A storytime I never thought I'd share... my first fine in France

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Күн бұрын

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@BebeLovesJesus-ij6hz 3 ай бұрын

👍 Yep, SCAM is the feeling I get. So sorry that happened to you!! Please report that woman to the authorities asap. Be safe!! 😚

@margaretmcintyre5651 3 ай бұрын

Oh my dear, so sorry this happened to you. I'm currently visiting Paris and will definitely keep my feet on the floor while riding the metro. I smiled when you were explaining how you were law abiding, kind, helpful, etc. You should have simply said, "I'm Canadian!" Thanks so much for all the good service you provide. Love your videos.

@mh325 4 ай бұрын

I smell a scam ring. I would closely watch both debit accounts. My husband says cancel your cards ASAP and file a report. Don’t take the chance.

@ChristineLena-yn3ex 3 ай бұрын

Great advice! I totally agree. This sounds like a scam, definitely

@laurenguihenneuc1051 3 ай бұрын

Definitely a scam !!! A real contrôler will show you id without asking .

@flipottegaut7312 3 ай бұрын

I'm French, I'm old and Parisian, and I can't imagine it wasn’t a scam. I would have said i couldnt pay and waited for an actual tiçket. Never heard of that non existant rule. Was Jean napping or what !?! You can always choose to pay a ticket online.

@jasminebaby3375 4 ай бұрын

This is not fair and I’m sorry that you had to experience that. Thank you for sharing your story. I will never cross my legs whenever I’m on the train or bus.

@pattisaunders7386 3 ай бұрын

I agree with people who say this was a scam. ..no ID, your card not working,etc. I would notify bank and get new cards. I am so sorry this happened. They are as bad as the pick pocketers. People watching Arielles channel hit the suscribe for her. She is trying to do a good service for all.

@sofiamunic1926 3 ай бұрын

I experienced almost the same thing like 3 weeks ago. So I had just moved to France and I was returning home (that is near Paris, so Ile de France) and I was in the RER B. This trained is full from most of the ride and starts emptying like 2 or 3 stops before I arrive to my station. So this time I was returning from a long day in Paris and when I could finally sit down I noticed there was a "rail" under the window and so I put 1 foot in the rail. Literally 2 minutes after, a woman appears out of nowhere to validate the tickets (the train was almost empty). So naturally I take out mi Navajo card which I validated and thought there was no problem until she surprised me with a 60 euros fine for my feet in the rail, not the seat but the rail. Her explanation was that you couldn't put the feet there because it was the same as putting them in the seat. I was so mad because no one ever tells you this, is not like there are posters that include all the forbidden places in the metro, plus she made me miss my station because she was telling me that if I didn't pay in that right there it would be 110 euros later.

@charleskroeger5735 4 ай бұрын

The fact that your card failed and Jean's did not, suggest scam, or something rummy in the clearing process that could't get past international safe guards without extra authentication.

@iniabellepaz445 4 ай бұрын

Hi, sorry you had that experience. It feels unfair but thank you for sharing because we learned something very important! Stay well.

@ama1063 4 ай бұрын

In the U.S. I would consider that a “shake down”. Knowing myself, I would have fought it 😆

@karenroberts1780 3 ай бұрын

I thought you might have been fined for not buying the correct ticket. Those stations are pretty crazy and I ended up scanning my Navigo card thinking I was exiting and couldn’t find where to buy the ticket for the airport. I ended up buying the ticket on my phone on route, as I’ve heard they really look for people who haven’t paid the fare to the airport…hope you had a nice visit home, I really enjoyed my visit to France, thanks for sharing your Monoprix buys, I sure wish we had them in Canada 😊

@sherrieshatzen3801 3 ай бұрын

Isn't there some way to contest the ticket? In the US you can always count any ticket in court. Also the officer issuing the ticket must also show up in court. If they don't your ticket is tossed.

