MSA's

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

newmercman:
One thing I have noticed in my time across the pond is that drivers generally don’t pee up against the wheel over there, I’m not saying

It could be due to the penalties involved as I was once fined DM100 for peeing against the wheel in a German layby, the toilet block was full of faggots so I didn’t want to go in there, but plod didn’t care, the fine was originally DM50 but my response of ‘you’re [zb]ing joking’ cost me another 50 for swearing at a copper :blush:

I think the law in Germany is that, you will get done if you ■■■■ on the road, but if you stand on the grass verge you can wave your old man around as much as you like.

Most Germans will pull up in the services, ■■■■ on the grass, have a ■■■ and then go into the restaurant for a coffee :stuck_out_tongue:

22

newmercman:
They also use litter bins for their rubbish rather than the big bin outside the window, the Europeans are pretty good in this respect too, although some of our friends from the East are complete pigs in every regard (expect reply from Orys :laughing: )

You asked :slight_smile:

There is plenty of pigs in every nation, but I dare to tell that most Polish drivers are using the facilities provided, as that is some luxury for them (we don’t have too much MSA’s in Poland, as we don’t have to much motorways, you know) :wink: :slight_smile:

23

The vast majority of MSAs are disgusting, the showers, I would not wash my dog in them, I have complained loads of times to roadchef and moto with the same reply of ‘Really, we have a new cleaner who not up to speed yet we’ll get someone in straight away’ yea really!!! always the same ■■■■ poor excuses.

The sooner ALL the MSAs are taken over by M&S the better!!! Their sandwiches are HALF the price of the utter crap the services sell, and you know that it is decent stuff, even the chilled pre cooked packet food you can warm through on a gas cooker .

As for the cost of the parking, well what can be done about it?nothing we have had it for a long time and we have paid it. But we do need better services and we must demand it, we can’t be treated like this much more, I remember going to spain regularly back in the early 90s and the services were superb I even remember one that had a gym attached to it.

As Alikat has said we don’t mind paying for a shower as long it is clean!! Is this too much to ask…■■?
I don’t want the all singing and dancing MSAs, just somewhere safe and somewhere to go to the loo at night, thats all not alot really is it.
Happy new year to you all

24

In the 1990’s I drove a lot to Eastern Europe. If you have an issue with the behavior of some Eastern European drivers when they are in the UK then you would not be so quick to brand them pigs if you saw the way some brit drivers carried on in Eastern Europe.

25

Sorry forgot to add-how does anyone else feel about being charged £1.99 to withdraw cash from an MSA cash dispenser?

26

Wheel Nut:
I think the law in Germany is that, you will get done if you ■■■■ on the road, but if you stand on the grass verge you can wave your old man around as much as you like.

Typical of Germany, strict laws on urination but nothing whatsoever in the constitution to prevent invading neighbouring countries.

27

That sounds so much like pops 2000 and they have a couple of full time cleaners :open_mouth: , why is it so many people have a fixation with dremmels etc in MSA toilets? So they have to have aluminium fixed to the cubicles,

Do the women’s toilets in the MSA’S have these problems as well, maybe the lady truckers could enlighten us, do they have the same sort of sad grafitti on the walls as well ?

.
they put ally sides in the toilets to stop the shirt lifters doing glory holes, i would rather they leave the holesso that if i saw an eye poking through iwould stab it with my biro

28

I have noticed recentley that after about 7.30 .8ish at night on the M1 all that is open on the MSA,s is the shop and the fuel. Not that I would park there but what happens if you turn up late do you get a discount on your parking? I,ts OK I already know the answer.

29

From news forum :

HIGHWAY ROBBERY

Foul food & filthy toilets… why our m-way services are Europe’s worst

BRITAIN’S motorway service stations are the worst in Europe.

The food is foul, expensive and often served in filthy conditions.

Last night Paul Watters, policy director for the AA, said: "The standard of British service stations is appalling. We have the worst in Europe and something needs to be done to improve them for drivers.

It comes after a random test of 10 service stations by Sunday Mirror investigators. One took out his wife and two grandchildren and spent a whopping £40, a quarter of their weekly pension, on a quick stop-off lunch on the way to a day trip.

All the stations we visited charged £6 or more for a sub-standard main course. But the cost - more than twice that in Italy and Germany - is only part of the issue. Mr Watters added: “There are problems with hygiene standards, food left out for too long, toilets overloaded and not paying basic attention to cleaning.”

Nutritionist Jackie Novels said: “Service station food could pose a real risk to your health. Bacteria multiply as soon as food is left on a hot plate and temperatures fall below 70 degrees. Listeria and salmonella could give you a painful stomach ache or even kill you.”

But despite crumbling facilities and poor food, families are still expected to pay sky-high prices. Mr Watter said: “Drivers need to leave the road every three hours [SINCE WHEN?]to rest and they are a captive market.” Government rules state that there should be a motorway service station every 30 miles with at least a 15-mile gap between two stop-offs.

