Numberplate fun.

I was stopped this morning on the road by FrogPlod for having an
illegal numberplate.

Playing the ignorant Englishman, saying that I didn't know that it was
illegal (as loads of bikers have the same size plate over here) and
that the plate was a birthday present [0], got me off a €90 fine and
avoided the bike being carted off to the pound. I didn't even get the
French equivalent of a producer. But I think I may be pushing it, so
have finally decided to come on the right side of the law.

Where I work now, is next the the sous-prefecture on the south side of
Paris and there's this van outside that does plates for people
registering vehicles [1]. The bloke making the plates, to my surprise,
is half English, half Italian, so I got a discount of €5 on the new
plate (€20 normally).

Another biker had been pulled on a Sprint and he had been clobbered
with a €45 [2] fine and needs to change the plate *and* his exhaust
too. It looks like that Plod is finally starting to apply the letter of
the law wrt to plates and non-homolgated accessories. Bugger.

I thought I'd let you know, even though it doesn't affect you lot. But
it's my OB post for the day.

[0] Load of bollox really. I've known about this since I moved to
France.
[1] Plates belong to the owners of the vehicles, not the vehicles
themselves. Although this is due to change in 2008.
[2] Don't ask me why it was €45 and not €90.

 

Are FrogPlod getting a bit keener lately? There seem to be a lot more
reports of speed enforcement etc - or is just that we're talking about
them more?

Obviously in a country that size I am sure it's possible to hide away
from them quite happily, but just wondered.

Quite looking forward to the French trip actually, though god knows
it's going to take me all day to actually get to the hotel and lets not
even start with the plans for the Saturday.

 

The guvmint have been under pressure from some groups to crack down on
traffic offences, so are, predictably enough, targetting soft groups
by putting up speed cameras and pulling people for plates and pipes.

If only they'd just teach people to drive properly instead...

I'm starting to feel like I might ride up and join y'all, as it
happens. I'll keep an eye on the weather and prolly not decide until
the week beforehand, but it might be fun.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

Excellent - Bonwick, Champ, you and god knows who else all racing,
sorry, "enjoying" some laps of the 'Ring

I can see a betting pool forming.

 

And will have square tyres by th evening.

What time are you going to leave Derby as it's a around 2.5 hours for
me to get to Dover from where I am and for a 12:15 boat that means
leaving by about 9 - guess you're going to go do some filtering?

 

I have noticed more speed enforcement lately on my regular visits. This
appears to be concentrated on the limit in villages. The entry to a 50
Kph limit just round a bend after a nice straight seems favourite.

They also seemed to be mounting a general offensive over the LeMans
weekend even hundreds of miles from the circuit. I saw a roadside check
on a D road which seemed to be pulling in every bike. The only place I
was ever stopped for a random breath test was France - on a Sunday
afternoon just after lunch time, on what I later realised was the local
favourite bikers route for a blast.

At the Voxan club AGM last year I was warned about the powers to
confiscate that have already been flagged up in other threads. I got the
impression that this is particularly likely to be enforced if you are
caught at over 90 K in a built up area.

Having said that, there are still very few 'contrôle automatique' signs
around, and, at least in the Limousin, a much lower police patrol
profile than in the UK.

--

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Moto Guzzi Mille GT/Squire RS3 Gilera Nordwest |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

*ding* One of the things that galls me atm, is the placement of
digital speed cameras. Most of those that I've seen are not at all
placed in areas that I'd consider to be dangerous and are on nice long
straights.

Quite.

 

Ah hah, so the UK *is* ahead of France.

Think you'll find it's the same wish here too - fat lot of good it's
done.

Saw in the paper the other day that a "survey" had found that speed
cameras "REally do catch bad drivers" by inferring that people caught
in speed cameras tended to get caught doing other offences too - ie a
ban from the camera took the dangerous driver off the road.

I thought this was frankly astounding rubbish [1] until I saw who the
survey was funded by - then it fell into place.

A group of camera partnerships.

[1] in light of the incidents where I've almost been knocked off/my own
cock ups

 

I was quite surprised at one on a section of motorway round Annemasse
(nr Geneva) the other day. Seen it before but only thought about it
this time. Going downhill, coming to a significant bend just before a
merge, there are first reduced speed signs (110, IIRC) then a radar
warning sign, then further speed reduction signs as you approach the
bend proper, then a camera erected right where you really don't want
to be going much faster than that.

Obviously it was a mistake putting it there, as it's unlikely to get
that meny offenders, but it's possibly the first time I've seen one
where it might actually do some good.

Hehe. Where's Des when you need him?

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

Why? It's the same here, but I've never understood why anyone would be
bothered by it, TBH.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

There's a ring road round Anna Massey?
She must have gained weight since I last saw her.

 

Given the earlier discussion about French plates, and that, as you
know, my vehicles are CH-plated, which do you think? As it happens,
bike plates are smaller than car ones (smaller letters too) but
they're all still state-issued items.

And we all know how fussed you are about keeping your bikes in
pristine shiny condition, don't we?

There is that, I suppose.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

I like JP's story, about the bike he stopped who's plate /just/ covered
the distance between the mounting lugs.

He was laughing so much he impounded it (the plate), in case no one
else believed him.

Where is that janitor nowadays anyway ?

P.

 

Heh.

Are you in work at the mo ? I still have Platy's Prince books to drop
off at yours, I feel a trip to the frozen north coming on soon to see
my folks, so would be good to intersect ..

P.

 

So there won't be any then?

 

Not heard from Bill for a while... or dog and H.

 

Oh hell. For some reason I thought it was the tunnel. I'll be
clutching the rails white faced and nauseous then.

 

Based on the last few journeys if you don't go near the rails, or the
windows, you probably won't notice it's even floating.

 

Let alone the Sunday and getting back. Maybe simpler to stay at home. ;-)

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Work in progress

Oh *goody*.

Matt? Is it OK if I check out that thing about "the grip" whilst she's
puking?

I've always wanted to know. I'll buy you a beer.

<thinks>

Maybe two beers.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000