Chat Noir

Just heard from a pal back on UK. Apparently they are changing the goalposts and he has been told he won't get it until he's 65 now. Also the petition mentioned at beginning of this thread has now reached over 6,100 and apparently 10,000 signatures needed to prompt gov response, so getting there slowly but surely: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/52121  

The Help for Heroes charity Big Battle Bike Ride is passing through Pas-de-Calais tomorrow, Thursday 30 May, and Friday 31 May. So if anyone living en route wants to show some support, here are the links to the routes they are taking: Thursday: Amiens to Le Touquet http://www.mapmytracks.com/events/bbbr-day-3 Friday: Etaples to Calais http://www.mapmytracks.com/events/bbbr-day-4 Unfortunately there are no timings, only that they start at 07h30 each day. Probably a good calculation would be based on them travelling at about 15km an hour (as long at the hills aren't too steep!). Chat Noir

Coincidentally, after my experience, France 24 aired a report yesterday on the Paris scammers/pickpockets, so hopefully the message will filter through to other non-internet people - as an elderly expat couple I know had a similar scam pulled on them in their local Intermarché (where the thieves got away with his wallet!). When they reported the theft to the shop manager, he just shrugged his shoulders and said it was their fault - but admitted that the shop was being regularly targeted by a group of (alleged) Romanians and although there are security guards, they were not dealing with the situation. Disgraceful! Chat Noir

Just to warn anyone who shops in the Hesdin area that the deaf/dumb charity petition scammers are currently active in the local supermarkets. I was approached by one such scammer yesterday in Leader with a petition to sign, which I politely declined (having prior knowledge of such a scam and also my being of a very suspicious nature anyway!). I had also noticed - in the empty shop - that the alleged deaf/dumb petitioner was being monitored by a couple of 'heavies' standing oddly out of place at the end of the aisle I was in. No doubt the moment anyone is distracted their job is to move in for a swift pickpocket/handbag snatch, as is happening regularly on the streets of Paris, Lille etc. Once dismissed with my polite 'non merci', the chap left the shop (by the entrance, not the exit) with his two cronies following along behind. The only member of shop staff was busy stacking shelves in another aisle, completely oblivious to his unwanted visitors. Shoppers beware! Chat Noir

Update on our bridle path problem: the maire finally ordered a new sign and had it added to the post carrying the existing "no entry for cars, motorbikes and scooters" sign, warning that there would be sanctions for anyone who ignored the notice. Needless to say, everyone is continuing to ignore the notice and the maire is not bothering monitoring the situation in order to hand out the "sanctions"! Now we have another issue, so have approached our maire again but am not expecting a positive resolution, but some of you kindly folks here might have a solution (don't know if large blocks of concrete will work for this one unless dropped from above LOL). Our property is opposite a municipal camping site overseen by the maire (!!) and we have recently began to see a significant rise in noise disruption, comprising of one caravan owner seemingly running a carpentry business from his plot and running an industrial-size band-saw all weekdays day and all weekend (from 9am to 6pm). The secondary noise pollution is from occupiers of another caravan who insist on playing music at high volume, when they are in attendance at their caravan, mostly all weekend (Friday evening through to Sunday evening). The secretary at the maire advised us today that we can call the police to report such noise and we would be interested to know if anyone else has had a similar problem, if the police dealt with it, or if any further legal action was required and if so, what? Interestingly, in the same conversation, the maire's secretary mentioned that a 15 minute lawnmower session by my OH at 12 noon one day (didn't realise the time!) had attracted a telephone complaint to the maire's office by one of the offending caravan owners protesting that we were spoiling his lunch and warned us that we could liable to a police visit! Obviously to find out who the noise makers were we had taken a quiet wander around the caravan park and the secretary also told us that no resident of our village is entitled to enter the municipal caravan site due to not being insured against accidents - something that is not highlighted on any notice at the park gates, or detracts other locals from going about their business (dog-walking etc) in there. All sounds a bit one-sided to us?! CN

No but we have audio... although we have had trouble translating the grunts and eeks into recognisable English! Anyway on a serious note, we have just returned from a meeting with the mairie, his secretary and the sous-mairie, at which we drew to their attention the relevant code penal (provided by Clair in an earlier post). This woke them up and they have now agreed to present a complete dossier of all our photographs to the gendarmerie - together with the provision of a new and more prominent sign, which indicates that the bridle path is "interdit" to cars, motorbikes and mobilettes. They have also asked us to continue photographing those who defy the order on the sign. Many thanks for the advice given. CN

They already have...

idun has hit the nail on the head - there is no through road for cars due to a narrowing of the track through the forest and a gate at the other end. The young car drivers are using the track for racing purposes and the old muppets use it to reduce the length they need to go to walk their dogs/fish the river/snog, marry, avoid! To put Chancer further in the picture - no holding back info here - there is an official road sign (at the entrance to the track, which is right beside our front gate) for no entry to cars, motorcycles and mobilettes. This morning we had another example of arrogance, when a local (we know who he is) sped up the track in his jeep, spent some minutes collecting ferns from the forest, raced back down and nearly ran over a holidaymaker who was returning from fishing the river! And, yes, we have the evidence and am off to the mairie - again! CN

Again, many thanks Clair. We will go armed with this article and our latest photo evidence to the mairie. kind rgds, CN

It has crossed our mind...

