Channel Port Blockades
Channel Port Blockades
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Discussion

AJS-

Original Poster:

15,366 posts

254 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
Anyone know if these are still going on at all ports, and whether Eurotunnel is affected? Friend is meant to be returning to the UK today and looks like he's got a long night in Calais ahead of him.

Secondly, I know woohoo go the French and their love of protesting, but why the fk is no one protesting against the protestors blocking their route? Surely someone should be fire bombing their boats, battering them out of the way or at least throwing cans of Pacific tuna at them.

Couldn't see a Friends/Relatives held up by French industrial action forum

hornetrider

63,161 posts

223 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
I started a thread about this in the News forum... ho hum.

There's a link on the BBC news front page containing all the info you need on ports blocked etc. Runour is French Unions will shortly block Eurotunnel in sympathy...ffs

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

273 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
If you wave your fist, they'll surrender....

It's what they do...

elster

17,517 posts

228 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
mybrainhurts said:
If you wave your fist, they'll surrender....

It's what they do...
I think the roles have reversed. Now the UK public seem to roll over and surrender to anything the Government want to do. The French at least do something.

J500ANT

3,101 posts

257 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
Myself and a dozen other smart car owners got caught in a dispute last year. We ended up going back via Ostende with TransEuropa Ferries. To say it wasnt the best of days or the best of crossings would be an understatement. 4hrs from Ostende to Ramsgate on a very old ferry with no creature comforts whatsoever.

escargot

17,122 posts

235 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
Fair play to them. If I'm stuck in France for a wee bit longer, it won't be the end of the world. smile

AJS-

Original Poster:

15,366 posts

254 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
elster said:
mybrainhurts said:
If you wave your fist, they'll surrender....

It's what they do...
I think the roles have reversed. Now the UK public seem to roll over and surrender to anything the Government want to do. The French at least do something.
I used to think this. Having spent quite a bit of time in France recently, I think it's actually the other way round in a sense. The French are more disempowered and remote from authority than the English. Staging dramatic strikes and disrupting other people's lives is the only way they beleive they have any chance of getting any sort of message across, and even then it's something they only do when they are threatened with the complete destruction of their livelihoods.

Of course it's an EU policy and will have the same effect on British, Spanish and other EU fishermen. I have no idea what their response, if any, has been to this change in quotas.

They certainly do have a flair for doing it, but I wouldn't say that marks them out as being more empowered than anyone else against the bureaucracy, rather they are just more conditioned to the fact that they are powerless.

elster

17,517 posts

228 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
AJS- said:
elster said:
mybrainhurts said:
If you wave your fist, they'll surrender....

It's what they do...
I think the roles have reversed. Now the UK public seem to roll over and surrender to anything the Government want to do. The French at least do something.
I used to think this. Having spent quite a bit of time in France recently, I think it's actually the other way round in a sense. The French are more disempowered and remote from authority than the English. Staging dramatic strikes and disrupting other people's lives is the only way they beleive they have any chance of getting any sort of message across, and even then it's something they only do when they are threatened with the complete destruction of their livelihoods.

Of course it's an EU policy and will have the same effect on British, Spanish and other EU fishermen. I have no idea what their response, if any, has been to this change in quotas.

They certainly do have a flair for doing it, but I wouldn't say that marks them out as being more empowered than anyone else against the bureaucracy, rather they are just more conditioned to the fact that they are powerless.
Indeed. Whereas the British seem to be very good at being a lapdog and just rolling over to anything that is brought in.

4F6

156 posts

213 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
J500ANT said:
We ended up going back via Ostende with TransEuropa Ferries. To say it wasnt the best of days or the best of crossings would be an understatement. 4hrs from Ostende to Ramsgate on a very old ferry with no creature comforts whatsoever.
I've used TransEuropa Ferries a few times and quite like them! Depends which ferry you get to an extent but they tend to be comfortable and most importantly free from school parties and don't carry that many passengers so tend to be fairly quiet on board so no hassle with getting a comfy seat or having kids running around everywhere.

That and the food tends to be pretty good and certainly last time I used them had a promotion on beer so a Becks was 80p beer

I'll certainly use them again.

Craigyp79

609 posts

201 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
I just got back from the Tunnel Site (French Side) where I work, traffic is getting on shuttles ubt it's really busy. A couple of cars that came through were telling me they queued for over an hour before getting to the tickets machines. I'm sure he'll be able to make it back today, it may take a while though! I was wondering if Seafrance might have some involvement with this at some stage, they've been strangely quiet for some time now.

AJS-

Original Poster:

15,366 posts

254 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
elster said:
Indeed. Whereas the British seem to be very good at being a lapdog and just rolling over to anything that is brought in.
The British do in a sense seem to take a bit (and only a small bit) more initiative in doing things for themselves though. I met some of the old coal miners who had what I would call the French attitude - after their strike failed, they just became out of work coal miners. The majority though either applied their skills elsewhere or retrained to do something else completely. This is what seems to be lacking from French culture. Rather there's just a sort of resignation that it's the way things are.

Of course it's a huge generalisation, and there are plenty of counter examples on both sides, but as a far as a broad cultural trend can go, that is how I see it. They need a Thatcher.

Mr_annie_vxr

9,270 posts

229 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
Port is closed. Tunnel is busy but open. M20 closed from 8-9 to park lorries.



elster

17,517 posts

228 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
AJS- said:
elster said:
Indeed. Whereas the British seem to be very good at being a lapdog and just rolling over to anything that is brought in.
The British do in a sense seem to take a bit (and only a small bit) more initiative in doing things for themselves though. I met some of the old coal miners who had what I would call the French attitude - after their strike failed, they just became out of work coal miners. The majority though either applied their skills elsewhere or retrained to do something else completely. This is what seems to be lacking from French culture. Rather there's just a sort of resignation that it's the way things are.

Of course it's a huge generalisation, and there are plenty of counter examples on both sides, but as a far as a broad cultural trend can go, that is how I see it. They need a Thatcher.
I think the mining situation was one giant fk up.

But the fisherman aren't demanding anything unreasonable, easily attainable. There is no need for them to find new jobs.

ringweekends

621 posts

271 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
If anyone's really stuck I can help with one way Eurotunnel crossings for anyone stranded in Dover/Calais. Discount for PH Members.

Drop me a PM or call/text me.

Cheers
Darren