Looks like Macron has got more than he bargained for. I have a feeling the “calamité” that ensued actually helped us get a deal. Not very pleasant, though, but it has certainly highlighted the importance of the haulage industry, truckers and the need to keep goods and vehicles moving.
Perhaps at some point, I can feature some of your and my food movement stories (the trucker’s perspective). Early days for the blog!
A lot of European drivers would have left their cab lockers low on food as would have a meal on the ferry or train and were hoping to be home for Christmas, whatever was left for provisions would have gone quickly in their holding areas .
The Turks would have more provisions and have a fridge in their trailer side locker and a kitchen, the EE drivers have the same but maybe low on food .
Tarmaceater:
A lot of European drivers would have left their cab lockers low on food as would have a meal on the ferry or train and were hoping to be home for Christmas, whatever was left for provisions would have gone quickly in their holding areas .
The Turks would have more provisions and have a fridge in their trailer side locker and a kitchen, the EE drivers have the same but maybe low on food .
However, even if they had sufficient supplies, there was a total ban on all cooking, even boiling a kettle for a hot drink.
This was on the airfield, I don’t know about those parked up on the motorway.
I don’t know how it was policed, or how strictly it was ‘enforced’. But the ban was there never-the-less.
Our old friend Orys wrote an article about what a ‘poor’ performance Britain made of dealing with several thousand truckers left stranded by Frances action.
While I fully understand that it wasn’t us who created the problem, we were the ones who could have stuck the fingers up at France and looked after these folk properly.
We didn’t. The whole situation was a complete shambles.
Thousands of truckers with no toilets, washing facilities or even hot drinks let alone hot food. At least, not within easy walking distance. Little to no information. Even the one quickly produced, badly translated and not proof read, single page pamphlet was pretty pointless.
When good people heard of their plight and took it upon themselves to do something to help, for example delivering hot meals. They were not allowed to drive through the parked up trucks on the motorway to distribute. Nor were they allowed onto the airfield. That’s why there were UK newspaper articles about folk lowering things from motorway bridges.
Then, to add insult to injury, French drivers were allowed to cross the channel first, apparently without any Covid-19 tests being done. Presumably the powers that be were concerned about the possible danger of lynchings.
Here’s a link to his article - orynski.eu/imprisoned-at-the-border
Sobering reading I’m afraid and from what I’ve read elsewhere, honest. It’s an English translation and not very long.
Tarmaceater:
A lot of European drivers would have left their cab lockers low on food as would have a meal on the ferry or train and were hoping to be home for Christmas, whatever was left for provisions would have gone quickly in their holding areas .
The Turks would have more provisions and have a fridge in their trailer side locker and a kitchen, the EE drivers have the same but maybe low on food .
I saw a picture of one of the Turkish “kitchens”. They certainly know how to travel in style.
Tarmaceater:
A lot of European drivers would have left their cab lockers low on food as would have a meal on the ferry or train and were hoping to be home for Christmas, whatever was left for provisions would have gone quickly in their holding areas .
The Turks would have more provisions and have a fridge in their trailer side locker and a kitchen, the EE drivers have the same but maybe low on food .
However, even if they had sufficient supplies, there was a total ban on all cooking, even boiling a kettle for a hot drink.
This was on the airfield, I don’t know about those parked up on the motorway.
I don’t know how it was policed, or how strictly it was ‘enforced’. But the ban was there never-the-less.
Our old friend Orys wrote an article about what a ‘poor’ performance Britain made of dealing with several thousand truckers left stranded by Frances action.
While I fully understand that it wasn’t us who created the problem, we were the ones who could have stuck the fingers up at France and looked after these folk properly.
We didn’t. The whole situation was a complete shambles.
Thousands of truckers with no toilets, washing facilities or even hot drinks let alone hot food. At least, not within easy walking distance. Little to no information. Even the one quickly produced, badly translated and not proof read, single page pamphlet was pretty pointless.
When good people heard of their plight and took it upon themselves to do something to help, for example delivering hot meals. They were not allowed to drive through the parked up trucks on the motorway to distribute. Nor were they allowed onto the airfield. That’s why there were UK newspaper articles about folk lowering things from motorway bridges.
Then, to add insult to injury, French drivers were allowed to cross the channel first, apparently without any Covid-19 tests being done. Presumably the powers that be were concerned about the possible danger of lynchings.
Here’s a link to his article - orynski.eu/imprisoned-at-the-border
Sobering reading I’m afraid and from what I’ve read elsewhere, honest. It’s an English translation and not very long.
I can’t believe they had a ban on cooking or boiling water. As a woman, truckstops/service stations are not the best of places at night so I wouldn’t travel without being prepared for all sorts of eventualities. Not being able to make coffee and cook something sounds like a human rights violation! Let’s hope this never happens again.
As part of Turkish culture when a driver offers tea or a meal to a passing stranger , they insist you take up their offer .
And strangely enough, Turkish lorry drivers used to drive while wearing cheap suits back in the 70 ‘a and 80’s .
And Turks are seriously offended if you refuse their hospitality.As are arabs and their tea is horrendously sweet.I don’t use sugar and I’ve drunk many horrible cups of tea so as not to cause offence.
sophiaincornwall:
I can’t believe they had a ban on cooking or boiling water. As a woman, truckstops/service stations are not the best of places at night so I wouldn’t travel without being prepared for all sorts of eventualities. Not being able to make coffee and cook something sounds like a human rights violation! Let’s hope this never happens again.
If you park up in Lincoln farm truck stop near Birmingham, they pack you in like sardines, if another lorry caught fire or an ADR load of chemicals or gas leakage, you can’t move your lorry to get out in a hurry .
sophiaincornwall:
I can’t believe they had a ban on cooking or boiling water. As a woman, truckstops/service stations are not the best of places at night so I wouldn’t travel without being prepared for all sorts of eventualities. Not being able to make coffee and cook something sounds like a human rights violation! Let’s hope this never happens again.
I understand the ban was due to the fire risk
I saw the footage and read a few things about the whole thing, but I wasn’t aware that putting the kettle on was deemed a great risk… who came up with the ban, some H&S department? Surely a electric kettle wouldn’t have been a problem?
sophiaincornwall:
I can’t believe they had a ban on cooking or boiling water. As a woman, truckstops/service stations are not the best of places at night so I wouldn’t travel without being prepared for all sorts of eventualities. Not being able to make coffee and cook something sounds like a human rights violation! Let’s hope this never happens again.
I understand the ban was due to the fire risk
I saw the footage and read a few things about the whole thing, but I wasn’t aware that putting the kettle on was deemed a great risk… who came up with the ban, some H&S department? Surely a electric kettle wouldn’t have been a problem?
An electric kettle probably wouldn’t have been a problem, they can’t see through closed cab curtains either. But the ban was stated on the badly translated pamphlet they were given on arrival at Marston airfield, probably the same pamphlet on the motorway parking as well.
Gidders:
And Turks are seriously offended if you refuse their hospitality.As are arabs and their tea is horrendously sweet.I don’t use sugar and I’ve drunk many horrible cups of tea so as not to cause offence.