@rodblake8708 4 ай бұрын

Probably not a coincidence that I had the exact same experience on the RER B to CDG last year. Same incidental contact with my foot against the plastic part on the seat opposite. There were about 3 of them (the armband brigade), obviously trying to make their ticket quota for the month. I thought they were joking, but I had to chuckle when they gave me the official SNCF receipt. If only they ticketed the folks leaving their trash, or something meaningful.😂😂😅P.S. Do you think they target Canadians (since I am too!) Ha!

@QueenXKnit 3 ай бұрын

What is forbidden is to put your shoes on the opposite seat, not accidently touch it with the point of your toes because the seat are damn to narrow. They must have pressured you to pay the fine right away because they get a 10% cut on the fine.

@johannaengman2594 3 ай бұрын

people who feel unimportant use the little power they get to use it so they feel important and that other will find them important.

@suzsuzM 4 ай бұрын

Paris has some lovely aspects to it but I really didn’t enjoy our visit there a a couple years ago. We extended our trip from London to Paris and extra day and i really wish we stayed in London instead.

@reneeupdike2220 3 ай бұрын

Yep, same here. We visited and took our kids! Even our kids felt the animosity towards us as US citizens - and we were very respectful. I will NEVER go back to France! And from the way some, not all, acted they don't want Americans there anyway. I tried to speak French as I took it in college.

@maryannhartzell2958 4 ай бұрын

That is an unbelievable story. Can’t you report this person? Is her name on the ticket?

@Ariellelaparisienne 4 ай бұрын

In the end I didn’t even get the ticket, just the receipt 🥲

@susanweiss938 4 ай бұрын

Give an unstable person like that guard a little bit of power and this happens. I hate it. You didn't deserve that.

@marcelalopezlira7105 4 ай бұрын

Hey Arielle, that sucked but like you said, it's easier to shake down a nice couple than a group of pick pocketers or worse. Something similar happened to me in Italy in 2016. I was traveling from Spain thru France to Italy on train with a Eurail pass. The train security woman was going around asking for tickets, I handed mine to her and she asked for my Eurail pass as well. You're supposed to fill in your destinations as you go on the pass or before you take off. Well, I had not filled in that portion yet since we had just taken off and she was super rude, in front of everyone shoved the credit card machine in my face and I had to pay a 50 euros fine. She made me feel awful, like I had committed a crime. Total embarrassment. I did report her at the next stop. They apologized on her behalf but I still was out 50 euros. Now I laugh about it. Some day you will too. Thanks for sharing.

@AdamsMom921 3 ай бұрын

This was a very good video to see …we are going to Italy in a few weeks and I recall that they do the same on trains….Except if you rest your foot on the running board where the wall meets the floor… you will get fined. This seems like a natural resting spot for a traveler…but it’s just an easy money maker. You essentially were a victim- not unlike - being pickpocketed… You are gracious in the face of this event. You have every right to feel that you were targeted because you were….

@kathleenverlin1691 3 ай бұрын

Second time I’ve heard this happening. Exact same circumstance

@patriciateague8677 3 ай бұрын

I've heard others say the controllers are pretty aggressive. Yelling at someone is never going to be received well and can be very scary to a visitor. I'm sure they get a lot of grief from passengers, which is why they are so aggressive, but it's just not right to treat people that way. I'm sorry you experienced it, but it's good that you shared this with us.

@petat13 3 ай бұрын

It’s dreadful but I’ve seen officials do similar in Melbourne (Australia). I was on the light rail when a group of five officials scanned a young man’s ticket and claimed it was invalid. One produced a terminal and insisted on payment. If payment was not immediate the ticket would be posted and the fine increased. This was done in front of a bunch of people so the poor fellow was utterly humiliated into paying the fine.. just dreadful.

@denniesvicente4012 4 ай бұрын

I completely understand what you’re saying here. It kinda makes me mad that they do not at the very LEAST fine these pickpockets. They should be arrested. Putting your toe on the train is the LEAST of the Metro police/authorities worries here. It’s ridiculous. I am from Sydney and on our trains, we do have signs that say not to put your feet up on the seat as you will get fined. I have been on the train several times were people not only have their whole legs on top of the seat, they have also taken their bloody shoes off. 😡 And no transit police in sight. Anyway, thanks for the video. I sympathise with you, it was totally unfair.

