A fine for the French who picnic in this town, “I don’t understand anything”
The picnic, a french tradition well anchored, constitutes an essential element of holidays or weekends. Whether with family or friends, lunch in outdoors represents a privileged moment of the day. Over the years, the picnic has evolved, with the emergence of original recipes, sometimes developed by chefs, as well as the use of elegant accessories dedicated to this practice.
As a long Ascension weekend begins, during which many restaurants risk closing, the French are preparing to picnic wherever possible, subject to a good weather. And this tradition is not new.
The picnic: a well-established French tradition, despite the restrictions
Indeed, since medieval times, it was common to restore outdoors during a walk in the surroundings. Thus, the picnic has become one of the favorite pastimes of the French, enjoying enjoying their meal under the sunespecially by the sea. However, it seems that picnicking is no longer always accepted everywhere.
In fact, on the side of Saint-Laurent-du-Var, in the Alpes-Maritimes, the municipal authorities have issued an order. The latter now prohibits the consumption of meals on the ride blue waves. This place, extremely popular on the Côte d’Azur, is renowned for its shady path and its proximity to the beach.
Restriction raises perplexity among visitors
First of all, the sign clearly indicates the ban on picnics. However, the municipal decree issued last summer has a nuance. It is allowed to eat quickly on the go. But it is strictly forbidden to picnic using equipment and utensils.
This restriction caused puzzlement among the picnickers present. ” I do not understand anything “exclaims laughingly a woman who thought respect the rules. Indeed, some wonder if eating with utensils really constituted a picnic. A young man eating a salad from a plastic box with a fork, questioned by a TF1 journalist, hesitates to answer. By the way, it should be noted that the ban only applies to the promenade along the beach. Indeed, it is quite possible to install directly on the sand no problem.
Live from our beautiful coastline with @BFMCotedazur where I recall the common rules of etiquette, in particular the ban on electric scooters and picnics in this shared area. pic.twitter.com/e99qVmskIe
— Joseph SEGURA (@JosephSeguraSLV) April 28, 2023
Also read:
A dissuasive fine for unauthorized picnics
This ban was put in place because of the waste left by some people who are not very respectful of the environment, as well as the behavior of some picnickers who set up in such a way anarchic to have their meal. Joseph Segura, mayor (DVD) of Saint-Laurent-du-Var, explains this: “ Right in the middle, right here, there were tables and chairs, although it’s a shared environment. There are bicycles, pedestrians, children. It’s a walk. You are not going to eat in the middle of the Champs-Élysées! »
Currently, the municipal police show tolerant : “ We made reminders to the law especially on the promenade. For the moment, we are doing pedagogy, the time that it is put in place, and after, we will move on to the repressive component ”. In case of illegal picnic, a fine of 35 euros is planned.
