Bit embarrassing....yesterday, we missed the decheterie by 5 mins and left 2 really good armchairs by the gate - we thought probably someone would see them and pick them up.
Anyway, the gendarmes have just been - we have to go down the nick tomorrow and will probably be fined. Does anyone know how much that might be?
Thanx James, this looks like a great site. Will check it out properly when I have more time.
Sympathies Nigel, an expensive lesson - thanx for sharing it with us, we are all a bit wiser now & won't try your trick.....
It probably could have been worse. Glad it all went well in the end. :)
Thanks for cheering me up with that CT news, David!
Meanwhile, shortly after we came here (12 years ago now) I had a summons to the mairie, which resulted in an angry denuciation for 'littering'. The offence? Having taken bottles to the bottle bank, put them in the bins, taken away the two cardboard boxes, etc - apparently an old envelope with my address had been stuck to the bottom of one of the boxes, fallen of - etc etc. And the area was littered with bottles, boxes etc which others hadn't bothered to deal with properly.
Jobsworth just about sums it up.
Emmaus collect in our area (Morlaix) or we have the nuns in the Presbytere who will arrange. It's all free. Our decheterie is absolutely splendid and has one of the finest views in Brittany. Many more break in to steal than dump stuff.
The breathalyser post seems to have disappeared (at last) but they have published in the Telegramme news that the tests being sold (which apaprently have a relatively short life) contain a noxious chemical that can endanger life in streams etc. The farmers already do considerable damage to the extent that decent trout have all but disappeared since my arrival here in '72. The introduction of pine plantations also changed the chemical balance. However the recycling of 100 million or so tests a year will give somebody else a nice little earner.
There is also news that CT will be annual rather than biannual for vehicles over six years old and it will cover motorbikes and scooters too. The rising tide and cost of officialdom continues.
Not too bad then mind that chap works cheap
Why didn't you advertise them "free to a good home then?"
http://www.donnons.org is another good site for giving stuff away, put a bike on there on Saturday and it was gone within the hour!
We got a visit and a warning after leaving black and yellow sack by the big bins that were full as a gendarme passed. Loads of others there but to no avail, we were caught and told don't do it again. That's probably what you will get this time.
I'm hopeful it will be a slap on the wrist and a firm warning not to do it again. If you had turfed them into a ditch I could foresee (and agree with) a stiffer penalty but I think it should be obvious enough that the intention was to leave them in the right place.
I understand what you were thinking at the time. If I had left them on my doorstep in my last house with a note 'Bulk refuse', guaranteed maximum 15 minutes before they'd have been carted off before the truck arrived.
Good point James. That would have been our first port of call. They've had all sorts from us.
What bad luck,if you had done that in the uk you probily would have seen them on ebay/hopefully not too much good luck
I think it depends on your commune Nigel, ask at your Mairie. You "might" just be cautioned...I do realise you were leaving them with good intentions but chances are you will be fined, I would say in the 100 e mark.
Sorry Nigel...but you were illeagally "Dumping"
My sentiment exactly James, just got it, duh.
I thought the Gendarmes would have had 'em
A pair of nice scatter cushions and an anamacaster ;)
Absolutely no idea Nigel but I truly sympathise. I wouldn't have expected an outcome like that! (How the heck did they trace them to you anyway?)