Alcazar

More PC mumbo-jumbo, from your favourite PC mod, Russethouse![:P] Alcazar

........just how rough it is? I ask because we've overnighted there twice, and both times, found we were sharing our Campanile with what appeared to be an entire brigade of the CRS[:'(] Then, on the way back last time, we stopped at a Leclerc for wife to buy pop, and I noticed the massive security measures that EVERY shop had, and chainlink fences, wire, etc etc all around shopping centres. Didn't seem normal. So what gives there? Is it gangster central? Or do gangs raid from Paris? Or is it just like one or two small towns around here in the UK, I could name, killed by HMG when the pits shut? Alcazar

Hi all those who looked at my recent post re Moneo in "Finance", and thanks to anyone who made suggestions. I've posted in here as many people were directed FROM this forum to "Finance" by a plea I put up. Anyway, it's resolved: Caisse d'Epargne sent my statement today, and on it is a full €100 refund from the Moneo. I shan't bother with it in future, and I advise anyone else to leave it alone. Alcazar

A Frenchman once told me that if the snake was IN the water, it'd be a harmless grass snake, or "Couloevre" (sp?) If it was on the BANKS of the river, leave it alone unless you're certain, as vipers, (adders), like to hunt there too.[;-)] He wasn't an expert like Chris P on here, so don't take that as gospel. However, I'm still at a loss to find out what sort of snake was both in, and on the banks of, the River Tarn at the entry to the Gorges some years ago, being as how NO-ONE recognises my description of them having red, black and yellow bands.[blink] I find your reaction to underwater snakes, no matter what size, perfectly understandable, as I have one very similar. Good job it's not possible to scream under water![;-)] My French friend STILL laughs at his memory of me DIVING into the Tarn, to find I was sharing the pool with a large snake. He reckons I got out faster than I'd DIVED in![:$][:$] Alcazar

This is UTTERLY amazing. Just who on EARTH are these PC people who run to the moderators every time something appears that they don't agree with or that they don't like. Would they like to stand up and be counted? I bet this gets deleted too.[:@] This site is becoming worthless, at least as far as posting is concerned. It's ruled by a very small clique, who won't let ANYONE post owt THEY don't like. And the mods are so spineless, they delete almost at will. Why don't the PC brigade go away somewhere and post their PC comments there, and let the rest of us get on with a good argument? I belong to a couple of other forums, and posts are only deleted there if they are illegal, slanderous etc. Perhaps we ought to do the same? After all, if you can't stand the heat.......... Bah! Humbug! Alcazar[:@]

My books don't say so. You only need dedicated circuitry if you've got electric heating permenently wired in. Given that each room will have a 20A disjoncteur, that's a total possible 4600W per room[blink] Should be enough for a heater along with smaller items? Alcazar

[quote user="Cassis"]I guess they could insist on you paying in person at the gendarmerie or by post with the same terms for early or late payment.  That's what they used to do. [/quote] Nah...........the sooner they can get the taxes in, the sooner they can spend 'em............sorry, fines, fines, not taxes. Fines, must.........remember............not................taxes..............fines..........[:D] Alcazar

Have to agree wholeheartedly with the above post. I'd also add two things: from my experience on French CAMPSITES, the French seem to expect the English to be cool and stand-offish, so seem wary at first. And some of the sideways glances I've intercepted when TWO English teenaged lads got out of my car, had to be seen to be believed. Secondly, once they know you have some spoken French, they are fine. They seem worried that THEY may be called upon to try out non-existent or rusty English, before they know otherwise. BTW: Like the Username, Joe. From "The Stand"? Alcazar

[quote user="Cassis"]Very easy to pay online, by the way. See www.amendes.gouv.fr . [/quote] Oh, they'll make it easy to pay, alright..................and I think we all know why![;-)] Alcazar

[quote user="Sunday Driver"] [Finally, non respect du stop is a class 4 offence - 135/90 euros plus four points plus a potential three year driving ban. [/quote] How do they decide whether to fine you €135 or €90? Someone tell me it's not "pour les etrangers", and "pour les riverains"[8-)] Alcazar

[quote user="chris pp"] Final fling from Chris, don't anyone say I don't keep trying.   [/quote] It's beak looks like it just tried to eat a lemon[:D] Alcazar

I think it will depend on trailer height, won't it? IIRC, a trailer BELOW 1.8 m, (I think that's the height), is classed as "Classe 1". Above that, you move into "Classe 2". Having said that, I don't recall ever seeing anyone go through the auto toll with a trailer........ Alcazar

[quote user="Deimos"] Somebody I used to know always maintained there would be fewer accidents if people (though he actually said lorry drivers) all drove in a thin glass egg suspended just above the road at the front of the vehicle.   Ian [/quote] Seems to work for train drivers[;-)] Alcazar

