‘Improper honking’ ends in fines for French fans

LILLE ( France): A handful of football fans in northeast France are paying the price for celebrating their nation’s World Cup win a little too loudly.

Police in the town of Tergnier – population 13,000 – issued fines of €

35 (RM166) in the wake of the national team’s World Cup victory this month to people who carried on honking horns after some neighbours were ready to call it a night.

After France secured their second World Cup title on July 15, “for a while there were huge numbers of people out in the streets,” police officer Didier Aubin said on

Lots of people who couldn’t care less about football were complaining, because people were screaming in the streets, honking. Didier Aubin

Tuesday, confirming a local press report which revealed the fines.

But when calm returned at around 10pm some fans still wanted to drive around honking their horns, while motorcyclists repeatedly revved up their engines.

“Lots of people who couldn’t care less about football were complaining, because people were screaming in the streets, honking, and the motorcyclists were making tons of noise,” Aubin said.

As a result, eight people received tickets for “improper honking” and three for revving their motors, he said.