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Is bridge jumping legal?


Dog

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We were bridge jumping today from a mere 5 metre bridge - no signs saying it was illegal.

A local said there was a 60 Euro fine if the gendarmes saw us.

There were 10 of us all jumping at least 5 times - should we carry lots of cash to pay of the killjoys or is the information we were given wrong?

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[quote user="Dog"]

We were bridge jumping today from a mere 5 metre bridge - no signs saying it was illegal.

A local said there was a 60 Euro fine if the gendarmes saw us.

There were 10 of us all jumping at least 5 times - should we carry lots of cash to pay of the killjoys or is the information we were given wrong?

[/quote]

Probably not wrong but depends on local ammendment to Penal Code, check with local authorities, € 60 seems a low figure.

http://monteregieweb.com/main+fr+01_300+Desormais_interdit_de_sauter_du_haut_des_ponts.html?ArticleID=649495&JournalID

 

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Dog, a group of 10 young people repeatedly jumping into the river with the usual sounds of merriment! If I were a local I would tell you anything to get you to go elsewhere.

When I worked in a large hospital we jumped on anyone who started using a mobile phone. It wasn't because they affected the monitors as we said but because it was so annoying to have someone shouting into a mobile in the waiting room.
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Our local swimming pool has a 5 m diving board - and from that height you go down in the water quite a bit. How do you know that the depth is sufficient and that there are no rocks, old cars or wahshing machines down there, etc. Who tests first?

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This bridge is nowhere near houses it was recently closed for repairs and the riverbed was dug out so they could repair the bridge supports.

The water is about 4 metres deep the bottom is sandy with the odd stone.

We also check regularly with the local canoe club who have premises by the bridge that conditions haven't changed.

The most dangerous factor is if a canoe comes through this span of the bridge when we are jumping - so we have a lookout.

I must admit if I see a gendarme I shall swim away and see how quick a swimmer he is... mind you I won't have my wallet or papers on me...

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The Pompiers & Sapers use the same place to do their scuba diving practice - they do about an hour then set up their barbecue and have a leisurely two hour lunch then pack up and go to wherever they came from.

I guess they would eventually find us - though we had an accomplished canoeist/lifeguard plus a Doctor, Nurse and Mid-wife with us. So we had most areas covered.

It was amusing as my 17 year old nephew who does big jumps on bicycles and is in this months bike mag doing stunts and drops wouldn't jump off the bridge until his 14 year old sister and girlfriend did and she was wearing contact lenses and had to keep her eyes closed.

I was surprised the canoe club voted me and my 7 year old nephew as the bravest jumpers!

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What is the French word for a 'nutter'?  Now honest, that sounds great - I was just worried about depth of water, etc. I used to regularly jump 10m - but nearly knocked myself out first time as I held my nose and forgot to keep my elbow tightly tucked in. I suppose the reason they are trying to tighten up the practice is because there have been many accidents where kids jump without knowing what is under - and also the fear of being sued (if the bridge is owned by Commune, or water company, etc).

Glad you are having lots of fun.

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Jumping into 4 metres of water is obviously fine (don't know the legal position though)

Not like the local lad I heard about on the radio this morning.

Jumped off a bridge into.......50cms of water

Broke both legs  [:'(] (and who knows what other damage, lucky he didn't break his back)

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