[quote user="Deimos"][quote user="MargaretD"] But wait, they asked me for my reflective jacket - well that caught me out.  Didn't realise I had to have one.  Well, they explained it is advisory and could I please take a new one with me with the ticket to the local gendarmerie within 7 days.  [/quote] If its advisory, how do the require you to have one.  Mandatory, yes but what would have happened if you went to the police station and had no yellow reflective jacket ?   Ian   [/quote] If I know the French Gendarmes, probably sold you one at an extortionate price[;-)] Alcazar

Don't expect ANY sense out of either Forum Admin, or moderators, John.[:(] Alcazar

[quote]I can understand young, newly qualified drivers, speeding - I don't like or agree with it , but they don't have the knowledge to know any better.  But an experienced driver to boast about speeding is just irresponsible & dangerous.[/quote] Why? Who's boasting? I NEVER once in any post mentioned that I speed, nor have I incited others so to do. "  [quote] It's breaking the law & endangering other road users.  As does driving on drink & drugs (prescription or otherwise) - which are both being clamped down on, very hard at the moment.   People talking about Speed Kills, may get "up your nose" Alcazar, but the facts of the matter are that people who speed, regardless of how good a driver they think they are, cause deaths on the roads.  [/quote] The "facts of the matter" are that a VERY small percentage of accidents on the roads have speed as a contributary factor, let alone "causing death on the roads". But the authorities' incessant drone about "speed kills" is slowlty but surely withdrawing resources from any other type of policing on our roads, so that ONLY speeding is/will be punished. Yes, even drink and drugs. No wonder they'd have us believe that speed, (and by inference, only speed), kills. Stop believing government hype. Next, you'll be telling me Tony had evidence that Iraq were going to bomb us with "nucular " devices "within 45 minutes"[:D] Alcazar

[quote user="Russethouse"] Back to the topic: I'm going to watch our local news tonight, many times on a Monday or Tuesday they report the death of young men killed in TA's over the weekend, often single vehicle incidents where a driver has ignored the speed limit, put there for their safety, come off the road and *bang * into a tree. Tell their parents speed doesn't kill ! Or are you going to tell me that they all have mechanical failures, punctures etc ?[/quote] No, come on: HOW do you know ANY of them were down to speeding? Just because some reporter says so, doesn't MAKE it so. Speeding is the bete noir at the mo, so they all climb on the bandwagon. Many, may accidents happen due to inattention, not knowing a road, and yes, INAPPROPRIATE speed. That is to say, speed INSIDE the speed limit, but not appropriate because of other factors, road layout, traffic, inexpewrience of driver/rider, bad visibility etc etc. [quote user="Russethouse"]Alcazar - Have you ever had a car crash? Or lost anyone in a TA ?[/quote] Yep to both. A couple or so crashes, some my fault as a younger man, some not. I do drive a LOT of miles a year though. I've lost people due to accidents, yes, mostly on motorcycles, which, as I said in another thread, make up only 4% of the vehicles on the road, but are involved in 30% of the fatalities, DfT figures. Unfortunately, many, and in fact the ACPO preferred, speed cameras, CAN'T catch speeding motorcyclists, as they are forward facing, and motorcycles carry no front registration mark[:(] Yet the powers that be tell us that cameras are NOT about revenue. You can't have it both ways. Forward facing cameras are about identifying the driver, so that no-one can say it wasn't me and escape the fine. [quote user="Russethouse"]Frankly I don't think is up to the motorist to decide where the authorities have put cameras or speed limits to collect fines, or to keep road users safe, we haven't got the knowledge. If you suspect that a camera is there for the purpose of raising revenue only, then complain to your MP. [/quote] Not up to us? Because WE don't have the knowledge? But the scamera groups do? Don't make me laugh. In my area alone, I could point to half a dozen OBVIOUS scam sites. The government looked into camera sites..............or at least were supposed to. What they ACTUALLY did was to approach the scamera partnerships and ask if they were satisfied with the positioning of THEIR cameras. How many do you think said "No"? You don't kill the goose who's laying golden egss. And as for complaining to ANYONE in government, I wouldn't waste my time. THEY set the system up. THEY benifit from the scams, sorry, fines[:D] Alcazar

