Old Septimus Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 I spent nearly half an hour yesterday filling up on the autoroute North of Rouen because English credit cards don't seem to work the automatic pumps (I tried 4) and the queue for the other pumps was huge. What does it take to get a credit card that works these pumps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Pearce Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 I think you need one of the 'smart card' credit cards. The ones with a chip inside and a set of gold coloured contacts. All the French ones are like this, they don't use old fashioned insecure magnetic stripes, they use up-to-date insecure microchips instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Elizabeth Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 A french credit card tongue.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiptree Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Is a French credit card anything like a French letter or am I totally confused? Tomorrow's a good day for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Elizabeth Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Interesting that the french call a french letter an "english raincoat". Far too tempting to make credit card / condom jokes. Slots, withdrawals, the material is just crying out for some top class smut. But modesty forbids smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V7 SLR Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 No, you need cards only familiar in Europe to work the pumps. My wife has a Maestro card (nothing related to an attempt to design a car by Austin Rover) which worked all over France and Switzerland, but she is Polish. In general we managed on the Euro2001 tour by filling up and paying at the booths. Not possible on the odd occasion we wanted to fill up outside of normal working hours, when the pumps were unmanned. We just kept this in mind and kept ourselves topped up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsharland Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 autoroute North of Rouen we had problems alos so we recruited the help of a very nice french bloke who also could not get his card to work either. he then showed us the way to another petrol station that was open then showed us the way to the motorway v. unusal anywhere to see that type of generousity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Practically every colloquialism we have in the language that refers to a "french ..." is a xenophobic implication of inferiority which is mirrored by the French description of anything "...anglais". (Jeremy Paxman - The English) Peterid=teal> 253 BHP K-seriesteeth.gif, no gearboxbum.gifid=red> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Elizabeth Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 French Fries French Stick French Kiss Eh ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V7 SLR Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 teeth.gif Ha ha, except I thought it was the other way round. I mean, Frech Letter is all about sex. We British have always thought the French better at it that us (generalisation. Of course I don't have that inferiority complex wink.gif). French Kissing, same. I'm sure that if I were knowledgeable enough about kitchens, and what goes on in them, I might find other supporting evidence to contradict Monsieur Paxman. Ooh, ooh, I've thought of one... French Toast. That'll be their football team then. teeth.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caterhamnut Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 We have had a few nightmares in France with this petrol subject. On Sundays everything is closed, and using these machines is the only way to fill up. Whilst at La Croix over the jubilee weekend, we collared a french chap from the paddock, took him to the nearest petrol station where he filled up with his card and we paid him cash. Saved the day. I have just got an 'egg' card (upgraditis!) and that has a gold chip in it, so hopefully that will work over there! teeth.gif20,000 miles in less than a year! cool.gifthumbsup.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Nig, You are getting yourself muddled. You don't get the correct perspective on this by starting from a position of "we BRITISH". This purely has its roots in Englishness. Paxman's thesis covers the erosion of "Englishness" through the promotion of "Britishness". Historically, there has been very little widespread English belief that the French were in any way superior. You also have to look at the sociological conditions under which terms came into use. "French kiss" had connotations of not being quite proper - a kiss you might indulge with a mistress rather than a wife. The origins of the term are far removed from the schoolboy sniggers that accompany its discovery in current generations. Angus, Surely, you will need an "oeuf" card to work in France... Peterid=teal> 253 BHP K-seriesteeth.gif, no gearboxbum.gifid=red> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V7 SLR Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Peter, I love it. thumbsup.gif I'm never going to get any work done today. I've done none so far so why ruin a perfect day? Anyway, Joanna (Polish, for those that don't know) doesn't understand why I own a St George's flag rather than a Union Jack/Flag (she hasn't been to Le Mans, see) and equally doesn't understand my constant harmless needling at the newsreaders when they refer to us on this island as British when I insist this portion is English. She also can't see why I must denigrate all things French, even though secretly I love the country, people (some), circuits, weather, food, wine and Stand-21 in particular. smile.gif My explanation that "I have a historical duty" doesn't wash. I guess that being constantly pursuaded that I'm British by our government and Europe in general has had an impact on me hence my misplaced perspective before therefore I proffer my humblest apologies to Englishmen wherever you are. By extrapoloation of Paxman's thesis, can I assume that I'm superior to the Welsh and Scots too then? Anyone else? teeth.