Guest 643- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,321
What a lot of people in Dover today, all trundling cases on wheels and looking most unhappy.At lunch time the Bureau de change was told not to sell anymore ferry tickets because the ferries were all full for 24 hours. I had to go in there to get some euros and it was packed with a queue out the door. The eastern docks was packed out and I was told by a local taxi driver that he hadn't stopped all day. Well at least Dover benefitted a little financially out of this awful situation. I feel sorry for people who have had their holidays ruined though, it must be upsetting for them. I read today that John Cleese paid just over $5000 for a taxi from Oslo to Berlin - there's one happy taxi driver lol.
There's always a little truth behind every "Just kidding", a little emotion behind every "I don't care" and a little pain behind every "I'm ok".
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
We could do with a few more volcanic eruptions in Iceland if it brings in the crowds.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well said Colin, i would like you to join up with me.
Guest 686- Registered: 5 May 2009
- Posts: 556
Certainly plenty of suitcase-toting passengers on the ferry from Calais this morning. Not particularly surprised. Eurostar was fully booked so only option seems to have been coaches/trains to the ports and cross as foot passengers. I'm sure SeaFrance can do with the income at the moment too.
Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!!
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
p and o are fully booked untill monday not sure on the other 3 companies,eurostar fully booked and thats with 8 extra trains.hotels around major airports are profitering out of it.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
As I've put on the front page, there should have been more advice and information at the train station about how to get to the port, as well as supplying buses and more taxis to take them there.
No one's specific job, so hundreds, if not thousands of people, are unhappy with Dover.
Roger
Again.
What is it about thinking things through that our paid reps find so hard to understand?
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Yes and as I also put on the frontpage...hundreds walk right down the seafront and cant get into the port and have to come all the way back. They are only in Dover with great reluctance so i would like to see more signs telling them where to go in the interests of good will. There seems to be no connecting rod between the station and the port other than shanks pony.
On a slightly different note, this is costing the likes of British Airways a fortune. I wouldnt be at all surprised if they are not in danger of collapse..following their strikes and now this..millions of revenue evaporating like..well.. a cloud of ash!
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
There is massive disruption over here and Condor Ferries are fully booked over the weekend with workers,tourists and others trying to get off the island.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
I think more could certainly have been done to help those who found themselves in Dover - and will indeed need to be done as this situation doesn't show any sign of coming to an end. Watching the TV news last night, the airports in Germany and France appeared well prepared and had even laid on beds for people. In the UK, we never quite seem to be able to get to grips with these situations. I think the least that could have been done is to organise a shuttle bus service between the station and the port, and some port/ferry representatives at the station to advise travellers. People will become increasingly desparate as this situation continues. It's interesting to note that in the midst of the election, we don't appear to have had any major intervention from our national politicans in an attempt to co-ordinate a response.
They are all in Make-up Kevin. Give 'em a break lad.
Its ok having more visitors passing through Dover , its a shame it takes a natural disaster to get people here i hope some may return at some point .
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Kevin, once upon a time many centuries ago people came to Dover as pilgrims, and found two priories in Dover to care for them, they were prepared in those days! Nowadays, I think some people consider "church" a dirty word!
Well there's a thing!
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
this morning while going into town i passed the 2 car hire firms that are based in snargate street and notised that there car parking spaces where over run with forign registerd cars.so much so that the service road plus the footpath by the rmt offices was packed with them.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
roger is spot on with this one, no coherent plan to help the travellers.
paulb has raised the issue of airlines having severe financial problems., i agree with that prognosis, i would add that many tour and holiday companies too will go under.
margins are small in that industry.
We had booked last week a ticket to go on the Ferry yesterday for a day trip - I would say P&O was extremely busy, but it ran absolutely brilliant - all on time and we even managed to get an earlier ferry home, which I was very surprised about. Well done to them.
But definitely lots of people with suitcases that still had the airport barcode tickets on - so obviously on trips home - especially as the school holidays are coming to an end.
I got quite a few friends who are still grounded on their holidays one of them phoned and said they will be there till at least Thursday / Friday - but they are panicing as they don't have the money to fund for a further week for 4 of them - Don't know what the tour operators are going to do to sort those issues out.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
My sister and bro in law are stuck in Gran Canaria (not a bad place to be!) and my brother and his family are stranded somewhere on a fly/cruise in South America.Some propellor type flights are coming in from the other islands but nothing else.....hope the island doesn't run out of good Polish vodka otherwise I'll have to swim back to the UK!!
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Well, Alexander has said it all. We can line up the beds in the Town Hall (the old Maison Dieu or hospital) and all the tourists will be as happy as Larry and trundle off telling everyone how wonderful we are. NOT.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
One way ticket to Calais as a foot passenger £50.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.