New stations go through a strict planning process to make sure they will not increase road traffic.

Service station bosses last night claimed they are forced to charge sky-high prices to cover taxes. A spokesman for Welcome Break said: "We charge more than in Europe because of the cost of operating service stations here. Last year a high proportion of our revenue went on taxes.

“We have to provide toilets and parking for thousands of people who never spend a penny when they stop off, so the high prices are the only way to pay for those facilities.”

A spokesman for Moto said: “Given the Government-imposed restrictions, we believe Moto offers excellent value for money.”

And RoadChef claimed nine out of 10 customers were happy with their services. A spokesman said: “We constantly monitor the quality of our food and undertake regular standard checks and audits to ensure we serve only fresh, appetising meals.”

TODDINGTON (MOTO) M1[/b]
Coffee: £1.79. Cola (500ml): £1.19, Cake/pastry croissant & butter: £1.19. Main dish fish and chips: £5.99. Water (500ml): £1.49. Sandwich chicken salad: £3.79.
Toilets: Clean
Our verdict: Wide selection of food was left out under the hot plate. Portions were generous but there was little fish inside the greasy hard batter. Measly filling inside the £3.79 chicken salad sandwich. Dirty plates and cups littered the cafe but the facilities were generally clean.
NEWPORT PAGNELL (WELCOME BREAK) M1[/b]
Coffee: £1.79. Cola: (500ml): £1.19. Cake/pastry croissant & butter: £1.25. Main dish chicken and chips: £6.99. Water (500ml): £1.49. Sandwich chicken salad: £3.59.
Toilets: Clean
Our verdict: This was the first service station to open in 1960 but staff still haven’t mastered customer care. Chips were freshly cooked but the chicken was left to get cold on the side. Hygiene standards seemed high.
WATFORD GAP (ROADCHEF) M1[/b]
Coffee: £1.79. Cola (500ml): £1.18. Cake/pastry wide selection all at £1.99. Main dish full breakfast: £6.49. Water (500ml): £1.39. Sandwich chicken salad: £2.59.
Toilets: Clean
Our verdict: Piles of food were left drying out under the cafe’s hot plate. The breakfast included a charred piece of bacon, two burnt sausages and a rubbery egg. The food had been left to congeal for at least 30 minutes.
**TIBSHELF (ROADCHEF) M1**[/u]
Coffee: £1.89. Cola (500ml): £1.18. Cake/pastry Croissant & butter: £1.19. Main dish Chicken pie with carrots and roast potatoes: £6.99. Water (500ml): £1.49. Sandwich chicken salad: £2.99
Toilets: Dirty
Our verdict: It took 15mins to get served as the food dried out behind the counter. The ‘light and flaky’ chicken pie almost had to be chiselled into and the contents had a gluey texture with very little chicken. Flies swarmed next to the open kitchen door.
WOOLEY EDGE (MOTO) M1
Coffee: £1.99. Cola (500ml): £1.19. Cake/pastry wide selection all at £1.99. Main dish sweet and sour chicken with rice: £6.49. Water (500ml): £1.39. Sandwich chicken salad: £3.79.
Toilets: Filthy
Our verdict: The serving staff had to stir the sweet and sour chicken at least five times to remove the hard skin covering it. The chicken pieces were tiny and would all have fitted on a single spoon. It was barely enough to feed a child.
**HARTSHEAD MOOR (WELCOME BREAK) M62**[/u]
Coffee: £1.79. Cola (500ml): £1.19. Cake/pastry croissant & butter: £1.25. Main dish chicken pie and chips: £6.99. Water (500ml): £1.49. Sandwich chicken salad: £3.59
Toilets: Clean
Our verdict: Diners get a good view across a field. Chicken pie was full of flavour with chips to order. Meal was ruined by two staff members searching outside the window for rats and asking whether “the traps had been set”.
[Probably Birch services on the M62 although it wasn’t included in the original report][/b]
Coffee: £1.99. Cola (500ml): £1.19. Cake/pastry one piece of chocolate cake left: £2.89. Main dish steak (advertised with mushrooms, tomatoes and garlic butter but served with only chips: £7.99. Water (500ml): £1.89. Sandwich: none available.
Toilets: Dirty
Our verdict: Temporary facilities as a new centre is due to open in January 2005. No attempt made to make the hut welcoming. Two toilet cubicles were closed off and a sink was out of order.
__**SANDBACH SERVICES (ROADCHEF) M6 **__[/u]
Coffee: £1.89. Cola (500ml): £1.19. Cake/pastry wide selection at £1.99. Main dish full breakfast: £6.49. Water (500ml): 99p. Sandwich chicken salad: £2.59.
Toilets: Dirty and rundown
Our verdict: Drivers face long waits for meals at this small but busy service station. Food made to order, although the sausages were slightly undercooked in the hurry to fill plates. Toilets were revolting, even after the cleaner spent 30 minutes scrubbing them.
__**WARWICK (WELCOME BREAK) M40 **__[/u]
Coffee: £1.79. Cola (500ml): £1.19. Cake/pastry wide selection at £1.99. Main dish chicken pie and chips: £6.99. Water (500ml): £1.49. Sandwich chicken salad: £3.59.
Toilets: Clean
Our verdict: There was a good selection of food on offer but the portions were small, bearing in mind the sky-high prices. But the cafe and toilets were clean and the staff were polite and friendly.
__**SOUTH MIMMS (WELCOME BREAK) M25 **__[/u]
Coffee: £1.79. Cola (500ml): £1.19. Cake/pastry wide selection at £1.99. Main dish chicken curry: £6.75. Water (500ml): £1.49. Sandwich chicken salad: £3.59.
Toilets: Clean
Our verdict: This is one of Britain’s newest service stations and is large, bright and airy. But staff were overwhelmed by the flood of hungry drivers. The queues were long and litter built up on the tables as the cleaners battled to clear the waste.
Sunday Mirror
_________________
YET STILL THEY ARE BRIMMING FULL WITH TRUCKERS EVERY WEEKDAY NIGHT OF THE WEEK. WHY DO THEY CONTINUE TO LINE THEIR POCKETS ■■? :angry:

