Trouble with General Rapp

General Rapp commands an underground parking lot in Colmar, from which we had great difficulty escaping. Easy enough to acquire a ticket when we entered the lot, but when we tried to leave, the machine issued some sort of rude objection in French. Something to the effect that you cannot leave because you have been here too long. Huh?? We tried two exits, inserting the ticket many times before finally surrendering. Putting the car back into its parking place, we went up into the plaza and explained our predicament to a nice passerby who explained that we must salute the general and pay at the machine over yonder before going down to get our car.