just john Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Heading back north on the D958 towards Caen between Argentan and St Clair I overtook a slow moving car on a clear straight downhill stretch, and got back in just before the lines priority changed on the uphill section, safe manoeuvre I thought, with no other cars around and good visibility etc; barely noticed the black bike and rider in black helmet and leathers pull out and follow me. About 10k further on he was joined by a police bike who then switched on the lights and pulled me over, discussion was pointless said the black rider since he had seen me cross the line; my abysmal french was soon replaced with their faultless english, even understanding the comment 'harsh'. 90€ or they would confiscate my licence and passport, at which point he left and the nice policeman wrote me out a receipt and returned my passport and licence. He explained the rider was an unmarked police bike and my treatment was not harsh and how lucky I was not to receive an endorsement which the french licence holders receive. So now, not just road conditions, marked police cars and bikes, but unmarked bikes lurking in side roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 You say you 'got back in just before the lines priority changed on the uphill section' so are we to presume that the black rider lied ?Do you really routinely carry your passport AND voluntarily hand it over to a Gendarme at the roadside [:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I thought it was a requirement to carry your passport? I always have mine with me...and I guess, faced with a burly gendarme demanding money with menaces I would probably hand it over too. Sounds like the public fund raisers are branching out. Who said the french weren't entrepreneurs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I think I would go to the nearest gendarmerie to your 'crime' and ask whether they use such unmarked bikes or if the 'local' police do. Something smells here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baypond Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 surely worth a quick call to the local gendarmerie to make sure its genuine. Nice little earner if you ask me. Were you on british plates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebaynut Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 [quote user="Scooby"] Who said the french weren't entrepreneurs![/quote]George W. Bush, [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Requirement or not I do not believe that any Gendarme has the right to confiscate a passport.I carry a laminated photocopy of mine in my wallet, absolutely no legal standing of course but I simply cannot risk losing my passport so it will have to do - or not !Hopefully I'll never have to put it to the test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maricopa Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 [quote user="just john "]barely noticed the black bike and rider in black helmet and leathers pull out and follow me. About 10k further on he was joined by a police bike who then switched on the lights and pulled me over,.[/quote]I think that perhaps WB and baypond should re-read the OP.[geek] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Contrary to popular myth there is no legal requirement to carry a passport with you at all times. However - and it is a fairly big one - the gendarmes do have a right to detain anyone they suspect of a crime until they (the person being held) can establish their identity. A passport is often the quickest "get out of jail free card" that is available. Lots of other things though - driving licence, utility bill tucked into your wallet, even the person you are with, can all act as substitutes for the trusty passport. As a kind or reinforcement to this I had to give my passport to a foreign embassy to obtain a visa. During the time it was being processed I was regularly travelling between France and Germany and at every police and security check, my driving licence was fully accepted as proof of identity (picture licence naturally). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 The use of unmarked police bikes with backup from liveried machines is getting quite common in France.Google Moto banalisée. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 For those interested in further explanation, in hindsight the overtaking spot was one where indiscretions were likely to be committed and clearly the local force had taken the decision rather than post a marked vehicle to prevent infringements, that they would post an unmarked vehicle to report and prosecute infringements. The marked bike pulled in front of me and stopped me while the unmarked bike parked behind. The first request was for my licence and then my passport (in each case asking me to remove them from their case) the policeman then explained the reason for stopping me and this was backed by the unmarked witness who was then confirmed as a policeman. My defence that I thought that it was harsh one-sided justice was dismissed. An official receipt was given. However my thoughts are that others might be made aware of the spot and the mind set of the local police on what is a new tactic to me and on what must be a busy spot for people on their way to and from Caen and Cherbourg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Once again John, and for complete clarity, 'You say you 'got back in just before the lines priority changed on theuphill section' so are we to presume that the black rider lied ?' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 [quote user="AnOther"]Once again John, and for complete clarity, 'You say you 'got back in just before the lines priority changed on the uphill section' so are we to presume that the black rider lied ?'