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Original poster

School ski trip cancelled due to chaos in Dover - fuck the tories

1000 replies

TheColourofspring · 02/04/2023 10:57

My 15 year old son has just spent 17 hours in a coach in dover waiting to go on a much anticipated ski trip. It’s cost us over £1500 over a year and we hoped, given everything our kids lost over covid, it would be a positive experience.

The school just notified us to say that now- due to health and safety, drivers hours etc- the trip needs to be cancelled and the kids are on their way back from dover.

Absolutely FUCK the lying Tory cunts - they ruin everything. They try and blame the French yet all of this lies at their door. Fuck them all for ruining 100 kids trip (and probably thousands more) and ruining everything they touch with their stinking corrupt lies and their lies about brexit.

My son was in tears.

OP posts:
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10
Pottedpalm · 02/04/2023 18:48

jgw1 · 02/04/2023 18:36

@Pottedpalm an excellent suggestion.

During lockdown I learnt that the army employs thousands of doctors and nurses just waiting to be called upon in a time of need. The rest of the time they get on with their knitting.
The French border agency apparantly similarly have plenty of spare border staff just waiting for their chance to stamp a passport. Whether they knit or not is not clear.
I have no doubt there is also a knitting crew of coach drivers just waiting for their chance to rev an engine.

Show quote history

You know, sadly since Covid times, I believe there is. I live rurally, near a large independent school which has many children travelling by coach. Several local laybys are full of coaches for many hours of the day as there is nothing else for the drivers to do bit wait to do the return run.
seems to me that the day trip business hasn't got back
up to former levels.

jgw1 · 02/04/2023 18:49

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 18:44

I mean supposing the driver is unwell and they all got stranded? Every bus trip I've ever been on there was a spare.

Honestly, you pay £1.5k for a dc to get the bus for a trip and they don't even have a relief driver. I'd blame the school if it was me. Piss poor planning imo but let's blame The Shit Show That Is Brexit and throw in BJ's rogue cake eating too for maximum froth.

I can't help thinking that it would be a good idea to take a spare coach on each journey to in case of accident or breakdown.

Mummyoflittledragon · 02/04/2023 18:50

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 18:44

I mean supposing the driver is unwell and they all got stranded? Every bus trip I've ever been on there was a spare.

Honestly, you pay £1.5k for a dc to get the bus for a trip and they don't even have a relief driver. I'd blame the school if it was me. Piss poor planning imo but let's blame The Shit Show That Is Brexit and throw in BJ's rogue cake eating too for maximum froth.

A poster upthread said about relief drivers. Back in the day, they used to be able to sleep in a small compartment next to the luggage storage area. I wonder is this is still allowed due to seat belt legislation and other regs. A relief driver is no use if they’ve just been sitting in a passenger seat.

DuncinToffee · 02/04/2023 18:51

freckles20 · 02/04/2023 18:48

The idiots who are supposed to know what is going on, supposed to think ahead and supposed to plan ahead didn't clock onto the fact that this is prime school coach trip season which was going to cause problems.

Prime coach season hasn't happened since Brexit because trips had to be cancelled due to
Covid, and then last year few schools felt confident enough to plan trips as the travel situation was still precarious (and places like France had very difficult testing requirements).

They didn't plan for this or put additional measures in place because they don't know what they are doing and are incompetent.

I'm furious on behalf of all the people kept waiting on coaches. Not good enough. Shambles.

They don't do coach travel so why would they plan for it.......

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 18:53

'I can't help thinking that it would be a good idea to take a spare coach on each journey to in case of accident or breakdown.'

Oh no there's no need for that, havent you heard of recovery services? I find the AA quite helpful. Spare drivers tend to go on the bus you see then if the driver excels hours, or say has a headache they swap. I know! it is common sense no?

MavisCruet2023 · 02/04/2023 18:53

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

This is because of Brexit.

Hi Boris.

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 18:53

'This is because of Brexit'

The Shit Show That Is Brexit. Do get it right.

Dogwalker56 · 02/04/2023 18:54

@Janiie

I'd blame the school if it was me.

