# Spanish police spotted my A frame



## kijana (May 1, 2005)

We arrived at a small roundabout at the top end of Conil de la Frontera after a 250 mile drive. Having finally made the effort and left our hideyhole in the Alpujarras, we were nearly at our journey's end, La Rosaleda campsite, a few miles south of Cadiz.
If the first roundabout was small, the second one just down the road was tiny. And it led into the maze of narrow streets that make up downtown Conil. Definitely not RV territory, and especially not with the Smart on the A frame behind us.

So I pulled off the road onto a handy forecourt, and set off on foot to reccy the choice of directions, not having a clue where the campsite was.

It was then I noticed a couple of local police. One was clearing traffic cones from the road, the other was driving the van - and about to come alongside the RV.

On the basis of assuming policemen are friendly until proven otherwise, I went up to the guy in the van with my camping book and its laughable attempts at describing the location of the elusive campsite. _"Donde es Camping Rosaleda?"_ I said, in my best pidgeon Spanish.

Sr. Policeman looked at the address in my book, and enquired if I was walking. I think he must have guessed I was foreign, since he accompanied his question with the delightful little mime of walking with two fingers over the palm of his hand. _"No"_ said I, reinforcing this by holding an imaginary steering wheel.

Then he looked over my shoulder and spotted the RV with its quasi legal TOAD. _"Ah! El grande?"_ he asked. "_Si"_ I nodded, thereby exhausting my entire Spanish vocabulary. He tapped the side of his van and gave me to understand I was to follow him. No mention of where to, mind, so it could be good or maybe not. . .

I motioned I would have to go round the little roundabout to get behind him, and he said OK. So I sprinted across the road, and fired up the RV, waving as I drove past him.

'Blimey' said my co pilot. 'That's a little roundabout - are you sure we'll get round?'

'Hah!' says I, with deeply misplaced confidence. 'No worries'.

Well we got 3/4 of the way round, and it would have been ok, but some prat of a Spanish git had abandoned his car almost at the exit we wanted.Even on full lock I couldn't get past it.

So now I'm a foot from the parked car, stationary, with the Smart at maximum angle. And a big queue of irate Spanish drivers who all felt leaning on their horns would help me resolve my problem. With the Police waiting for me just up the road.

So we set about unhooking the Smart, and driving it off the roundabout. The cone-clearing cop had by now arrived, and was contemplating the stream of traffic going the wrong way round the roundabout while we sorted ourselves out.

Eventually I drew up behind the police van, with Marion behind me driving the Smart. And so our little convoy set off on a tortuous 2 mile drive. I still wasn't sure whether we were going to the police station or the campsite.

Happily, it turned out to be La Rosaleda. Having seen us to our destination, the police gave us a cheery wave, and drove off into the sunset.

Both the incident at the roundabout, and the A frame which had caused it, were ignored.

It's good here!

Bruce


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

Now you have passed the first test,purly experimental you understand, would you mind hooking up the RV to the back of the KA and and see what reaction you get,
Ps are you making Peterborough this year I see your down for it
Geo


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## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

Great post Bruce! and another point in favour of using an A frame!

Dave


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## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

I think the saving grace here was your attempt to speak Spanish.Having lived here in Spain for five years it still amazes me how nice the Spanish are to people who at least try to speak the language.I have found that most brits just speak very load in English and if they are not understood they shout in English.Have a good time here
Buenas viajes


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## kijana (May 1, 2005)

Now come on Geo. I know you've been in a tiz ever since you got your 9 m.p.g. plushly decored RV.

But it's a Smart, not a Ka. And I don't know if the piece of string tied to the RV brake pedal would work the overun system. . .

And it's not Peterborough we're down for, it's Stratford. But yes, we certainly plan to be there, adventures permitting.

Only joking about the 9 m.p.g. You should get nearer 10. . .

Bruce


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## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

Bruce and Marion
Pleased to hear your Spanish is getting better ! I guess its Portugese you need next. Maybe you could start a new thread on here.....wonderful Spanish Police ......... it would make a change from reading all the negative comments on here about our police who in my opinion are the best and least corrupt in the world.


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## slaphead (May 14, 2005)

well done bruce..............might get rid of me smart trailer now!oh ,hang on though we're going to deutchland as well as espana'................they just dont like 'em! there .damn polizei!
better keep with the trailer for a while .........least i can reverse it! :wink: :lol:


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## kijana (May 1, 2005)

Hi John & Julie

Yes, I'm sure UK police are fine upstanding fellows.

