2pints-mate 0 Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Just got sent this (apparently it was in a Sunday paper over here): Nicholas Sarkozy, France's outspoken interior minister, has a new target: hooligan skiers. After swearing to clean out the nastiest housing estates with a sandblaster if necessary, a comment some say helped fuel last year's riots, and cutting highway deaths by cracking down on speeding drivers, he is turning his attention to another problem zone, the ski slopes. During a visit to Chamonix, he announced he favours 'zero tolerance' against 'risky skiers' who endangered the health of others. 'Irresponsible behaviour is unacceptable. We cannot allow people to behave like hooligans on the slopes,' Sarkozy said. Last week skiers were split over the new plans, which will apply to foreign visitors and locals. 'I'm here to relax, not be followed around by gendarmes,' said Pierre Bonelli, 44, on holiday at Les Arcs. 'What are they going to do? Put speed cameras on the pistes? Ski with a blue light on their helmets?' Others, however, back the plan. A swift poll of a group of beginners waiting for their lesson on the nursery slopes found universal support. 'There are some really dangerous drivers...sorry...skiers,' said Marie-Helene, 13. 'They come past so fast it is scary. Someone will get killed.' The 50-year-old rightwinger, who has made no secret of his presidential ambitions, has broken many taboos of French politics, favouring positive discrimination and reworking the 100-year-old law on secularism. Those who run France's multi-million ski industry, have not been unanimous in their support for Sarkozy's plan for piste police. Jacques Guillot, mayor of Chamrousse, high in the Alps among some of the biggest ski stations, said: 'There are no hooligans on the slopes, just people who should be called to order. And a repressive approach is not necessarily best.' ------------------- Presumably all these "hooligans" are all on skiers. Us snowboarders are all angels. Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard 0 Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Shows how much he knows now mentioning snowboarders.... he knows we behave. Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Beginners are always going to think experienced skiers around them are going 'too fast'. I remember I did. Link to post Share on other sites
fukdane 2 Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 He sounds like a cool dude. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Good one Mr Guillot. I wonder what he classes as 'risky skiers'? Link to post Share on other sites
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