@kimvilleneuve2543 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing

@robertodepasamonte3434 4 ай бұрын

And is immediate payment of a fine a standard requirement in France? Do the french laws or courts allow you to dispute a fine?

@Ariellelaparisienne 4 ай бұрын

Yes unfortunately, you’re incentivised to pay on the spot otherwise the total of the fine doubles… :/

@tatoute1 3 ай бұрын

It is way more complex than that. As soon as you pay you are recognizing your responsability, and no dispute is possible anymore. And the 60eur is a REDUCED fine, the real fine is 120 but if you pay on the spot, it is halved (you can check). If you do not pay on the spot you receive the 120 fine at home, and then (if you do not pay it), you can dispute. But to dispute you have to make an advance of even more money!!!! In this case there it will be useless to dispute because the sncf agent is assermented, so her words will prevail. The only case may be if you have some conclusive video of the inciddent... wich is not the case...

@laurenbryant521 2 ай бұрын

Retain a civil attorney for 500 euros for future use to challenge any archaic french laws over exercised by over exuberant french authorities. You paid the 60 euro, but don't in the future. French courts do not want to hear about misdemeanors committed by your classification of residency. To all your viewers who are thinking about another country as one of their bases, attach yourself to a well established civil attorney as soon as you can arrange. Oh, and Arielle...great work!

@pinkswan250 3 ай бұрын

Usually the security squads come in with at least 4 people to check on your tickets etc. The fact that this woman approached you not being part of a team appears to be quite fraudulent. Did you check on her ID /authorisation? Also the fact that your card did not work in the first attempt, suggests that you have been scammed. It's a mad world.

@reneeupdike2220 3 ай бұрын

That is RIDICULOUS! We call that Government OVER REACH here! You know what's funny? I just watched a video about Versailles and French history and what the common people did to the royalty for being flippant to the "commoners". That type of government over reach needs to STOP!!!

@lorrainethomas241 4 ай бұрын

Perhaps a video about other understood-but-not-explicitly stated rules would be in order.

@ayeeitskarla 3 ай бұрын

Do you use Tretinoin Arielle? Your skin looks incredible !

@jenniferjanssen9876 4 ай бұрын

Sounds like she was targeting a beautiful girl like yourself !!! she had it in for you . We just returned from the Olympics , we also drove from Paris to vezelay Both my husband I are good safe drivers , we got a speeding ticket for going over 4 KM over limit !! and also a parking ticket in Fountainbleu after parking in the correct area but apparently our cc card was not read correctly . I received the tickets and letters all in French which I don’t speak. It’s been a nightmare as it’s on my license now , so trying to fight it. We also had an iPad stolen on French bee when flying back to Miami.

@Ariellelaparisienne 4 ай бұрын

Oh my goodness that sounds like a nightmare…. It’s crazy that those tickets and letters found their way to you back home…. :(

@xouxoful 4 ай бұрын

I once got flashed for 1 km/h « retenu » (71 for 70), in fact it was 5 or 6 km/h above on my speedometer, they automatically subtract a percentage. Still annoying though.

@jackieangove5158 4 ай бұрын

Could it have been a scumbag scam team .I would have asked for I D no I D no fine paid get someone else in authority she may have scarpered.

@cecesheart32 4 ай бұрын

Sounded like a scam.

@Ariellelaparisienne 4 ай бұрын

I honestly thought it was at first 😭

@mh325 4 ай бұрын

Not just a scam, but scam from the inside. No ticket, only a receipt? Sounds suspicious to me.

@marinaBSNRN 3 ай бұрын

OMG. People's behavior is getting crazier and crazier every day. I am sorry this happened to you. I would agree that this might be a scam. Maybe find out if she actually works there? That would be interesting to know.