Why? Where I totally agree that a relief driver would seem essential (especially from the illness or even breakdown perspective) it is hardly the fault of the school. Some of these trips are booked as packages, travel included. If the school have done these trips so often before without the need for a relief driver, then why would they think anything different this time? The poor staff who have organised this must be feeling bad enough already but to then have to take the flack for its failure would be too much for me. I would refuse to ever organise another or give up my own time to actually supervise the trip.

IClaudine · 02/04/2023 18:54

The Shit Show That Is Brexit

Yep, you hit the nail on the head there @Janiie It certainly is a shit show. But still the Brexiteers expect other countries to scramble around to fix the mess that they voted for. Not really Taking Back Control, is it?

weightymatters73 · 02/04/2023 18:55

I'm just wondering when you are going to clock that the Tory Prime Minister had to resign as he was opposed to Brexit?

It was voted through by the British people....Do you remember the referendum? Everyone got the chance to vote and more than 50% voted for exit.

jgw1 · 02/04/2023 18:55

Pottedpalm · 02/04/2023 18:48

You know, sadly since Covid times, I believe there is. I live rurally, near a large independent school which has many children travelling by coach. Several local laybys are full of coaches for many hours of the day as there is nothing else for the drivers to do bit wait to do the return run.
seems to me that the day trip business hasn't got back
up to former levels.

Show quote history

Would they be back in time from Milan to do the 3pm school pick up though?

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 18:56

IClaudine · 02/04/2023 18:54

The Shit Show That Is Brexit

Yep, you hit the nail on the head there @Janiie It certainly is a shit show. But still the Brexiteers expect other countries to scramble around to fix the mess that they voted for. Not really Taking Back Control, is it?

I expect other countries to manage their passport controls dependent on demand yes. As everyone else seems to manage except special Dover. Because Buses apparently.

SnackSizeRaisin · 02/04/2023 18:56

Puzzledandpissedoff · 02/04/2023 12:50

There were much more efficient arrangements for checking before Brexit, including specific arrangements for coach parties

I know, @Rosula, and that's why I asked if it was true about the French now insisting that people leave their coaches for the checks

I'm assuming nothing, but if correct that would be an odd thing to do and create questions around the motivation

Why would it be odd that they check people properly? We left the EU because we wanted "control" . We can't expect to that to apply only to people coming in to the UK. The motivation to check people coming into to the EU is a direct result of Brexit. I.e. It's "our" choice. Not theirs. The EU did not want the UK to leave, even France did not want that.

TheSnootiestFox · 02/04/2023 18:57

I can't find the post to quote, but I am not batshit and remember quite clearly the free movement debacle when the Labour Government completely lost control of immigration from Eastern Europe into the UK. That is what started the rot and the appetite for Brexit and we reap what they sowed today. Anyone that doesn't get that really has no understanding of working/lower middle class daily mail reading Britain.

jgw1 · 02/04/2023 18:59

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 18:53

'I can't help thinking that it would be a good idea to take a spare coach on each journey to in case of accident or breakdown.'

Oh no there's no need for that, havent you heard of recovery services? I find the AA quite helpful. Spare drivers tend to go on the bus you see then if the driver excels hours, or say has a headache they swap. I know! it is common sense no?

It is a mystery to me why each coach doesn't tow a spare coach behind it just in case.
It could be a space for the essential consumption of alcohol at work as well.

IClaudine · 02/04/2023 19:01

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 18:56

I expect other countries to manage their passport controls dependent on demand yes. As everyone else seems to manage except special Dover. Because Buses apparently.

Show quote history

It is such a pity there isn't some sort of reciprocal agreement between European countries which would allow minimal passport checks. Maybe someone will set up one.

DuncinToffee · 02/04/2023 19:01

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 18:56

I expect other countries to manage their passport controls dependent on demand yes. As everyone else seems to manage except special Dover. Because Buses apparently.

Show quote history

So controlling our borders is France's job?

IClaudine · 02/04/2023 19:01

jgw1 · 02/04/2023 18:59

It is a mystery to me why each coach doesn't tow a spare coach behind it just in case.
It could be a space for the essential consumption of alcohol at work as well.