[/quote]The thrust of my post was the tactic AO, This is not a pic of the bike involved but an article thanks to SDhttp://www.alencon.maville.com/actu/actudet_-Une-moto-banalisee-pour-traquer-les-infractions-_dep-853395_actu.Htmbut for complete clarity, I thought I had got back across. However I wasn't watching the line but my nearside mirror since I was in a 'blind' van, to avoid cutting across the car's bows. However either way it was a manoeuvre without risk to others at the time and a matter of a close thing as to whether I had technically infringed the thing by whatever. Eitherway, I wasn't going to win an argument with two police at the side road and I didn't intend to miss the ferry, so to me it was a 90€ fee to avoid a lose lose situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 With respect John whether you crossed the line or didn't seems to me to be the thrust because you were essentially accusing the black rider of lieing, may I remind you of your original statement which was pretty clear and unequivocal.[quote user="just john "]got back in just before the linespriority changed [/quote]The fact's now seem to be that you committed the offence and got caught and fined, and as upset as you might be about the manner it really is immaterial. Would you have been any less disgruntled if you'd been caught by say a watching Gendarme on a bridge over the road you were on ?I might add that if indeed it was slow vehicle you overtook yet you were still concerned about getting back in in time without cutting it up it might suggest that there just may have been insufficient room to perform the maneouver in the first place.Come on, fess up, you're amongst friends. Coming up to single lane section with no overtaking, slower car ahead to potentially hold you up for that couple of km uphill grind, thinks 'if I put on a little spurt I can just nip by ?' - there's no shame in it, we've all been there, well most of us any way anyway [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 My advice is simply that there are now unmarked police bikes in side roads on that route targetted with prosecuting motorists. Take it as you like; I am not complaining (or using your words[Www]) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krusty Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 So along with the usual paperwork you have to carry , you must remember to have ...........a wad of cash for the on the spot fines. [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Don't they accept visa or cheque? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 A French cheque yes, Visa no! But they will insist on looking after your car keys for you while you walk to the nearest town with an ATM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Whether or not they were technically right (and from John's description it sound's like there was only a gnat's whisker in it) it also seems like it was a safe manoeuvre. It's a bit like those speeding fines handed out for doing more than 40 mph....at 3.00 am on a clear dual carriageway. It would be nice if they focussed on those situations where the driver is actually driving irresponsibly...and then throw the book at him. (You know, the Spanish / Portugese lorry drivers that think it's great fun to race each other around the periphique, weaving in and out of traffic...with not a gendarme in sight.) The other stuff is petty money raising antics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 As we all know, the English are far better drivers than the French, so in John's case, it was certainly petty of the law enforcement authorities to enforce the law and book him for breaking it....I wonder if the the overtaken driver was thinking 'just look at that and not a gendarme in sight' - until 10kms further on when he caught up with John being booked.....[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 Methinks a degree of schadenfreude might be showing SD[:D]; However I have tried to show the incident in its full light, including a degree of uncertainty on my part and if I have made others aware of the novelty of the tactic and mindset then that was my intention. I didn't bother to mention the suitability of the rider in black who's arrogance and aggression certainly qualified him for his task by comparison to the other policeman who was politeness personified including shaking my hand as he left; certainly their language skills demonstrated a qualification for talking to English registered vehicles. They also demonstrated there was no room for anything but payment. Perhaps the best side effect of this must be an additional respect drivers should profer to powerful bikist's.[8-|] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 [quote user="Chancer"]A French cheque yes, Visa no! But they will insist on looking after your car keys for you while you walk to the nearest town with an ATM.[/quote]And if that's 10km in any direction ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 [quote user="Sunday Driver"]As we all know, the English are far better drivers than the French, so in John's case, it was certainly petty of the law enforcement authorities to enforce the law and book him for breaking it....I wonder if the the overtaken driver was thinking 'just look at that and not a gendarme in sight' - until 10kms further on when he caught up with John being booked.....[;-)] [/quote]LOL - I think we all know what I was referring to! When legal techicality points mean prizes we all know which way the gendarmes will bend.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 [quote user="Chancer"]A French cheque yes, Visa no! But they will insist on looking after your car keys for you while you walk to the nearest town with an ATM.[/quote]Chancer, they gave OH his car keys to drive to the nearest distributeur de billets BUT they kept his passport to ensure that he'd come back with the fine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 And I heard of a case where the driver was driven in the police car to the ATM, withdrew his money, paid the fine, was gievn a receipt........................and then left to walk back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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