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Funny gendarme post warns of ‘disappearing indicators’

Gendarmerie in the Pyrénées-Orientales have warned of the “worrying disappearance” of car indicators and have called for witnesses, in a novel approach to getting drivers to remember to indicate.

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A Facebook post entitled “Worrying Disappearance / Call For Witnesses” this week warned of the “mass increase in the disappearance of indicator lights”, and asked “where could they have got to?”.

The post, , continued to explain the principle of indication in a tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic tone.

It said: “We’re revealing important information today. Under each steering wheel, on your left, whatever the model or year of your vehicle, there is a small lever. Simply turn it up or down to activate the turn signal. In this way, other users will know which direction you’re going!"

The gendarmerie took a more serious tone for the last part of the post, reminding drivers that failure to indicate when changing direction can be punished by a fine of €22 and the docking of three points from your licence.

The post has clearly hit a nerve; at the time of writing, it had attracted over 340 Likes, 108 comments, and almost 850 shares.

Some users remarked on the apparent problem of non-indication in the Pyrénées-Orientales in particular, with one writing: “I was surprised when I moved to this region. Indicators must be optional.”

One user joined in with the fun, writing: “In my car there is this option, but when I went to turn it on, the light didn’t work properly. It just kept flashing on and off, so I stopped using it!”

Another wrote: “I agree with this post. I am a taxi driver and a motorbike rider, and I am terrified 8,354 times a day!”

One user even warned that failing to indicate can cause fatal accidents for motorbikes and push bikes.

Another writer said it was not just a problem in the Pyrénées-Orientales. She wrote: “Please could you spread this call for witnesses to other departments that are also affected by this terrible disappearance? Thank you for this; great reminder full of humour!”

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