Anger rises. For months, even years, the same scenes, the same noises, the same nuisances, the same fears. And residents who suffer from motorized backfires, races in streets transformed into circuits, and fear that a tragedy will eventually happen. On December 12, 2024, the Joué Sud neighborhood council addressed the subject of urban rodeos and its members decided to accelerate the circulation of a petition demanding that this stop.
“What makes me angry is that it seems like no one cares. That they can do what they want while us, if we forget a turn signal, we get lined up”deplores Mathieu, roads and safety referent at the neighborhood council. Around a hundred signatures have already been collected and he would like five times more before sending it all to the prefecture services.
A post-Covid acceleration
Mathieu describes scenes that repeat themselves every weekend. “We first see quads and motorbikes leaving the aquatic center, there are around ten of them, heading towards Douzillère, sometimes driving on the sidewalks up to the Saint-Gatien roundabout. There are also some slightly rotten cars that skid and race, on the straight in front of Saint-Gatien”he breathes, noting a greater frequency of rodeos “since the Covid period. We called the police, we also called the town hall. »
Since the start of 2024, residents of the south of Joué have also noticed regular gatherings of large-engine enthusiasts in a washing station near the Leclerc shopping center on the Route de Monts. They meet up, and not only in Joué, on social networks via groups which exceed a thousand members. “It takes place from Thursday to Sunday eveningcontinues Mathieu. They make their exhaust pipes backfire, there are races along the Bercelleries. It makes a crazy noise, it sounds like mortar shots. »
The City only has its support to provide
As early as February, the manager of the car wash had asked participants in the Friday and Saturday evening gatherings that there be no “no engine noise, no breakage (1), no drift (2)” and threatened to ban gatherings while neighbors were “disturbed by noise”.
Bénédicte Saint-Paul, municipal councilor and president of the neighborhood council, heard all these grievances on December 12. “The City has taken note of the petition led by residents and members of the neighborhood council. She welcomes this approach, which will allow law enforcement to become more aware of the situation and the implementation of more effective controls to put an end to these wild rodeos, which are a real nuisance for local residents.”reacts the municipality.
The power of action of the Jocondienne municipal police would be limited, with instructions to leave control to the national police on the subject. Contacted, the Indre-et-Loire prefecture had not responded to our requests at the time of writing these lines.
(1) The sound of an engine pushed at high speed while the vehicle is stationary.
(2) Action of making your car skid to one side or the other on the asphalt.
