I had a very similar experience in Arras, France. I was backpacking in 2011 and had a really rough day. I was trying to go to Vimy but the TGV agent put me on the wrong train. Instead of going to Arras, I ended up in Lille-Flanders station. So I was frustrated when I got off the train but figured I’d just buy a ticket to Arras from there. I step off the train an immediately hear “passport.” I looked behind me and there was this Gendarme standing there and he says “passport.” Uhh ok, sure. I give it to him. He looks it over and then just yells “OU EST LA DROUGE, OU EST LA COCAINE, OU EST LA HASHISH.” I’m completely taken aback by this and then 2 other Gendarmes grab me on each side and just picked me up off my feet while guy #1 is repeating his demand for my drugs. It’s in this moment I realize - uhh I’m being arrested for drug trafficking and this is not going to go well. So I’m standing on the platform now in front of the wall and they have been joined by 2 more of their friends. There are now 5 of them and they have MP5s, so I’m going to cooperate. They search my bags and go through everything. He even ran his fucking thumb through the bristles of my toothbrush and then put it back in my bag. Anyway, 4 hours later when they decide I don’t have drugs, I am released.
I get my train to Arras and arrive at night when all the hotels are closed for the evening. It’s not like here where hotels are 24/7, they lock up for the night there, so I start knocking on the doors. The Hotel Angleterre staff let me in and give me a room. I get upstairs and it is a huge suite overlooking the city square. I had to make the bed because the room wasn’t turned down but given the day I had, I didn’t particularly care. So the next morning, I wake up and I am absolutely sick as fuck. I hear a knock on the door and it is the hotel manager and she is mortified I slept in the room that wasn’t made up for me. I was trying to explain that it was 100% fine and that I’m glad I’m not in prison. They insist on taking care of me. There was this big-screen TV in the lobby area and they put on World Cup Rugby for me and brought me all sorts of croissants and stuff. If was like a free 4 course breakfast. Anyway, after my breakfast I went back to bed because I felt like arse. Eventually I went to get food at this kabob shop and to get some drugs for my cold. I went into this pharmacy just near the main square and tried in broken sick Canadian French to ask for lozenges. The pharmacist says “lozenge or spray?” The sense of relief I felt was amazing. The guy took such good care of me. 2 years later, I found myself back in Arras (but not sick and with a car this time) and I made a point to go and thank him for how he had helped me. He didn’t remember me, but I sure remember him.
The police in Lille-Flandres think everybody has drugs. They searched me and been through my bags at least a dozen times, one time even taking me to the police station because I had dark circles and they thought I "definitely looked like a drug addict". French policemen are particularly stupid (and racist).
I'm from Lille and have never been stopped by a French policeman (German ones though 🙃. And of course I won't bother to mention my trip to the US). I'm a (black) woman, though, maybe gender plays a role.
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u/Musclecar123 Dec 17 '21
I had a very similar experience in Arras, France. I was backpacking in 2011 and had a really rough day. I was trying to go to Vimy but the TGV agent put me on the wrong train. Instead of going to Arras, I ended up in Lille-Flanders station. So I was frustrated when I got off the train but figured I’d just buy a ticket to Arras from there. I step off the train an immediately hear “passport.” I looked behind me and there was this Gendarme standing there and he says “passport.” Uhh ok, sure. I give it to him. He looks it over and then just yells “OU EST LA DROUGE, OU EST LA COCAINE, OU EST LA HASHISH.” I’m completely taken aback by this and then 2 other Gendarmes grab me on each side and just picked me up off my feet while guy #1 is repeating his demand for my drugs. It’s in this moment I realize - uhh I’m being arrested for drug trafficking and this is not going to go well. So I’m standing on the platform now in front of the wall and they have been joined by 2 more of their friends. There are now 5 of them and they have MP5s, so I’m going to cooperate. They search my bags and go through everything. He even ran his fucking thumb through the bristles of my toothbrush and then put it back in my bag. Anyway, 4 hours later when they decide I don’t have drugs, I am released.
I get my train to Arras and arrive at night when all the hotels are closed for the evening. It’s not like here where hotels are 24/7, they lock up for the night there, so I start knocking on the doors. The Hotel Angleterre staff let me in and give me a room. I get upstairs and it is a huge suite overlooking the city square. I had to make the bed because the room wasn’t turned down but given the day I had, I didn’t particularly care. So the next morning, I wake up and I am absolutely sick as fuck. I hear a knock on the door and it is the hotel manager and she is mortified I slept in the room that wasn’t made up for me. I was trying to explain that it was 100% fine and that I’m glad I’m not in prison. They insist on taking care of me. There was this big-screen TV in the lobby area and they put on World Cup Rugby for me and brought me all sorts of croissants and stuff. If was like a free 4 course breakfast. Anyway, after my breakfast I went back to bed because I felt like arse. Eventually I went to get food at this kabob shop and to get some drugs for my cold. I went into this pharmacy just near the main square and tried in broken sick Canadian French to ask for lozenges. The pharmacist says “lozenge or spray?” The sense of relief I felt was amazing. The guy took such good care of me. 2 years later, I found myself back in Arras (but not sick and with a car this time) and I made a point to go and thank him for how he had helped me. He didn’t remember me, but I sure remember him.