How to get arrested in France [pics]
 

Well, it's been a while since I last posted. I've been busy.
Last two public shots on my site (for those of you who stalk),which might have been posted already, were:

http://www.ninjito.com/images/2009-08-05/qx-gan-1.jpg
http://www.ninjito.com/images/2009-0...-maillot-3.jpg

So we can conclude that climbing skyscrapers [and setting fireworks off the top of them] won't get you arrested, neither will playing in the metro [even when you bump into the chief engineer...]

So climbing international monuments doesn't seem to work:
http://www.ninjito.com/images/_2009-...-sagrada-1.jpg

Even when you tie 50m of rope to a crane jib, and tarzan between it and the monument..
http://www.ninjito.com/images/_2009-...-sagrada-2.jpg

So what's left? Abseiling down the front of the pantheon didn't seem to get us arrested (but it did draw a small crowd)

http://www.ninjito.com/images/_2008-...pantheon-2.jpg
http://www.ninjito.com/images/_2008-...pantheon-3.jpg




So there was only one thing left to do...



http://www.ninjito.com/images/_2009-...ge-juice-3.jpg
http://www.ninjito.com/images/_2009-...ge-juice-1.jpg
http://www.ninjito.com/images/_2009-...ge-juice-2.jpg

take 5 friends up notre dame, and abseil down the front.

Judging from the 25 cops that showed up, and 10 hours in jail, it seemed to work quite nicely. Incidentally, breakfast in parisian prisons is ok (biscuits + juice!) - but lunch is a tad average.

I was joined by a fellow GFYer. I'll let him own up to it. He swears it was his first time in prison, but one hour in he was already hiding food and water in little dugouts in the wall, so i'm not so sure.....

a night in jail is nothing, was worth it!

:1orglaugh

10 hours, thats it? ;)

GREAT PICS!

Haha, I love it! Great work

10 hours, no charge, no fine. Hurrah for france.
To be honest, they were somewhat shocked we'd climb notre dame, but hey :)

And I managed to do all my interviewing in french. My statement reads like a pre-schooler's letter to santa :D

You are a crazy motherfucker! :thumbsup:pimp

beautiful pictures man

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

glad everything worked out

:thumbsup:thumbsup:thumbsup

Excellent HDR work to capture some extra range but not look way overboard :)

Sounds like a great adventure with only a small price to pay that ultimately... is part of the adventure itself :P

haha that's awesome, and beautiful pics!

how in the world did you guys climb notre dam

Amazing Pictures :thumbsup

Not a touch of HDR on any of those photos my friend ;)

It was measured risk - we all were certain that it'd end in arrest, but that it wouldn't be serious if we were honest, upfront and looked like we knew what we were doing. Considering that Notre Dame is literally opposite France's biggest police headquaters.. it was a fairly spot-on guess ;)
Luckily cops in france seem to be able to apply some logic as well as law.

amazing pics and not something many will do congrats

I don't see any pics ... url?

I thought someone looked very familiar in that pic.:winkwink: Great shots Simon:thumbsup:thumbsup

Hand over hand, straight up ;)

Hey I am in Paris at the moment. I would love to watch your next stunt from afar.
My details are below if you want to give me a heads up on the location ;)

those are awesome pics

Hey, how long are you here for?
I'm slowing down the adventures for an instant, mainly because the weather sucks, but there might be one or two things that still are possible...

very nice. in America theyd still be questioning you, maybe even waterboarding you, especially if you spoke french! :thumbsup

Your photos are fucking amazing man...

Here's one for you then (I skimped on details, people prefer to look at pictures)
I went down first, cos I was going to shoot back at the group.
The descent was in two pitches, first from the top to the first balcony, balcony to the ground. When I was going over, someone below let out out 'don't juuuuump', which is always interesting.

Went down, don't remember much of the trip, except everything was very big.

Setup, started shooting shots. First cop car drives past, very slowly.
Finish shooting, second cop car drives past, I pack my gear, hide the memory card out, and sit down in front of the church, waiting for the cops.

Van of cops arrive, they get out, see everyone else, who are now on the first balcony.

They flip out a little, then a moment or two later see me, done up w/ harnass and climbing gear still. I started chatting to them, explaining what was going on.

They started talking w/ their peers about how to get everyone down, and I said to them: hey look - we're all professionals, if I can suggest that you just let everone come down on the rope, it'll be quicker and safer for everyone.

To my amazement, they said yes, so I called up to my friends to come down. They were equally amazed, so they got to do the final abseil w/ an audience that had swelled to over 25 cops.

The cops were all quite nice and respectful. It was obvious we knew what we were doing. Their concern was we'd messed up what is an international landmark. Upon going up and verifying everything was fine and taking statements, we were released.

awesome pictures

nice, what a rush I am sure!

Can't blame them for concern though.

thanks for sharing the pics.

Wau, great great shots!!!

I've always loved your stuff. Excellent.

Awesome photos and story. Good luck with going back to their country

only 10 hours in jail? (with free food) Seems like a great deal.

I'm a resident ;)
I was more worried about the sagrada familia... I don't speak spanish :D

Your pics and stories are always amazing. You should make a book.

Well thats refreshing..

haha, great shots and great story!!!

and i'd be surprised if the fellow GFYer has not at least some experience with the Police for speeding inside city limits - haha. i still vividly remember the ride i had the "pleasure" to join... ;))))

Ohhhhhh, I seeeee!!!
Now I get it, why there was such a lull in adventures and then suddenly wham bam, test the law man.....

Congrats :thumbsup

and as always, absolutely stunning pictures. I know which is my new desktop....

You crazy mofo. Excellent stuff :thumbsup

Well.. almost. Visa is approved, winging it's way to australia. As soon as it arrives, I head to AU, pick it up, and we're done.
Well, then the carte de sejour game starts, lol

That is fucking amazing... I've always had a huge interest in Notre Dame, I bet the view from up there is great.

I love your work, if you ever publish a book I'll buy it :)

Those are simply excellent!

Absolutely beautiful shots... the ones with the cranes look surreal! doing some shots at the louvre would be pretty cool too :thumbsup:thumbsup

I think security is a little more serious there ;)

Security at the Sagrada was incredibly impressive. 5 second response time ;)

I'm a regular to paris, but never made such amazing shots there... I should start climbing buildings

awesome pics as usual

those look like HDR pics, I was surprised they aren't.

Very beautiful photos, and awesome story :thumbsup

This thread is full of win.

really nice pics

No need to HDR when you plan your shots well :)
With that said though, look at the highlight blowout on the sagrada familia shots and the metro shots.. That wouldn't be there in a HDR :)

hahah awesome!

LOL how am I not surprised you got arrested heh, though, I gotta say the pictures look awesome.

Which cam are you using to get good shots like that at night? Rex showed me the new cam he got, is it the same one?

Did R go to jail too? I forgot if he was with you guys or not.