Flagrant Ignoring Pool Laws

[lenny2000]

I have 12 cottages in various areas of SW France, 6 of them

have pools and as soon as the new Pool safety laws came in I changed my already

fenced pools to compliant fenced pools at a very considerable cost (over 45,000

euros!!)  I think the law has its faults in conception and implementation

but it is the law and it is there for a good reason.

I was planning to put pools in my remaining 6 places but

frankly the fence costs make this impossible. 

These Gites are now for sale through an agent in SW France.

I am staggered to see so many gite owners and gite rental companies still

advertising gites without fences.  I

have spoken to one company and they completely ignore the issue, they seem to

think that they will escape all liability if (when) a death occurs….  Oh how they do not know the French Legal

system!!!!!  Basically because I have

told them about the issue they have knowledge of it… they make absolutely no

effort to even ask advertisers if the pool is compliant……  It is akin to me selling a loaded gun to a

teenager and claiming no liability when he shots someone.

Many pools have alarms of course and we all know that without 24/7 attendance

by an adult within earshot these are non compliant. Many also have floating

covers and these to are non compliant if left back when the adults disappear to

the kitchen or shops etc (as they so often do).

Cheap half solutions to a problem with only one real

solution….. a compliant fence.

My French neighbour saw my fences (I have two at my main home)  and asked my advise when he built his

pool.  I told him about alarms and covers and that they can have problems

if the property is not always occupied.  What did he do?  He put up a

simple chain fence on three sides and on one side he uses a fir tree

hedge!!!  He has an alarm in his 11m pool and it is designed only to work

in a pool of less than 10m x 5m!!  He regularly goes away for weekends and

the pool basically is a death trap.... 

I showed him the alarm instructions and read out to him the limits of

the alarm but he steadfastly refuses to believe this.  He proves his point by placing the alarm half way down the pool

edge and jumping in with a huge splash…. Of course the alarm goes off….    What can I say to him?  “You are a 15 stone lump of lard and a child

of 5 is not…”  Is there any point?  There are none so blind as they who will not

see!!

What strikes me as remarkable is that he knows for certain he is not compliant

but thinks he will get away with it if something happens.  He thinks by

pleading ignorance of the law he will escape liability....  Incredible!!

Look…  No one ever

fitted a pool alarm or pool cover because they felt it was the safest option…  They are fitted because they are the cheap

options.  This law is about safety of

children not economics.  I cannot think of a single situation where a pool alarm would be better than a fence on an out door pool.

Of course I see all the hand-to-mouth-ex-pat brigade

complaining… “But a fence is too expensive” and “not all of us have loads of

money”…  I don’t have loads of money,

well not what I would call loads…. .  I

wish I did.   I have a few bob and had

to borrow money on one of my Gites to pay for the fencing… It is partly why I

am selling it and 5 others…  This law

took me from a mortgage free individual with a growing property portfolio to an

in-debt individual so believe me I dislike it as much as anyone.  Sure I will get past it but I will do this

legally.  Think if one of my pools

killed a child…  I would lose the lot,

along with my liberty.

Anyway, you can erect a fence for an 11 x 5m

pool for less than 7k now if you DIY.  That means if you go out to dinner

one night a week less you could pay for it in just over one year.  If you

don't dine out at least three times a week why the buggger did you come live in

France?  So you could enjoy the climate whilst eating beans on toast? God

poor people annoy me!  They are everywhere, in the supermarkets in their

cheap clothing ... in the streets, in the bars.... Brit number plates on cars falling

apart and exported years ago to France...   At least one rarely sees

them in the good restaurants... When they are there mind they eat the cheapest

food and order the cheapest wine... yuk.... One recently tried to have a

conversation with myself and my wife....  Can you believe the cheek of the

man? Actually though we had something in common because we speak the same

language?  He was wearing a short sleeve shirt in mid winter.... 

