French MP left red-faced after blocking train

[Still Waters]

It can be tempting to take a risk when parking in a hurry - but one French MP has shown why it's always worth checking where you've left the car.

Jean Lassalle, 65, was late to watch his son's rugby match in the south-western town of Bedous on Sunday.

"I was late, I saw this magnificent place and I parked there," he told local news outlet France Bleu.

But his mistake soon become clear: "I saw the [police] approaching me during the match," he said.

"When they explained the situation to me... I suddenly realised," he added.

Mr Lassalle, an independent MP who ran in the 2017 presidential election, was told his car had been left on a level crossing.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54234207?

[+OverSword]

They came and found him rather than just tow his car????  Elected people are sooooooo special. 

Edited September 21, 2020 by OverSword

[Duke Wellington]

56 minutes ago, Still Waters said:

It can be tempting to take a risk when parking in a hurry - but one French MP has shown why it's always worth checking where you've left the car.

Jean Lassalle, 65, was late to watch his son's rugby match in the south-western town of Bedous on Sunday.

"I was late, I saw this magnificent place and I parked there," he told local news outlet France Bleu.

But his mistake soon become clear: "I saw the [police] approaching me during the match," he said.

"When they explained the situation to me... I suddenly realised," he added.

Mr Lassalle, an independent MP who ran in the 2017 presidential election, was told his car had been left on a level crossing.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54234207?

How does someone not know they left their car on a crossing?

Is he a moron?

[acute]

1 hour ago, OverSword said:

They came and found him rather than just tow his car????

It was a Sunday-league game, probably being played in a field very close by, and could be seen/ heard from the crossing.

I imagine it would be much quicker to walk a few yards and find the driver, than wait for a tow-truck from god-knows-where. (assuming one was available on a Sunday)

[+OverSword]

16 minutes ago, acute said:

It was a Sunday-league game, probably being played in a field very close by, and could be seen/ heard from the crossing.

I imagine it would be much quicker to walk a few yards and find the driver, than wait for a tow-truck from god-knows-where. (assuming one was available on a Sunday)

Do you think they would have done that if he weren't an elected official?

[acute]

1 minute ago, OverSword said:

Do you think they would have done that if he weren't an elected official?

I doubt it, because it probably wouldn't have worked.

Being an elected official, the Police most likely knew the face they were looking for, and were able to find him almost immediately.

[Peter B]

8 hours ago, OverSword said:

They came and found him rather than just tow his car????  Elected people are sooooooo special. 

When they first saw the car, how would they have known it was the car of a politician?

Perhaps once they'd entered the car's rego onto the computer something might come up to indicate he was a VIP of some sort. But I understand privacy concerns might also mean there was nothing there either.

But if you look at Google Maps, the level crossing is literally 20 metres from the nearest part of the rugby field. If there weren't any other parking spots available, then it means there were plenty of people at the game. It wouldn't be a big intellectual leap to assume the car's owner was at the game too. It would be a matter of minutes to go to the ground announcer's booth to have the message read out: "Could the owner of car rego XYZ-123 please move your car, you're blocking the railway line." If nothing else it would be some cheap entertainment for everyone else at the match.

[+OverSword]

2 minutes ago, Peter B said:

When they first saw the car, how would they have known it was the car of a politician?

Perhaps once they'd entered the car's rego onto the computer something might come up to indicate he was a VIP of some sort. But I understand privacy concerns might also mean there was nothing there either.

But if you look at Google Maps, the level crossing is literally 20 metres from the nearest part of the rugby field. If there weren't any other parking spots available, then it means there were plenty of people at the game. It wouldn't be a big intellectual leap to assume the car's owner was at the game too. It would be a matter of minutes to go to the ground announcer's booth to have the message read out: "Could the owner of car rego XYZ-123 please move your car, you're blocking the railway line." If nothing else it would be some cheap entertainment for everyone else at the match.

And then when some anonymous person got up and moved their car it became news?  No.  I say what happened is they looked up the registration, saw that "Oh my, this belongs to an MP, don't want to get in trouble by towing him" and then went to find him.  Or he had some kind of diplomatic tags on the plate perhaps.  I'm just saying had it been your vehicle it would have been towed.

[+OverSword]

8 hours ago, Cookie Monster said:

How does someone not know they left their car on a crossing?

Is he a moron?

He's an MP. 

Edited September 21, 2020 by OverSword

[RoofGardener]

You'd think that the railway tracks would be a BIT of a giveaway ? 

[RAyMO]

18 minutes ago, RoofGardener said:

You'd think that the railway tracks would be a BIT of a giveaway ? 

you would think the fact he inaugurated the line would also have triggered something.