Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
4 September 2008
18:555658Well whats it all coming to, when one of our wounded soldiers has to spend the night curled up in his car because a hotel wouldnt let him stay. It seems they have some policy of NOT, NOT, accepting soldiers. You couldnt make it up. Its extraordinary unbelievable is it not, as right at this moment this very soldier is back in Afghanistan in daily encounter with the grisly Taliban.
It's his parents that have brought this to the attention of the media.
I can see similarities with the story of Jesus and the stable, only this is a few light years later.
Although much lip service is paid to our soldiers by the powers that be...at grass roots level it appears to be a different matter as they appear to be held in some sort of revulsion in certain quarters, we have seen something similar before.
Its one thing not being in favour of the war in principle but another thing to penalise the individual soldier, it is wholly unpalatable. This Hotel should be prosecuted under one of our descrimination laws. Its time an example was made of somebody in this area.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
4 September 2008
19:515660the hotel staff had been subject to abuse and bad behaviour from service personnel, and had been told to be strict in letting them in .
the owners later said that the staff had been a bit over the top in this case.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
4 September 2008
22:375664It was utterly disgusting what happened, whatever excuses this hotel come up with.
Our troops deserve the respect and support of all of us.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
4 September 2008
22:435665barry
it is down to market forces, to use your dogma.
the manager of the flotilla, who spent a lot of time in hospital, after an attack from our servicemen, would disagree
about your generalisation.
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
4 September 2008
22:485666At least he was only refused a room, as a wounded serviceman some prime ministers would refuse him a place in the victory celebrations.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
4 September 2008
23:325668trouble is a few bad apples can give whatever the group a bad name.
let me give you an example;
our Army friends(about 40 of them) were all drunk, and fighting in the priory stn booking hall, luckily for me on duty th night out came the Military police, iv never seen owt like it.
he blew a whistle(obviously done it before) mot of the soldiers who knew wot was coming next stopped fighting and got into the waiting landrover, but one or 2, so drunk kept fighting, lets just say the MP. made good use of his baton
and i would fink those 2 would be sore in th morning and punished.
But my point is, any bystander/children must have been horrified at what had gone on 30 minutes earlier.
if you cant hold drink don;t touch it thats my motto.
so theres 2 sides to this story
Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,302
5 September 2008
06:595676Howard is right regarding the Flottila. The Falstaff was another of the Dover pubs that displayed a prominent notice "NO SQUADIES".
I have no doubt that the hotel did have a policy of no soldiers but public opinion has forced them to change their mind. I once stayed in a hotel in Liverpool which clearly had a sign at reception which said "No servicemen". I wasn't clear if that also meant service women!
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
5 September 2008
07:475677It would appear its OK to refuse a fully employed soldier and veteran a drink or room for the night but if you are a drug dealer or user you are welcomed in with open arms by the bouncer - doorman(see Dover Express/Mercury) I suppose it just about sums up our society at present.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 663- Registered: 20 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,136
5 September 2008
15:265686Just make's you wonder you can fight and die for your country but for a bed for the night thats a NO NO.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
5 September 2008
22:085695at the end of the day, any establishment goes by personal experience.
a shop, pub, restaurant, hotel et al,can choose who they wish to do business with.
that is their right in a free society.
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
5 September 2008
22:545699I can name a few pubs in this town who used to close their doors to soldiers and one that even have the neck to put another sign up saying "bikers welcome". I have nothing against bikers but what a dam disgrace when there is a welcome for them and not our service personnel.
Yes we can blame the squadies for the fighting, but it takes two to tango and more often than not it is the local yob who wants to have ago to show how big he is to his mates. The pubs sell drinks to local yobs that get absolutely legless and want to fight the world week in week out, when did you ever see a sign out side a pub "No Local Yobs"
Then of course it is a lot simpler for the publican to ban the squadies, they are easy to pick out and end up on a charge if they break the ban, there is discipline for them.
I once came home from N. Ireland on leave went into a Dover Chinese restaurant with my wife on a quite night out, to be told she is welcome but I was not. I said I lived in Dover, only to be greeted with ""Out Out you soldier"
Never been in there since and that was around 1970 and I never go in any pub that bans squadies.If a service personnel's money is not good enough them neither is my own.
Yes you are right Howard it is a free society and who dam well protects it. Not the publican or the yob who wants to fight the world as long as he can go home to mummy after.
My point is you ban trouble makers no matter where they are from, you do not ban service personnel just because that is the easy option.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
5 September 2008
23:015700o must re-iterate harry, that people go by their own experiences.
a lot of landlords renting out will not take teachers or nurses.
i used to manage an "off licence", i can assure you that when you are on your one, and are besieged by 12 drunken soldiers, your view of our service personnel is not a great one.
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
5 September 2008
23:165701If 12 drunken local 19 year olds came in, would it have been different.
If 12 drunken Firemen came in would you ban all firemen.
You do not then ban all 19 year old local lads. you do not ban all firemen, do you. So why ban all soldiers. You ban the 12 that cause the problem and even better you phone the battacks and report them.
Do not worry it is happens every where because it is the easy option but it should'nt. It is discrimination not all service personnel want to get drunk and fight.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
5 September 2008
23:595707I agree Harry..it's only the girls that like a good scrap..the boys are in the barracks writing letters to their loved ones
It's discrimination pure and simple.It's the same as putting up a sign No Blacks No Tinkers.Servicemen should not be generalised nor should any social group in society(scousers being the exception...
..(well I.m from Man(d)chester what else do you expect me to say..)
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)