But I think rumours of corruption amongst their Spanish counterparts are unfounded too.

You remember when we got that parking ticket in Villajoyosa? Marion & I went down to the police station to pay our fine. We only had a chequebook, and the policeman on duty pulled out a big roll of banknotes from his back pocket to show us he'd prefer cash.

And because we'd foolishly come out without any money, he wouldn't take a cheque and let us off!

Now that's not corrupt, is it?


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Lovely story, Bruce. Had me on tenterhooks. Clearly a good outcome, though a bit of a let-down from the story-telling angle! 

This creased me up; so true!
"And a big queue of irate Spanish drivers who all felt leaning on their horns would help me resolve my problem."

Dave


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

Bruce,

The thread title reads like a Sunday Sport headine:-

_*Spanish police spotted my A frame​*_
_*Giant aardvark ate my grannie​*_
Etc.

Dougie.


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

You were lucky Bruce to get some helpful straight coppers... sounds unusual for Spanish cops. Glad you've had/having a good time, hope to catch up with you later in the year when your back in blighty.


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

HI Dougie

Your comment about Kijana's headline being similar to a Sunday Sport headline is very offensive to the journalists on the paper. 

I know a number of journalists from the paper and they would never have to leave the office let alone travel to Spain to put together a story like that :lol: :lol: 

Glad its going well Bruce. Conil is a great area of Spain. We were there last February and had a great time.


stew


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## kijana (May 1, 2005)

> Clearly a good outcome, though a bit of a let-down from the story-telling angle!


I suppose I could have made up a more exciting ending, Dave.

But that's the trouble with life. It's sometimes just, so, . . . . . dull . . . really.

Cheers, Snelly. Are you at Stratford? I'd love to see your new toy. And yours, Geo (I'll bring me sunglasses).

Et tu, Stew?

Bruce


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

We wasn't planning on going to Stratford, i'll have to talk to the boss... :roll:


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## kijana (May 1, 2005)

I'll buy you a beer


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

Forget the beer, you pay for my brakes to be serviced and i'll come :wink:


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

Great story .. like Dave I was on tenterhooks.. glad it turned out ok.. 

A similar thing happened to us.....

Returning from Morocco we entered the port of Sete which is like Gibralter but on the African coast. As we neared the town centre there were some road works and diversion signs.. 

I took the road that I thought led to the port but I soon realised that it was the wrong road. It was getting narrower and narrower and going uphill twisting and turning .. there was no where to turn so I kept going. 
Sweating now and realising we were now hopelessly lost I heard a car hooting from behind ! 
It was the Spanish Policia .. they came up to the drivers window, they looked very imtimidating, guns, beards and very swarthy skin, and asked if I was looking for the ferry !! I nodded vigorously, they indicated that I should follow them.. 
Twisting and turning we followed them for about 1/2km .. then shock, the road did a hairpin bend of almost 360deg and sharp downhill .. No-way was George and trailer going round .. 
I got out , the police helped un hitch the trailer, controlled the local traffic and assisted as I did about 11 fowards and reverses to get George round the bend.. 
We then followed them to the port.. what a relief and full marks to the Spainish Policia ..


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## thewaltons (Aug 21, 2006)

Bruce

We are off to look at smart cars on Friday. Hoping that Mark (6'1") will be able to drive it. Next decision is A frame or trailer. The thought of unhooking the A frame in haste in a foreign country does not fill me with joy but if its possible to reverse a trailer, is that realistic behind 33' of RV in a tight corner with irrate Spaniards up your backside?????

Anita


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*A frame*

Hello

Brilliant post - rolling about laughing, but I was worried at first as soon as you mentioned the A Frame!

Russell


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## kijana (May 1, 2005)

Hi Anita

No, in the situation I was in, with the RV on full lock, and not able to go forward, I would not have been able to reverse a trailer either. It would just have jacknifed.

At least with an A frame we were able to disconnect it completely in well under 90 seconds, and clear the roundabout quickly. Doing this with a trailer would have been much harder work, assuming we could have pushed it up the kerb at all.

But hey, you pays your money and you takes your choice!

Bruce


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## 98794 (Apr 20, 2006)

Good story but I think you are lucky that you approached the "Policia Local" and not the "Guardia Civil traficos" then La Mordida might have taken a big bite out of your budget not to mention the cost of having your smart trailored out of Spain! Mind you you could always have tried a bribe. :lol: 
Guerrero


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Loved it Bruce. A bit of humour with a serious point to make.

Enjoy your stay and watch those round abouts.

peedee


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