Highway Robbery

[Patf]

During the busy mid-day traffic I was going into Auch and came to the big roundabout just before the hospital, where 5 roads converge. There seemed to be holdups in all the lanes and about 10 people in official looking dayglow jackets were stopping cars and pulling them over to the side.

I had my window down and was stopped by a young man who gabbled something. I asked if he was police and he said yes, so I pulled over. But then it became obvious he wanted money.

So I thought I would warn people to look out for this scam. I came back the same way about 30 minds later and they had all gone. Perhaps someone had called the real Gendarmes.

[Clair]

Along the same lines, in our area there used to be a group of travellers who would pretend to have a car break-down some km away from the village. They would pick a spot with no mobile reception and two of them would stand in the middle of the road to slow down any oncoming car. Once the car had slowed down, they would stand right in front of it and bang on the bonnet demanding money.

They disappeared after a few weeks, either they moved on or were made to by the men in blue.

[Sunday Driver]

We were in Niort last week and most of the traffic light junctions were manned by teenagers in fancy dress with plastic buckets collecting cash.  I assumed it was some local student 'rag week' type of thing - possibly the same in Auch?

 

 

[Frenchie]

I guess they are high school students in terminale celebrating the " père cent" , that is about 100 days before they take the " Bac" exam...

The tradition is to get dressed up and ask for money at traffic lights, etc...

Then they use it in the evening for a big student party.

 

[Patf]

Oh dear - so I should have thought of that and judged more favourably, because there is a Lycée nearby. Anyway I did give him 2€.

I was in a bad mood having just followed a mobile home for about half an hour doing 50kph along a narrow country lane .