[s-cars] NAC: Driving in Paris....

[Keith Maddock]

Apparently one of my Nürburgring friends met Frederic recently in Paris, while driving his 996TT through town...

"Was very busy and just got back from a short vacation. We took the Porsche down
to Sicily. The vacation was good. Lots of ho-hum high speed highway and
mountain driving. Lots of nutty Italian driver. The usual boring vacation
stuff.

However, managed to have a little fun on the way back. We detoured to Paris to
meet with some friends who were there on holiday from California. While in
Paris someone rammed my car at an intersection. Intentionally.

He refused to stop or to get out of the car. He took off. I chased but lost
him. Then, by chance, he appeared right in front of me and the chance was on
again. I was blocking traffic at intersections, going up narrow streets between
parked cars flat out in second and driving up the oncoming lane.

We boxed him in any one point and our friend got out of the car to block him.
He attempted to squash him against a bus.

Back in the car and more chasing. Then he realised he wasn't going to get away
and drove to a police station where he complained that he was being followed by
crazy people for no reason whatsoever.

The Paris police wanted nothing to do with it. They told us that hit-n-run with
only property damage was not criminal. They tried everything to get rid of us.
We insisted and yelled. Out came the diplomatic credentials and threats of a
diplomatic incident were made. The guy starts to act less cocky now. He jumps
in his car and tries to make a run for it. The cops jump in their car and
chase. The vests that they had put on top of their car go flying. The stop him
again and bring him back.

The show moves upstairs. They continue to claim he committed no crime. We
continue to yell. They ask my occupation and when they discover that I am a
lawyer their eyes roll. So now they're dealing with a nutter, diplomats making
a lot of noise, a Porsche Turbo, a lawyer and a couple Americans (sensitive,
Americans are these days). They especially didn't like it when we reminded them
that in the USA the police would chase a hit-n-run driver with guns drawn.

They tell us that prosecuting him would be "disproportionate". They tell us
that once the process begins it cannot be stopped. We absolutely insist. I act
like I know what I'm talking about and remind them that they must press charges
if I insist. And finally they realise that they cannot stop us and set to work.
The guy is charged with hit-n-run and assault. Now he is shaking.

He is arrested and spends the night in jail (and maybe two since yesterday was
a holiday).

So we seemingly accomplished the impossible - we got someone locked up for a
motor vehicle offence in Paris.

That evening, his wife comes to find him but is not allowed to see him. Seems
the young girl in the car at the intersection wasn't his wife after all. Wonder
if that had anything to do with it?  :)

We will of course write to the police thanking them for their fine work and
letting them know that we will be following the prosecution closely.  "

Eeeek!

Cheers,
Keith


Keith Maddock, TRW Automotive,  Koblenz, Germany
Slip Control Systems, Systems Design, Traction Control
+49 (0)261/ 895 2474    -   -   keith.maddock at trw.com