Hi Clair Many thanks for your reply. Just to expand more on this matter. We have been complaining directly to the maire on this issue for over 5 years (two different mairies, in fact, as the original chap died in office). On several occasions the local gendarmes have been asked to monitor the situation, but do not have the resources (or care too much about the problem!). We have photographic evidence of many of the law-breakers, car/motorbike registration numbers etc, which the mairie and his secretary are keen to take possession of and positively encourage us to do. But then do nothing about it! Two years ago our neighbour (French) drew up an official letter of complaint that we all signed and it was presented to the maire and discussed at the council meeting - but no action was taken. We have asked that a barrier be put in place, but have been told that this would be denied under some local by-law. The track narrows down so cars cannot pass right through to the neighbouring commune (where there is a barrier!), but small motorcycles can pass right through and it is used as a regular short-cut in this respect. We recall reading somewhere that there is a code in French law whereby the maire is responsible for the safety and security of members of his/her commune. In our opinion car drivers ignoring a very prominent "no entry" sign and driving at excessive speed (we are talking 100kph!) along a single unmade track, used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders, is getting beyond a joke and we are looking for an appropriate solution. rgds, CN

Hi Am wondering if anyone knows what the relevant penal code is relating to public safety in your commune? For example, hooligans speeding in their cars on bridle path clearly marked "no entry" to vehicles. Thanks in advance. CN

In response to Patf's query on ambulance costs. I had similar situation before moving here full-time (so was not on French system) - suspected heart attack, pompier ambulance, nurse and 2 doctors who arrived from hospital and yep, cost was 1100€ and I was responsible to pay one-third of that. Good service though! CN

Many thanks for the quick response, parsnips. As you alluded to, French law is such a complicated system that we will be getting advice from a notaire on this. Merry Christmas! CN

I know this thread is over 6 months old but have just been reading through it - and a similar thread - to try and find some answers to my questions. Although similar to other posters (in as much as my OH and I have not children from our union but OH has - now grown-up - children from previous marriage) our situation is unique from those previously discussed here in that I am the sole owner of our property here in France. So if, under the laws of nature (being 20+ years older than me), my OH went first, would his children still have any lay to claim on what is effectively my property? And what if we went together (i.e. in an accident)? An interesting conundrum... CN

Thank you

Hi, does anyone attend a chiropodist in France? What is the procedure for booking an appointment? Direct or through your GP? Thank you.

In response to this interesting thread I want to warn people of signing up to the English-speaking companies as unlike their French contemporaries such as France Telecom and Orange, the likes of UK Telecom Ltd and Phonexpat are not signed up to “la Charte de Mediation des Communications Electroniques” (the Charter) and are therefore not regulated by either “le Mediateur des Communications Electroniques” or the “Authorite de regulation des communications electroniques et des postes” (ARCEP – www.arcep.fr), which according to ARCEP means that such companies are not authorised operators in France. Such companies are probably subsidiaries of authorised French telecom companies and if this is the case then you should be given a contract with the authorised French company but this does not happen. In the case of UK Telecom Ltd, documentation sent out to any potential new customer clearly states that “We are a provider of telecom services in the UK and as a consequence we have to observe a code of conduct which is approved by OFCOM, the UK regulator. A copy of this can be found on our website.” But a call to OFCOM revealed that they have been informed by UK Telecom Ltd that its operations in France are signed up to the Charter and regulated by ARCEP - who in turn confirmed that this is untrue and cited that “UK Telecom Ltd is not an authorised operator in France and we cannot undertake mediation with this company”. So as I found out the hard way any customer signing up for these services leaves themselves vulnerable and at their mercy should their relationship with them break down. These companies have no legal obligation to operate the correct customer complaint procedures – as they are not regulated and therefore answer to no-one. So if you find yourself in a situation of dispute, then the best you can expect to receive in the way of customer care are bully-boy tactics, unauthorised removal of funds from your bank account, and/or threats of debt collection agencies and bailiffs at your front door! If it helps anyone to make an informed decision then a full list of those telecom companies signed up to the Charter and regulated by ARCEP can be found at: http://www.arcep.fr/index.php?id=9320 Personally I have switched to Orange, whose prices now are much more competitive than the "expat" providers and as we know provide an English speaking service - and a far superior broadband speed to that being offered by the likes of UK Telecom and Phonexpat! Chat Noir