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Elizabeth Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 I have always though it interesting, this sub-division of our country. Watching the world cup games there are lots of St Georges flags, but most have a place or a football team as an add-on. Are we the only country to do this ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Need I remind you that I am an ethnic Scot with the misfortune of having been born and raised in England (and the advantage of having been educated here). My Grandfather similarly lived and worked most of his life in England. When questioned about whether he felt more English or more Scottish he would always reply: "I am British". He said this with pride and with the belief that the things that bound together the nations on this island were important and substantial. It is very easy to stir up popularist support for "us and them" notions - to promote nationalism. I have never seen any such efforts result in anything other than an increase in misery. We had a British Empire, not an English one. The talking down of Britain was a twentieth century phenomenon that has resulted in devolved regional assemblies and this curious situation where England is having to rediscover its Englishness because being the leftover bit when you take the rest of Britain away isn't quite enough. I side with my Grandfather on this one - although I didn't have the wit to express such complex ideas in my overlap with his lifetime. I am innately British, rather than English. I will sing with heartfelt fervour both "Flower of Scotland" and "Jerusalem". England still suffers from the disease that rotted away the heart of Britain - an inability to deal with diversity and the root cause of that disease is the anomaly that is London. As we are currently in the grip of a government that is obsessed with populism, tolerance of diversity seems to be shrinking even further. Peterid=teal> 253 BHP K-seriesteeth.gif, no gearboxbum.gifid=red> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 To make England a "nation" you need to keep in sight that which binds together Southern tosspots, ard-as-nails northerners, Geordies, Bumpkins, the Hoi poloi, the toffs, the great unwashed, scousers, woollybacks, those dangerous swarthy breeds from the midlands, carrot crunchers and the radon-irradiated mutants from the far West, while still finding room for immigrants to integrate. In other words we need a nice long war with the French! Peterid=teal> 253 BHP K-seriesteeth.gif, no gearboxbum.gifid=red> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaunsl Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Sorry to disappoint any of you that have just got 'chip' cards with the new gold electronic chip, they still don't work in French Petrol pumps. I regularly tour in France on my bike and Sundays have become a real nightmare (even worse as the bike only has a 120 mile range) because the French supermarkets ahve managed to drive out most of the local petrol stations and then close on Sundays just leaving these automatic machines. I have tried a number of cards including Barclaycard, Egg, and RBS and none of these have worked. I have since had this explained to me by a french colleague that it is because most of Europe now use a signature less credit card system (you quite often see the little shielded keypad at checkouts) this uses a 6 digit PIN as the signature. The petrol pumps use the same system. The good news is that the UK banks will be introducing this system in the UK and it should be compatible with the European system. The bad news is trials are due to start in 2004 and the full introduction will not start until 2005. In the meantime take plenty of cash, learn a bit of French and always stop at petrol stations where there is a local and persuade them to fill up on their card and give them the cash. We have even managed to get one guy to pay for 16 bikes worth (cash up front of course). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simos Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Unfortunately we can't have a war with France... they were knocked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Elizabeth Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 So nice that the EU can do things like make marmalade illegal, but cannot ensure that one set of citizens are fairly treated when it comes to buying petrol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Thonger Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 shaunsl has the right idea with your cash and their credit card - it worked for me even at 0200 hrs in Le Mans Sunday morning. Helps having the 7 as well, I think, bloke very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FH Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Does this apply only to petrol stations question.gif or any other card-taking establishment confused.gif FH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mav Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Regulatory changes within the Credit card industry insists that the chip be installed in the cards, and that the use of the Mainland European 'pin' rather than signature be used. Further more the cards also need to be compatable with the mainland europe systems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Swift Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Hey PC! Excuse me .... "Dangerous Swarthy Breed from the Midlands" who do you think you are!!! tongue.gif (I was born in Southport but moved to the Midlands when I was nine) We are calm, civilised, warm people (as you well know)and refuse vehemently to endure the tortuous life darn sarff. Our foreys southwards are usually frought with endless traffic jams, indifferent and unfriendly service,overcharging and overcrowding. WE are central to most decent race circuits this country has to offer - so there! bum.gif When our French friends come to stay they fall about laughing because all our food,jams, marmalades etc have preservatives in them "preservatif" in French is the word for condom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micky Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 PC wrote: "> England still suffers from the disease that rotted away the heart of Britain - an inability to deal with diversity and the root cause of that disease is the anomaly that is London. <" London is populated by the most diverse range of people in the world who co-exist in (relative) peace, perhaps you mean London, Ontario? M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 I prefer using the word "capote anglaise". Relative to credit cards, in fact we had instructed supermarkets to refuse Bristish cards because we wanted to make sure that Mr Arnie Webb's engine do not break down because of the alledgely bad quality of French petrol! Hope it worked and Arnie's Seven has been running nicely. Just teasing of course. Seriously the Visa cards work well. As for football, this subject is completely off topic! I hate football! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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