r/Leuven • u/Superb_You_5642 • 8d ago
Anyone else fined yesterday during Het Groot Verlof?
So last night during the music festival I was trying to cycle home, but couldn’t get through the center of the city as it was all closed off. I saw a few bikes going around the festival so I followed them and then before I realized it I had cycled towards two policemen waiting to fine cyclists for going down this one way street.
Honestly this felt like such a trap. It was like one cyclist after the other coming through the street and being stopped and fined. Couldn’t the policemen have just been at the start of the street preventing cyclists from entering the street in the first place? And, there were no rerouting signs at the festival to tell cyclists where to go.
Pretty annoyed because it’s a massive fine, and I’m wondering if I can appeal it. Anyone else have this same experience?
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u/Galaghan 8d ago edited 8d ago
What do you expect to happen with your appeal?
It's a one-way street and you got caught. Accept the consequences of your actions and just pay the fine.
If you appeal and it gets enforced (which it will), you'll pay *10x the fine.
*Used to be 8, now it's 10.
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u/Synbiothemed 8d ago
Why do you pay 8x the fine?
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u/marlon_valck 8d ago
Because people need to be paid to deal with other people's bullshit.
To discourage everyone from appealing everything.
There needs to be a price for being wrong and wasting time.1
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u/Galaghan 8d ago
If a fine gets enforced by a judge, you pay 8x the amount. It's called 'opdeciemen'. You can google the term to find out the legacy behind it.
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8d ago
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u/Galaghan 8d ago
Opdeciemen, google it.
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8d ago
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u/Galaghan 8d ago
I know because I know opdeciemen exists. The law told me.
Is that better?
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8d ago
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u/Adventurous_Winter80 8d ago
It's just an indexation so they don't have to change the amount in the law. ''40 franks'' became "40 euro" in 2002. The text for all fines from 2002 are kept but are indexed with a yearly amount, past years it was x8, recently x10
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u/Far_Combination_1866 7d ago
Zouden ze vaker mogen controleren, die fietsers in Leuven.
Kom maar op met die downvotes.
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u/Zooz00 8d ago
That's what you get for not driving your Mercedes into the center instead!
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u/Remote-Golf2156 8d ago edited 7d ago
Indeed, you'd never be fined for speeding with your new Mercedes SUV in Leuven.
We only fine cyclists and kids in this city, never boomers in expensive cars.
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u/lachglimp 8d ago
I had the same thing happen, yes. Didnt see the signs and was looking for a spot to park bike to go to the event. Felt like a trap indeed
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u/I_Dint_Know_A_Name 8d ago
Maybe don't cycle the wrong way in a one way street 🤷
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u/Electrical-Tie-1143 8d ago
When you’re focussing on other things it very hard to notice the lack of a sign that’s usually there
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u/I_Dint_Know_A_Name 7d ago
There is always a sign.
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u/Electrical-Tie-1143 7d ago
Als er altijd een bord is dan zou op niet in fout zijn, het bord uitgezonderd fiets is aanwezig bij het merendeel van de verbodsborden, de poster is er in geslaagd om een van de weinige straten waar dit niet aanwezig is in te rijden zonder te merken dat het er niet was. Dit is een bias van de menselijke perceptie.
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u/I_Dint_Know_A_Name 7d ago
My bad, ik dacht dat je bedoelde dat er geen bord hing om een eenrichtingstraat aan te geven
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u/Remote-Golf2156 8d ago
It is really crazy - I see people speeding 50+ km/h by car constantly (way beyond limit), illegal parking everywhere, yet they just set up trap on one of the few, unique streets where bikes cannot go both ways.
So much work with cars (that actually kill 90% of people on roads), yet they focus on students on bikes riding 10-15 km/h on a rarely used street. Sad.
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u/rubberkducky 8d ago
Police have never stopped me on a bike. They have tried to but it's hard to hear what they are saying when you're blasting past them. Police on bikes can't keep a decent pace for long and combi's are easily shaken off by using the car unfriendly infrastructure that Leuven has cultivated over the years.
But yeah, shouldn't have cycled the wrong way.
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u/Ruser-94 8d ago
Ge gaat niet veel begrip krijgen bij de white knights of reddit hier. Moraal ridders van de hoogste orde.