@karolealucas 3 ай бұрын

I have traveled to France for 45 years and I got my first fine in the metro station this last trip - last fall. It appeared that they, the Metro Police, were targeting tourists. I speak French but my husband does not, so they made assumptions. We had to show our metro tickets as we were leaving the metro. My husband pulled out all of his tickets and they said none of them were the correct ticket. I said, in French, that one had to be correct because we had just used it. Then they plucked one from his hand, ran it and said it worked so he was fine. My ticket was slightly torn, so they went nuts and said that I had a 50 Euro fine! I had to pay it on the spot. They wanted cash and I said I didn't have that much. So they grudgingly took my AM EX card. I contested it when I got home, showed the ticket and the receipt where I had purchased the tickets that morning, and the charge was removed immediately. So glad I used my AM EX! So sorry this happened to you. It is becoming more difficult to encourage friends and family to travel to France - my favorite country in the world!

@PERIDOTVERT 3 ай бұрын

Yes, this happened to me at Opera metro station. Since then, I only take Navigo card with me because those scammers' device cannot alter the navigo cards that they leave you alone as soon as you show them the Navigo.

@karolealucas 3 ай бұрын

@@PERIDOTVERT thank you. That's very good to know.

@julieparker8176 4 ай бұрын

Defecate on the trains? I’ve never seen that! I guess that’s what people are referring to about human excrement “all over” Paris but I’ve never seen it in nearly 100 trips to Paris. You learn something new every day!

@alethiabrown351 3 ай бұрын

Drug addicts will deficate anywhere when they are high. Sometimes it’s diarrhea. Sometimes they are so high they don’t care. I’m from NYC , so I’ve seen this in NY. Usually is heroine addicts.

@musicfoodie8420 4 ай бұрын

Are you able to challenge?

@Ariellelaparisienne 4 ай бұрын

Im going to try ! But I also don’t want to waste even more time and money going to court 😪

@MaruMashh 4 ай бұрын

This is so strange, I would totally look at the law or whatever official rule is for that, knowing the French and how picky they are about semantics, "on" the chair means ON the chair! You never "accidentally" put your feet up on a chair, it's ridiculous, I don't know if something similar happens again you can demand proof like if the officer's taken a photograph of the offense? Obviously thinking that now that we know, you were totally surprised and coerced😢...

@carlf.9035 4 ай бұрын

In all honesty and with all due respect, even if your foot was touching part of the seat they wouldn't have ticketed you on a random day and station. People do that all the time and talk at the loudest decibel on the metro. I saw a guy with both his legs on the front passenger seat and asked the guy to his left to choose another empty seat. So with all due respect, she's a looney and these made up fines and selective ones should be reported. But I understand not wanting it to escalate things when you're faced with an unstable person, security officer or not.

@Theworldisyourplayground0011 4 ай бұрын

Omg that’s ridiculous!

@debracoulter1250 3 ай бұрын

I’m really disappointed hearing about this. I’ve never heard of such bs. I was offended at the “entertainment” on the metro. Then the begging of money. I don’t think that should be allowed. I would go after them because it’s simply not posted and it could be done by anyone. Very odd!

@lyndaandrian7204 4 ай бұрын

Wow, seems fishy. If you can somehow get her name off the ticket I would challenge

@Ariellelaparisienne 4 ай бұрын

I didn’t even get a ticket ! Just a receipt 😭 honestly does sound like a total scam

@pamelab1175 3 ай бұрын

My husband is a retired police officer. And I respect authority too. But I’m sorry, I would have fought that. It sounds a little fishy to me. I’m sure I would have embarrassed my husband. But she would have had to explain it a bit better to me. Yes, I would have been a tourist. But I’m not stupid. And I would have made her show me in writing where it said your toe couldn’t touch the seat anywhere.

@JanePilkington 3 ай бұрын

Wow, that sounds crazy. Does sound like a scam

@hal90001 3 ай бұрын

It's a scam

@joanne_ft 3 ай бұрын

Sorry but dirt from your "toe" on that plastic front of the seat would dirty someone's clothes. Keep smiling. PS it is not a scam.

@alethiabrown351 3 ай бұрын

Arielle, never take that train to the airport again. Scammers look for people that the believe they can shake down. You have a very angelic demeanor, you look kind and empathetic. So, never take the train to the plane again. Please, never every go in places that are not highly guarded. I’m sorry that this happened to you.