

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[spitfire]

You need to eat it straight away, everyone knows French bread hardens like quick set tile adhesive.

Because it has no preservatives

 

[jongood]

The Boulanger does just about keep in business with the locals [village population 944], and with the Village having taken the capital cost of the ovens into its ownership, renting them back to the boulanger after the previous owner went bust. The income from passing trade can make the difference to keeping the village alive and it dying on its knees, leaving everyone to drive 5 miles each way to the local town, not something that the elderly residents can all manage.

The Council Reps and the Maire work hard and imaginatively to keep the village alive, something FLTs may not realise ...

Steve

I love France and their attitude to lifestyle values, but I do think they could help themselves by being a little more focused on their businesses. We also try to compensate a little more for free aires but have been disappointed many times because even though according to the sign on the restaurant/bar door it should be open it just isn't and have many times settled into a bar when the owner then decides to close because they've made enough for that day.

 

[Coolcats]

You need to eat it straight away, everyone knows French bread hardens like quick set tile adhesive.

It’s because they do not put fat in the dough ( or all the emulsifiers and other gloop found in mass produced bread )

 

[Coolcats]

.

 

[sciac2001]

I’ve always thought that services should be paid for by users.

(In Spain eg I can always “feel” and understand the dislike that locals show when they witness motorhomes which most cannot even begin to afford, filling up free of charge the drinking water which they themselves have to budget and pay for. Especially galling when the topping up motorhomes are the behemoths taking hundreds of litres at a pop.)

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