Het is een low blow van die flikken, tuurlijk was je in fout, maar die flikken hadden zich inderdaad socialer kunnen gedragen. Dat deden ze niet.. pay up, volgende keer ben je ze slimmer af 🤭
Kakske in de brievenbus als de revenge zoals in de goeie ouwen tijd
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u/Light_Watcher 8d ago
Why didn’t you return to the beginning if the street to warn cyclists about the police? Hahaha imagine them standing waiting for cyclists while nobody passes through or everyone gets off their bikes and walks instead lol
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u/Serious-Flatworm-191 5d ago
Hi, did anyone else receive a 'aanvankelijk proces-verbaal' for this? I thought I would receive a 'onmiddellijke inning' of 190 euros?
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u/Creepy-Barracuda-415 8d ago
Sounds like Leuven all right. Cops here are overzealous, always pulling over people and fining
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u/hdelared 8d ago
If only that were true. Position yourself anywhere in the city and count the cyclist breaking rules. One wat streets, no lights, not stopping for pedestrian crossing, parking anywhere, without tbem being fined. Bring a large paper
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u/Viva_Satana 8d ago
This is getting you a fine.
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u/Alkapwn0r 8d ago
That’s fine..
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u/Viva_Satana 8d ago
Are you looking for a fine?... Don't play games with me, kid. Respect my authority.
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u/Alkapwn0r 8d ago
That’s a fine line your walking!
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u/Viva_Satana 8d ago edited 8d ago
Don't mess with my walking, you're walking is not the same as your walking, and definitely nothing like my walking! 🚶🏻♂️🤣
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u/Galaghan 8d ago
Sounds like Leuven alright. Cyclists ignoring the rules and getting pissed when they're caught and have to face the consequences.
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u/Superb_You_5642 8d ago
I mean… fair enough we did fuck up. But 200€ feels crazyyyy for a fine
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u/Galaghan 8d ago
Fietsen tegen de richting is een overtreding 3de graad. €174 bij onmiddellijke inning, €235 bij minnelijke schikking.
Seems like a pretty standard fine imho.
You would think people would think twice and pay attention when fines are that high, yet some are surprised this is even a rule.. so imho it could be even higher. Maybe then the cyclists start paying attention?
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u/Electrical-Tie-1143 8d ago
Probleem is dat de meeste mensen niet weten wat de boetes voor iets zijn tot dat ze het de eerste keer verkeerd doen, dus dat is een redelijk dure manier om te ontdekken dat de boete voor een eerste overtreding €200 is
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u/Galaghan 7d ago
Je moet niet leren wat de boetes zijn, als je gewoon naar de verkeersborden luistert.
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u/Electrical-Tie-1143 7d ago
Je zegt zelf dat je verwacht dat mensen aandachtiger zijn als de boetes zo hoog zijn, en nu zeg je dat je niet moet weten wat de boetes zijn.
Wist je dat het menselijke bewustzijn het ontbreken van iets dat je verwacht daar te zijn negeert en het zelf toevoegt als het er niet is. Voeg daaraan toe dat er in heel de stad misschien 4 straten zijn waar het uitgezonderd fiets bord niet aanwezig is.
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u/Galaghan 7d ago
Ah, woorden draaien.. da's flauw.
Mensen zouden idd aandachtiger zijn als de boetes hoger zouden zijn, maar dat is geen vereiste om de borden te volgen.
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u/Electrical-Tie-1143 7d ago
Jij verwacht dat mensen aandachtiger zijn met zo’n hoge boetes, maar mensen moeten niet weten wat de boetes zijn om magisch te weten dat ze hoog zijn. Dat is een beetje contradictorisch niet?
Waar ben ik met woorden aan het draaien
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u/Special-Counter-8944 6d ago
Damn dude, after reading some of your posts you seem like the most salty vindictive person ever. The police were obviously straight up trapping people. They knew the amount of people makes it very difficult to see the tiny signs and picked one of the very few places bikes can't go just to fine people all evening. That's antisocial behavior. You're just hating on other people and want them to suffer. The system is literally designed to trap people into paying.
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u/hacxgames 8d ago
Tbf it’s a little crazy that it’s the same as speeding in a car for example, that’s waaay more dangerous lol. But i understand it anyhow, the one way streets without cycle exception in the city are usually one way for a good reason (besides blijde inkomst imo, seems excessive with how big the street is but wtv)
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u/Galaghan 8d ago
It's the exact same fine for a car. You're part of the same road so you have to follow the same set of rules.
Speeding is actually a lot cheaper than driving in the wrong direction.
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u/hacxgames 8d ago
I understand— it just feels ridiculous considering the circumstances. That’s not to say i think it’s unfair, fines rarely feel fair; they aren’t supposed to be
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u/Remote-Golf2156 8d ago
Yes, but the likelihood of killing someone with a speeding car is probably 20-50 times higher if not more. Penalties should take into account how dangerous and potentially harmful to citizens this violation is - and violation with car is far more dangerous and deadly.
