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Multiple departments
Those of you longer term residents here no doubt have come across this many times, but my sense of the surreal reached a new height yesterday. The one thing that enabled us to buy a car was that we were entitled to a free residents parking space just across the road from our house. It is a small space for around 30 cars and is often full of non permit holders visiting the castle (10 the last time I checked). The police never control it, contrary to what I had been told and it was often difficult, occasionally impossible to find a space. There is a post that can be set in the entrance, but it was not lockable and rarely used.
Yesterday 2 workmen set in a new post and an imposing new sign was put up. When we drove off later in the morning the post wasn't blocking the entrance so we were able to leave. When we came back it was locked in place. No one seemed to know what to do. Eventually someone turned up with a key, but was very guarded about where he got it. So we were able to drive in, but now we were locked in. I went to the Mairie and the department that had given me the permit and they said I had to see Monsieur xxx at the police. I went there and they said he didn't have keys and that I had to visit the Mairie, I went back to the department and they tutted and said I had to go to the Service Technique. I asked where they were and was told I couldn't visit them, but to leave a phone number and they would call me to take them my permit and get a key. By this stage I couldn't be bothered with my limited French to ask why, if I could visit them to take my permit after a phone call I couldn't visit them now since I had a photo of the permit on my phone and ID? So three departments who don't communicate between them have left a car park with some people locked in and some locked out and I am waiting for a phone call, which I hope I will understand. In the meantime I have found a 17mm socket gets me in and out. |
Re: Multiple departments
Originally Posted by Alianco
(Post 12722856)
Those of you longer term residents here no doubt have come across this many times, but my sense of the surreal reached a new height yesterday. The one thing that enabled us to buy a car was that we were entitled to a free residents parking space just across the road from our house. It is a small space for around 30 cars and is often full of non permit holders visiting the castle (10 the last time I checked). The police never control it, contrary to what I had been told and it was often difficult, occasionally impossible to find a space. There is a post that can be set in the entrance, but it was not lockable and rarely used.
Yesterday 2 workmen set in a new post and an imposing new sign was put up. When we drove off later in the morning the post wasn't blocking the entrance so we were able to leave. When we came back it was locked in place. No one seemed to know what to do. Eventually someone turned up with a key, but was very guarded about where he got it. So we were able to drive in, but now we were locked in. I went to the Mairie and the department that had given me the permit and they said I had to see Monsieur xxx at the police. I went there and they said he didn't have keys and that I had to visit the Mairie, I went back to the department and they tutted and said I had to go to the Service Technique. I asked where they were and was told I couldn't visit them, but to leave a phone number and they would call me to take them my permit and get a key. By this stage I couldn't be bothered with my limited French to ask why, if I could visit them to take my permit after a phone call I couldn't visit them now since I had a photo of the permit on my phone and ID? So three departments who don't communicate between them have left a car park with some people locked in and some locked out and I am waiting for a phone call, which I hope I will understand. In the meantime I have found a 17mm socket gets me in and out. They do my head in |
Re: Multiple departments
Love your spanner solution. What a bunch of to**ers. I’m in a little chalet on a municipal village de vacances in the Cévennes. We’d already been here a week when a couple of friends arrived laden with fresh food from the market. They had arranged to rent the chalet next door. Alas, they arrived between 12 and 2 pm and the office was closed so they couldn’t access their place. They were about to start stashing their cheese, etc in our fridge (it was in the high 30s) when I had a lurking suspicion. It was Saturday changeover day and all the chalets except ours were empty. The key to our chalet fitted every single one of them. |
Re: Multiple departments
In the interest of fairness, the day after the fitting of the post I was waiting for a phone call to tell me how to collect my key and it never came. Then that evening around 6:00 a man turned up at the door and asked to see my permit, which I explained was in the car. He then looked to heaven and thrust a key at me and left.
In fact it's relatively pointless anyway since often the post is left off to one side and the world and his wife park there. There are a couple of gites and I suspect some airbnbs around here and the owners accidentally leave the parking open for their guests. Sunday mornings you'd be lucky to squeeze a fag paper between the cars since the ground is next to a church. France seems to be a happy mix of almost crushing rules and regulations and and utter disregard for them. |
Re: Multiple departments
Originally Posted by Alianco
(Post 12722856)
Those of you longer term residents here no doubt have come across this many times, but my sense of the surreal reached a new height yesterday. The one thing that enabled us to buy a car was that we were entitled to a free residents parking space just across the road from our house. It is a small space for around 30 cars and is often full of non permit holders visiting the castle (10 the last time I checked). The police never control it, contrary to what I had been told and it was often difficult, occasionally impossible to find a space. There is a post that can be set in the entrance, but it was not lockable and rarely used.
Yesterday 2 workmen set in a new post and an imposing new sign was put up. When we drove off later in the morning the post wasn't blocking the entrance so we were able to leave. When we came back it was locked in place. No one seemed to know what to do. Eventually someone turned up with a key, but was very guarded about where he got it. So we were able to drive in, but now we were locked in. I went to the Mairie and the department that had given me the permit and they said I had to see Monsieur xxx at the police. I went there and they said he didn't have keys and that I had to visit the Mairie, I went back to the department and they tutted and said I had to go to the Service Technique. I asked where they were and was told I couldn't visit them, but to leave a phone number and they would call me to take them my permit and get a key. By this stage I couldn't be bothered with my limited French to ask why, if I could visit them to take my permit after a phone call I couldn't visit them now since I had a photo of the permit on my phone and ID? So three departments who don't communicate between them have left a car park with some people locked in and some locked out and I am waiting for a phone call, which I hope I will understand. In the meantime I have found a 17mm socket gets me in and out. Plus ça change.... |
Re: Multiple departments
A quick follow up. A man from the mairie arrived this morning to offer me another key. He gave a happy shrug when I explained someone had already given me one.
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