Show quote history

And maybe a spare coach for the spare coach?

ilovesooty · 02/04/2023 19:04

weightymatters73 · 02/04/2023 18:55

I'm just wondering when you are going to clock that the Tory Prime Minister had to resign as he was opposed to Brexit?

It was voted through by the British people....Do you remember the referendum? Everyone got the chance to vote and more than 50% voted for exit.

He resigned because he couldn't run away fast enough from the mess he'd caused.

TooBigForMyBoots · 02/04/2023 19:04

midsomermurderess · 02/04/2023 15:53

Imagine being that person so smugly, horrifically Uriah Heepish that they call school kids going on a trip and being bitterly disappointed about it now not happening, entitled. ‘What an entitled thread!’. Imagine being that person, imagine having that person in your family.

That's Tories for you.🤷‍♀️

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 19:05

DuncinToffee · 02/04/2023 19:01

So controlling our borders is France's job?

Show quote history

They are stamping passports of those entering their country I would say it is their responsibility to get their arses in gear yes as we stamp those entering ours?

You know this goes on globally don't you, passport stamping? Not quite sure why French staff at Dover can't organise themselves. Or are we still saying But Buses?

jgw1 · 02/04/2023 19:05

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 18:56

I expect other countries to manage their passport controls dependent on demand yes. As everyone else seems to manage except special Dover. Because Buses apparently.

Show quote history

The problem in the Port of Dover @Janiie is there is only a limited amount of space for essential work such as the consumption of cake and alcohol and unfortunately the UK government has failed to invest in better facilities for such work. Now one could argue that the fault lies in the Port of Dover Harbour Board for not arguing more strongly for what they need, but since the Board is owned by the government and its members appointed by the government, that would be really just a semantic argument.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 02/04/2023 19:06

weightymatters73 · 02/04/2023 18:55

I'm just wondering when you are going to clock that the Tory Prime Minister had to resign as he was opposed to Brexit?

It was voted through by the British people....Do you remember the referendum? Everyone got the chance to vote and more than 50% voted for exit.

Er, yes, we all remember what happened.

It's just that some of us also remember that the only reason that Cameron held the referendum in the first place was to try to stop the in-fighting in his own party.

The referendum wasn't a response to demands from the electorate. The question wasn't formulated carefully enough. And Cameron was so secure in his assumption that the country wouldn't be stupid enough to vote for Brexit that he failed to properly make the case for Remain. As did Corbyn, who was ambivalent about the EU at best.

The fact is that the issues were far too complex for most of the electorate to grasp, so they were easily tempted by stupid slogans on buses promising more cash for the NHS. Such a complex and nuanced issue should ever have been put to the electorate in a referendum with a simple binary choice. And Cameron was absolutely responsible for making that choice.

The fact that Cameron knew that Brexit would be a disaster and chose to gamble the country's future in order to silence a few irritating voices in his own party makes him all the more culpable in my opinion. It was an utterly reckless decision.

IClaudine · 02/04/2023 19:06

TheSnootiestFox · 02/04/2023 18:57

I can't find the post to quote, but I am not batshit and remember quite clearly the free movement debacle when the Labour Government completely lost control of immigration from Eastern Europe into the UK. That is what started the rot and the appetite for Brexit and we reap what they sowed today. Anyone that doesn't get that really has no understanding of working/lower middle class daily mail reading Britain.

And now you got your wish and many of those people went back to Eastern Europe and other parts of Europe too. It's great, because all the lovely Brexit supporters who were so upset about those people taking their jobs filled the many vacancies those people left behind. And we are simply awash with spare housing and there is plenty of capacity in the NHS and social care. Exactly what was promised.

Do I have that right?

DuncinToffee · 02/04/2023 19:07

Rhondaa · 02/04/2023 19:05

They are stamping passports of those entering their country I would say it is their responsibility to get their arses in gear yes as we stamp those entering ours?

You know this goes on globally don't you, passport stamping? Not quite sure why French staff at Dover can't organise themselves. Or are we still saying But Buses?

Show quote history

The UK choose to become a third world country, the French don't owe us any favours unless the UK is willing to pay for extra fast stampers.

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