[quote user="KatieKopyKat"]I must admit this is getting really upsetting now Alcazar.  Do you realise this forum may be read by people who have lost children to speeding motorists.  It is a serious issue and I really think you should be showing more respect other than shouting your mouth off in a one upmanship drama.  Please give it a rest now.[/quote] I WILL give it a trest KKK, when it can be shown that "Speeding" is the cause of the accidents. So far, I have seen no evidence, just rhetoric. FAR too many accidents are attributed by the press, and the media, to "speeding motorists", when there is NO evidence to show that speed was even a contributary factor. The DfT even had to change it's website because of misleading information about speed related accidents. To give you an example: on UK Breakfast TV, about six months ago, they were discussing the lenient sentence given to an illegal immigrant who killed a small boy, while driving under the influence of alcohol, without a license and with neither tax, nor insurance. One of those being interviewed, someone from Transport 2000, I believe, said, "And he was probably speeding too.". She was allowed to get away with it. Speeding had NOT been mentioned by the prosecution, nor by the investigating officer. It's a matter of public record, but there you are, he was "Probably speeding". Makes him a pariah, you see? Should we NOT discuss whether older people should be allowed to drive, because someone whose family were killed by one, might be upset by me defending their right so to do? What about motorcyclists? They make up 4% of the road users, but are involved in 30% of the fatalities, many of which are single vehicle, lost control, accidents. Should we not discuss their right to be on the road? To drive bikes that can do 160+mph? To have no front numberplate, and therefore be invisible to large numbers of scameras? And what of immigrants? Those people who come to either the UK, or France, and break the motoring laws, either on purpose, or inadvertently? Should we not discuss them? I'm sorry KKK, but what I'm against is the invidious use of rhetoric, and half truths to further governments' attempt to extort money from motorists. The mantra "speed kills", gets right up my nose. "Speed" just happens to be the ONLY thing that a fixed/mobile scamera can easily measure. The rest of the motoring offences are now going virtually un-noticed. Alcazar

And another raspberry to whoever whinged about MY posts[:P] And one for Dick, 'cos he argued with me[:D][:D] Alcazar

[quote]Google the words "killed by speeding motorist" &  check out how many pages & pages of results you get - & then think about your question, again.. [/quote] Don't be silly. Google the words " J F Kennedy"  and find out he was shot by the CIA Google the words "Paul McCartney is dead" and see what comes up. Google the words "Marylin Monroe is alive" and see what comes up Google the words "American moon landing didn't happen", and see what comes up. Doesn't make any of them true. "Speed kills" or "killed by SPEEDING motorist" are modern myths. Now go on and delete this one Quillan! Alcazar

[quote user="Esperaza"][quote user="Alcazar"] [quote user="Val_2"]They keep advertising the fact on the Uk TV here that all vehicles registered to the DVLA are computerised with all the details of insurers and MOT dates and they can find out instantly who is not bothering to keep their vehicle legal. Surely they will pursue those coming to France as well or if there is an accident here in France, surely the gendarmes will check with the UK side of the paperwork as well. I really don't understand these folks who break the law as the penalties here are a lot more severe in terms of punishment.[/quote] I'm pretty sure that that comes under the same banner as the "TV License Detector Van" myth. I forgot to re-tax our Xantia last year.........I was certain it was taxed for a year, but I'd taxed it for 6 months to get it out of synch with my car. I hardly ever drive the Xantia. Imagine my shock when I glanced at it in the drive and noticed the tax disc 4 months out of date. Wife, who drives it daily, hadn't noticed at all[:$] We got neither a reminder, nor the much advertised £80 fine.[:-))] I rang DVLA to ask what to do, and then asked WHY we'd not had reminder or fine. No proper answer was forthcoming, but a lot of bullsh*t WAS! Alcazar [/quote]   In the UK I live in a cul-de -sac off a main dual carriageway and at approximately 2 monthly intervals the police and VOSA use our road as an interviewing/ holding area for vehicles that have no tax, no MOT and/or no insurance. VOSA have a van with two cameras ( automatic number plate recognition ), in the rear that instantly report vehicles that do not have the requisite docs, or are stolen or have been used in a crime. The vehicles are escorted by police motorcyclists into our road where they are met by around 20 police officers for interview and vehicle inspection. Most of these vehicles are placed on the verge or roadside and clamped. There are dozens of them.  Some are released when the owners return, having taxed/insured them etc. Most are loaded onto transporters and taken away. This activity continues from 07:30 until 19:00. So here it is definitely not " a myth", so I believe that you were lucky not to encounter VOSA!   [/quote] Ah, but you miss my point. No-one is saying that they haven't got VOSA, and number plate recognition, nor that they haven't your details on a computer. What I AM saying is that the adverts promising INSTANT fines via the computer, if you forget, are a myth. I'm not the only one I know of to have "got away" with this, albeit, unwittingly. BTW: We ARE all aware that the idea of a fine , in Britain, as such, levied by anyone OTHER than a British Court, is unlawful, aren't we? Alcazar

Pretty sure it's 2m, but the website tells you.......... Alcazar  

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[quote user="Loiseau"] I think the only difference now is that you can opt to pay an annual fee of something like 12euros, whereas with mine I pay 2euros for each calendar month during which I use it (but nothing for the ones when I don't). Angela [/quote] That's how mine works, I seem to remember paying a set amount for the doofer itself, but can't remember how much. Alcazar

We used to stay at a rural hotel east of Lyon, that kept Sanglier out the back in a huge run, for their meat. Mostly, they were peacable, coming to the fence for food if you approached, but when there were young (mocassin?), the boars would charge the fence if you came near. The hotel owner told me NOT to put my hands near them as a large sanglier could bite your hand clean off! I used to CHUCK food to them.[:D] Alcazar