When submitting a Wayspot Appeal, make sure to include as much of the following information as possible:
- Wayspot Title: Calvaire de Mission 1963
- Location (lat/lon): 47.696954, -1.646550
- City: Mouais
- Country: France
This is the summary of my appeal :
❶ My Legitimacy as a Player: My Wayfarer Profile
❷ Legitimacy of the Disputed Portal:
2-1 – General Description
2-2 – Detailed Review of Niantic’s Criteria for Creating a Portal
2-3 – Assessment of the Portal Submission Based on the Community’s Portal Validation Criteria
❸ Legitimacy of the Removal Request: Evaluation in Light of the Reasons to Report an Invalid Portal
❶ My Legitimacy as a Player: My Wayfarer Profile
I started playing Ingress in may 2022, and submit portals in september 2022.
During the All Aboard Wayfarer Challenge, in october 2023, I ranked 1129.
Out of the 87 portal submissions I made so far, there have been:
3 duplicates
13 rejections
71 accepted
This results in an 82.56% success rate, which shows a serious approach: quickly accepted proposals, no submissions remaining pending.
Out of these 87 submissions, the same one was submitted multiple times, and each time it was accepted without any difficulty, usually within 24 hours.
- twice in 2023, with a month and a half in between
- And 4 times this month (with more playful names to humorously respond to the clear aggression from the opponent)
❷ Legitimacy of the Disputed Portal:
2-1 – General Description
A clearly ill-intentioned person systematically requests its removal, even though it is deemed valid by Niantic each time:
- Scanned multiple times, with scans taken in broad daylight, showing that it is perfectly accessible from the front (via the roadside) and from the back (through the communal orchard), and that it is possible to walk all the way around it.
- Fracked on October 15, 2024, even though its removal had already been approved
- The proposal for this portal has NEVER been rejected.
- This portal was even a featured Wayspot in July 2023 (and then removed on August 1st…).
In order to maintain this portal, it is now necessary to submit a new one every 2 days (tested with the last 2 submissions), without using boosts:
On the day the removal is accepted, the backup portal is approved.
The old portal disappears from the map the day after, and the new one appears.
Thus, it is a quantum portal in the eyes of Niantic: both valid and invalid, both existing and removed (hence its latest nickname…).
It is not an ‘important’ portal: it is located in an area of low gameplay activity and low portal density (there are no Machina). It is not constantly fielded, and the players from that faction do not have a key… it is simply a portal located near the homes of a few players, and its removal is requested as soon as the portal reaches level 8.
This reflects a pure intent to harm, with no interest in the game itself. Such behavior should be sanctioned.
2-2 – Detailed Review of Niantic’s Criteria for Creating a Portal
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An ideal spot for exploration: a site of historical and cultural interest…
This is a religious cross: research has been conducted in books relating the history of Mouais to enrich the description.
It is the Calvary erected during the last evangelization mission in Mouais in 1963. Blessed on April 3, 1965, by Canon Crépel, chaplain of the Juvénat de Derval, the Calvary is one of the 22 crosses that make up the historical and cultural heritage of the small village of Mouais.
This information can be verified at the Mouais library.
The Calvary is present on Google Maps, marked as “Calvaire de la dernière mission paroissiale de Mouais.”
A marked path runs very close to this Calvary. It only takes a short detour of a few meters to reach the foot of the Calvary. -
An ideal spot for exercising: There is frequent running and cycling on the quiet country roads. It is a sought-after bucolic environment.
The roadside verges are maintained to allow for pedestrian walks.
It is clear that the grass is regularly trampled from the pedestrian crossing, and there are even spots where it doesn’t grow:
The Calvary is located at the edge of the communal orchard (which it is not separated from), accessible to pedestrians, and itself constitutes a large area perfectly suitable for physical exercise, as can be seen very well on Google Maps:
Here are perfectly visible items:
The path along the communal orchard, freely accessible to pedestrians.
The trapezoidal speed bump allowing for the safe passage of pedestrians.
The wide verges and the esplanade in front of the cross: this is a space of 25 m² (counting 3 people per m², as event organizers do with standing audiences, this area can accommodate up to 75 people).
The ditch has been culverted precisely at this spot to allow for access :
- An ideal spot to meet people: the orchard is a peaceful place where one can meet to pick apples (in season) or have a picnic, for example.
It is even possible to picnic at the foot of the cross:
2-3 – Assessment of the Portal Submission Based on the Community’s Portal Validation Criteria
Let’s review the community’s portal validation criteria:
- Appropriateness: Is the location appropriate for pedestrian visitation?
Yes, as demonstrated, the location can be visited by pedestrians.
- Safety: Is the location safe for pedestrians? Can they access it freely?