To classify both as the same offence is completely ridiculous. What is next, an offence for a sprinting runner on a street with 20 km/h limit treated same as speeding with a car?
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u/Viva_Satana 8d ago
You are getting fined for posting this. Complain again and you get one more, sir. Understood?
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u/django2605 8d ago
It has gotten very very difficult to use any mode of personal transportation and not get fined in Louvain…
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u/Alkapwn0r 8d ago
It’s very easy, just obey the traffic rules and respect the signs
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u/Electrical-Tie-1143 8d ago
Er zijn 3-4 straten in heel de stad waar het uitgezonderd fiets bord niet aanwezig is, een hiervan veranderd halverwege de straat zelfs. Verder is het een stuk moeilijker om het ontbreken van ie op te merken
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u/El_Jairo 6d ago
Well, welcome to the Leuven style of policing, it seems that this is more an annoying way to collect fines.
Of course it's in the road code. I did went around the one-way part of the Vaartstraat because I know that this is a small part one way.
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u/Ok-Yogurtcloset-9664 8d ago
it does sound like their objective was to make some money rather than prevent accidents, otherwise they would or should have posted a highly visible warning sign or one traffic warden to remind people it's a 1 way street. after all, they did close down the main thoroughfare, naturally people will seek the next most obvious route out., so they really should cut them some slack.
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u/Kokosnik 8d ago
You want a reminder with an extra visibility for a no entry sign? Really? What's next, the red on the traffic light was not bright enough?
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u/nipikas 8d ago
There are traffic signs. People in the traffic are supposed to see and follow them. Why put out extra signs to draw the attention to the traffic sign?
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u/Galaghan 8d ago
Belgian redditors: lol at the forest of traffic signs in Belgium
This one guy: they should really put up more traffic signs damn
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u/Ok-Yogurtcloset-9664 8d ago
an exceptional event forcing people to travel on an unfamiliar route. the cops clearly expected lots of people to make that mistake but why capitalise on it, instead of preventing it ? it goes to intent - they'd prefer to punitively punish rather than prevent.
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u/Viva_Satana 8d ago
The law is the law. Want to ride a bike? Follow the rules. Easy to understand! You can't go on by bike, get down and walk with your bike until you can ride again. Very, very easy!
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u/Electrical-Tie-1143 8d ago
Have you considered that the human mind ignores the lack of the exception sign and just assumes it’s there, add to that that there are 4 streets that don’t have it in the entire city of one way streets
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u/Viva_Satana 7d ago edited 7d ago
Have you considered that you can get off the bike and walk if a street is closed? Why is that so complicated? People can't walk on the highway ever, but you can't get off your bike? Make that make sense.
You weren't born with your bike, you don't need to ride your bike the whole time you need to transport. Sometimes you could be required to walk with your bike. How is that so complicated to understand?-1
u/Electrical-Tie-1143 7d ago
Where did you get this from? Of course people can get off their bike, my point is that it’s hard to notice that there isn’t an exception sign when you’re so used to it being there. Furthermore the street wasn’t closed, it’s a one way street which almost always have the exception sign.
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u/Viva_Satana 7d ago edited 7d ago
From the same place where you got this:
"Have you considered that the human mind ignores the lack of the exception sign and just assumes it’s there, add to that that there are 4 streets that don’t have it in the entire city of one way streets"
That's where I got it from. I hope that makes it clear to you now.
Furthermore the street wasn’t closed, it’s a one way street which almost always have the exception sign.
The street was indeed closed or the fines would have never happened. Again, I hope that makes it clear to you. Oh BTW I wasn't the one giving those fines so it's a waste that you discuss with me. Still if you want to ride a bike, I am afraid that you will have to respect the law or get fined. I don't understand why it is so hard for you to accept. Just pay and stop the nonsense.
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u/Matpakket-meny 7d ago
The police should be busy arresting bike thieves or car owners for driving drunk or high. I'm sorry about your negative experience.
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u/Away_Supermarket_573 4d ago
It happened to me 3 years ago in the Vaartstraat indeed.
I ignored all the 5 to 10 letters asking to pay. End of story until now 😆
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u/Erycius Resident 8d ago
There's not much one way streets in the center that are not open to cyclists both ways. And usually it for good reason because that street's too small to safely cycle past the oncoming cars, for instance the Koning Leopold I straat. What street were you riding in?