30

eerrrrr because there there to make money and there is a cronic parking shortage in the counrty

31

I will pull in for a break if I need to apart from that I never bother - too expensive & crass.

Prefer to park up at next drop or a friendly off road lay-by

32

Why are they full of trucks every night? How about if you do not stop at one your GIT Insurance is invalidated. How about if you stop in a ‘friendly’ layby, the local friends will turn up while you are asleep and nick all your diesel.
I am not for one moment condoning the MSAs. At the risk of being sued, my view is that they perpetrate the modern equivalent of highway robbery in their charging. The food I would not give to my worst enemy. The toilets and facilities at South Mimms Truckstop are deplorable. Some of the staff there are totally ignorant and need some customer relations training…and quick.
The others are not much better

33

alix776:
eerrrrr because there there to make money and there is a cronic parking shortage in the counrty

Not heard of lay-by’s and a padlock Alix :question:. I’ve managed okay for the past 5 or so years I’ve been driving wagons and I’ve never had a problem anywhere I’ve parked, ie. diesel theft or curtain slashing etc. You get a hell of a lot more problems parking at allegedly ‘secure’ MSA’s.

Re the comment about they’re there to make money - so you agree with paying £1.99 for a cup of coffee do you :question: and £7 for fish and chips on a plate :question:.

I must the number on this keyring for a job tomorrow because it’s clear the money’s a lot better at your place than what you told me if you can afford those prices :exclamation: :exclamation: :exclamation: :exclamation: :open_mouth:

34

dwjinuk:
How about if you stop in a ‘friendly’ layby, the local friends will turn up while you are asleep and nick all your diesel.

And of course this doesn’t happen when parked in the MSA’s, just like you never get your curtains slashed when parked in an MSA either.

What’s wrong with parking at truck-stops :question:. These are usually secure in my experience of using them.

If your insurer doesn’t cover parking anywhere other MSA’s then you’re either zebidee’d or you need to change insurer :open_mouth:.

35

Theyre garbage Rob fair enough, but look at it this way, what if everybody was competing for the free places? youd have to get in there damned quick to park, its bad enough allready, brampton for instance?

36

rob be my guest but theres no jobs goin at the mo and we dont out base as the motors run round the clock seven days a week

as for the services i only use them when i have to usually im at a customers over night
and thirdly dont read into posts what hasnt been written your quick to criticise but dont takeit back very well

37

alix776:
and thirdly dont read into posts what hasnt been written your quick to criticise but dont takeit back very well

Eh :question:. Relevance to the thread and the point being… :question: :confused:

38

i use service areas becuase the company pay for them.i am also not one for taking a [zb] underneath a wagon in a layby on a busy duel carridgeway.

also some place for a wash.

need i go on

jon

39

On the main routes most of the parking places lay-bys or services are full quite early on. There is a lack of decent parking in this country and secure parking is almost unheard of and then you get Industrial area that want you out as soon as you tip. Planning laws should require that industrial areas have parking for x number of truck depending on their size.

Where x = total area of developement x (trucks/hectare) :smiley:

40

I park there if I have to because we get all expenses back as in the ideal world everyone would, but if I didnt get payed parking I would have to find somewhere free,
When I worked for a subby out of Tilbury when we where doing Sony boxes out of Bridgend we where TOLD by Securicour Omega where to park and again we were payed as you cant go parking O/N in a stinking layby or on some dodgy Ind est with a loaded box full of TVs etc.
Big laybys I park up in if I have to which are off the road but only if they are my last choice, I would rather park up at services or truckstop any day of the week.