The location is perfectly safe due to the 25 m² area arranged in front, the grassy verges reserved for pedestrians, the speed bump/pedestrian crossing, and the possible access via the communal orchard. Everything is freely accessible 24/7.
In France, there are two types of developments to ensure that pedestrians do not walk on the roadway (the road itself).
See Article R412-34 I of the Highway Code: “When a roadway is bordered by spaces reserved for pedestrians or normally accessible to them, such as sidewalks or verges, pedestrians are required to use them, to the exclusion of the roadway.”
Thus, verges serve the same purpose as sidewalks as designated areas for pedestrians to prevent them from walking on the roadway.
Only when there are no sidewalks or verges are pedestrians obliged to use the roadway “taking the necessary precautions” (due to the dangers posed by motor vehicles), according to Article R412-35 of the Highway Code.
A verge is the space developed between the roadway and the ditch, allowing pedestrians to circulate off the roadway and without being in the ditch either.
Therefore, these are spaces reserved for pedestrians and prohibited for vehicles, as specified in Article R421-7 of the Highway Code: “Except in cases of absolute necessity, drivers must not stop or park their vehicles on roadways and verges (…) Any driver violating the provisions of this article shall be subject to the fine provided for contraventions of the second class.”
Wikipedia lists the different types of verges, among which are grassy verges.
A grassy verge is defined as “any verge that has not been paved, whether stabilized or not,” and it clarifies that “On low-traffic rural roads of older design, the verge is generally neither paved nor stabilized. Its structure consists of fill materials not sourced from quarries and covered with topsoil. This type of verge is grassy, even though it may not have been seeded at its creation; the grass grows naturally.”
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accotement
The photos taken on-site show that the verges are wide (the space between the roadway and the ditch) and that they are frequently used by pedestrians (flattened grass, bare spots), for example kids going to the shcool bus stop:
The road also features a trapezoidal speed bump (of the “plateau” type and not a simple “bump”), allowing for the safe crossing of pedestrians: it is, as indicated by Wikipedia, a raised pedestrian crossing.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralentisseur_(route)
The Wikipedia article specifies that “This type of speed bump is marked by white triangles measuring less than 2 meters in length and 70 cm in width, positioned across the entire width of the roadway on the slope or at the front in case of light pavement that does not allow for sufficient visibility. The marking of a pedestrian crossing is possible in streets with high traffic and in sensitive areas for pedestrians.”
Since the village of Mouais is very sparsely populated, marking the pedestrian crossing is not mandatory.
However, Article 5 of Decree No. 94-447 of May 27, 1994, concerning the characteristics and conditions for the implementation of speed bumps, whether of the “simple bump” type or trapezoidal type, clearly states that “Trapezoidal speed bumps must necessarily include pedestrian crossings.” (whether marked or not).
- Accuracy: Are the details provided in this proposal accurate and useful?
The information presented in the description required research in the municipal archives. The additional information is as detailed as possible to faithfully represent the layout of the site.
- Permanent and Distinct: Does the location correspond to a permanent, physical, tangible, and identifiable place or object that marks an area?
The Calvary has existed since 1963 and is mentioned on Google Maps.
- Socializing: Is it a good place to gather and socialize?
This Calvary was erected by the Christian community of the municipality of Mouais and was blessed during a mass (thus bringing together the faithful). Calvaries are traditionally part of religious processions in France. The esplanade in front of this Calvary has been arranged to accommodate up to 75 people.
- Exercise: Is it a suitable place for light physical activity?
At the foot of the Calvary, it is possible to engage in yoga or stretching exercises. Additionally, by utilizing the entire space of the communal orchard (of which the Calvary marks one end), activities like walking, hiking, or jogging can be enjoyed.
- Exploration: In your opinion, is this place important for the local community?
This is a historical monument, important for the Christian community of Mouais and for the entire village, which has no fewer than 22 religious crosses within a municipal area of 993 hectares and a population of fewer than 400 inhabitants.
❸ Legitimacy of the Removal Request: Evaluation in Light of the Reasons to Report an Invalid Portal
- No pedestrian access: As demonstrated above, pedestrian access is provided by the verges, the speed bump/pedestrian crossing, and the culverting of the ditch in front of the Calvary to create a 25 m² platform.
- Blocks or interferes with emergency services: No.
- Private residential property: No, the owner of the registered parcel ZL40 is the municipality of Mouais.
- School (up to high school): No.
- Definitely removed from this location: No.
- Duplicate of another portal: No.
Conclusion: Regardless of the reason cited by the player systematically requesting the removal of this portal, it is misleading.
The persistence of this player demonstrates bad faith and an abusive use of the options to report a portal.