Foul little chap with a cheap jewellery laden wife whose expression would turn

milk sour....   My poor wife did not know where to look.  Nice

accents but no class...  Sorry... I am digressing.....

Back to the point

People cannot keep ignoring this Law or deliberately

misinterpreting it.  The exchanges on

this site show that there is a large contingent of Brits who steadfastly refuse

to see the facts.  Every day that goes

by you risk all.  Open your eyes and

your minds..  Get rid of that Alarm or

that Cover (unless you have both which of course is pretty safe) and buy a

fence, or a ticket.

 I plan to start investigating ALL gites and cottages and shall be reporting all non-compliances that I suspect.  Why should an attractive chap such as I have to pay for all this work and the awful hand-to-mouth-brigade not?  Can anyone help?  If anyone has an

address or email or telephone number which I could use to report violations of

pool safety laws that would be useful.

I invite your comment but shall not engage in discussion about

this.  What I have said is a matter of

fact, not opinion and I never argue a matter of Fact as it is pointless.  Besides I anticipate several of the grubby contingent will have issue with some of my accurate observations and will feel obliged to insult me personally and I never argue with such people, it is as tiresime and as likely to bear fruit as debate with a mentally degenerate monkey.  Bear in mind not a single remark has been made to anyone personally, if you feel some of this applies to you by all means get upset but don't break any rules with personal insults....  These are likely to affect me and make me sad.

Argument can not change fact.  Probably best that those with no fence and

no money to buy one just stick to personal insults and not address the fence thing.

Me..? at Cruffs..? with my reputation??!!

Woof Woof!

PS

For pool fences at discount prices call me on 555 ……..  Just a joke, they are not discounted!

For those too stupid (and poor) to realise, much of the text here is serious, that is the stuff about pools...  The other stuff is meant in good fun and it shows how we Brits can laugh at ourselves.  So take the stick from your thingy and lighten up.....

Hey, lets ban poor people from this site. 

[Poolguy]

Not being used to such a

partisan demeanour, its somewhat hard to be level in response to this thread,

but let us examine the issues and the questions to uncover whatever benefit

there might be from this topic.  (Naturally I have no comment whatsoever

on 'Non pool related issues').

To denounce another person in France

for a breach of the Law I believe that the Gendarmes are the first point of

call. It was they that were seconded back in May last year to oversee the

inspection of compliance with the Pool security laws. Even though they seem to

be very quite in that role I have no further information concerning the competent

authority.

I cannot really agree with the contention that Compliant pool fences are the

only effective choice, as it is also possible to render them non compliant

simply by propping open the self-closing gate. However this is not the issue of

concern but rather why there are so many owners who choose to ignore the law by

not securing their pool.

I do however agree with the comments above concerning alarms and continue to

look on with disappointment and dismay at pool owners who are residing with

that choice alone as their compliance device. I firmly believe that the only usefulness

of an alarm is as a secondary level of security to a fence or a cover.

An Abri is also not only compliant but also completely effective form of

security, albeit out of reach from a cost point of view to most owners. However

if you take into account that it negates the need for so many other costly

items then one can be distracted into seeing an Abri as good value for money.

As when you have one you don't need: A winter cover, a summer cover, heating in

most cases, to vac the pool so often and more.

I am sure that there is further constructive debate on

this topic to be had. I continue to hope that we all are of that mind and shall

strive to be of help to those who seek advice rather that any negative or unhelpful

motives.

Surely there is sufficient (too much) trouble in this world without egging

further.

Andrew

[Cat]

Thank you Andrew for that reply,  it covers the OPs question nicely, and is all that needs to be said on the subject.

As a result of many complaints, I have removed several posts from this thread, and am locking it. I apologise to the posters who have had their posts removed.

Please remember that comments or questions regarding the general administration of the forum should be made by "private message" or using the "Report" link to the moderators or direct to Forum Admin. Such comments or questions should not be posted in the open forum.