Quote Originally Posted by MentalParadox View Post
Speaking of safety, during the rally I had not one, but TWO unpleasant encounters with Michelle Mouton. The first was on Zonnebeke 1. A safety marshall told me it was okay for me to walk the stage for a couple hundred meters to reach a hairpin (the one just across the bridge over the highway). So, I did as he suggested and went on my way. Literally 30 seconds later Michelle pulls up in her FIA Safety Delegate car and scolds me for walking on the stage. I told her the truth: I would obey, but the safety marshall told me it was okay. She just said she'd told her marshalls not to let anyone on the stage anymore, and that if I did not obey immediately she'd cancel the stage. I left the stage, thinking this one marshall and friends clearly didn't get that memo.

The second was on Dikkebus 2. We were standing behind the tape, guarded by another safety marshall, when Michelle again pulled up and said we were standing in a dangerous spot. Even though people had been standing in that exact same spot during the first run of Dikkebus, and it was marked with tape. We all had to move and the marshall had to move the tape.

I think both of these incidents highlight a problem with communication among organisers (Belgian marshalls working for Rally Ypres vs the FIA).
We had only one encounter with Michèle. No walking on the stage 30 minutes before the start. I'm always very compliant because it goes quicker that way. Once Michèle is gone, in your case over the bridge, it's back to plan A. There are 10-15 minutes left after she's gone. It's quite a silly job if you ask me. I hope you didn't actually leave the stage!

Marshalls and police were okay around us. Marshalls are volunteers and there's a lot of difference in their judgment and form of authority. Today on the parts of the real stages around Spa we could do whatever we wanted. Yesterday we had some Dutch marshalls who forbade people crossing the road to go to their car to get to the next stage. Police came to get the identities of those who did. Ridiculous. Marshalls and police tend to get crazy if there are many spectators, they feel challenged and/or something just happened (Katsuta's crash in this case). There were police officers from far away with no experience with rally. I translated something for an officer because she couldn't speak French (ridiculous as well), and after that they hung around and made some cellphone videos. Most marshalls were very okay.

So yeah, you win some, you lose some. But if the organisation tells you that you can stand anywhere on the stage at 10 metres (except the forbidden zones), then you're entitled to do that. Yes sir, yes ma'am, but after you're gone, I'm doing what I want. Of course I've seen spectators in very stupid spots as well.