Brexit finally ends channel Crossing

I think this is the same story:

www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/the-british-government-rejected-a-33m-proposal-to-double-passport-booths-at-dover-in-2020-330342/

The argument for Brexit is lost - there is no rational reason as to why we should no longer be a member of the biggest most powerful trade bloc in the world.

I wonder why old Brits tend to FEEL British and younger Brits tend to FEEL European.

It really is quite a simple, the new passport regulations which UK insisted upon, have caused extra time, a lot of extra time,to be put on getting passengers through Dover in particular. Unless you are Dominic Raab, you must realise that the Dover/Calais crossing is by far the busiest and cheapest way across ( the shortest too, I think) and also the most convenient for a lot of the population. Now, if you voted for Brexit, fair enough, but do please at least own this what I really hope you have found to be an unintended consequence of your vote. If you voted to leave knowing this was a likely to happen, well, I don't know what to say.

The comments regarding other super fast crossings miraculously experienced by the family of Brexiteers, is just as irritating as telling people who have desperate stories of medical negligence or inability to get a GP appt, just how marvellous your local practice is,

yes, we get it that it is not like this at every crossing, but that is of little use or comfort to those coachloads of teenagers and their teenagers spending 18 hours or so on a coach at Dover

It could be because the young ones don't know any different Caleo.

mayisay

It could be because the young ones don't know any different Caleo.

It could be because they understand the arguments.

Caleo

I wonder why old Brits tend to FEEL British and younger Brits tend to FEEL European.

I'm definitely in the older group now and I FEEL more European than British. Unfortunately, it doesn't make me feel young.

Joseanne

A busy ferry crossing over the weekend Portsmouth to Saint Malo, but all in all smooth sailing and no huge hold ups.
DD2 went from Plymouth to Roscoff and said no one was really bothering to check on the French side.
Sheer volume of traffic at Dover I'm guessing.

In all the years I/we went to France we never went via Dover.

Irrelevant, I know, but there are always problems there at peak times, even before Brexit.

yes, we get it that it is not like this at every crossing, but that is of little use or comfort to those coachloads of teenagers and their teenagers spending 18 hours or so on a coach at Dover

They might be the lucky ones! One travel firm took money for school skiing trips and failed to book the coaches. The schools were not informed until just before the teenagers were due to set off, some for their first ski experience, some for the first time abroad.

HousePlantQueen

It really is quite a simple, the new passport regulations which UK insisted upon, have caused extra time, a lot of extra time,to be put on getting passengers through Dover in particular. Unless you are Dominic Raab, you must realise that the Dover/Calais crossing is by far the busiest and cheapest way across ( the shortest too, I think) and also the most convenient for a lot of the population. Now, if you voted for Brexit, fair enough, but do please at least own this what I really hope you have found to be an unintended consequence of your vote. If you voted to leave knowing this was a likely to happen, well, I don't know what to say.

The comments regarding other super fast crossings miraculously experienced by the family of Brexiteers, is just as irritating as telling people who have desperate stories of medical negligence or inability to get a GP appt, just how marvellous your local practice is,

yes, we get it that it is not like this at every crossing, but that is of little use or comfort to those coachloads of teenagers and their teenagers spending 18 hours or so on a coach at Dover

I agree and I hope you don't think I was gloating because I didn't experience any problems. Eurostar carries individual passengers, whereas the ferries (especially at the beginning of school holidays) carry loads of coaches. That's the difference. It's nothing to do with French border control officials being bolshie, but capacity. As has already been pointed out, the UK turned down the French offer to increase capacity at Dover.

Caleo I don't know where 60+ fits in with older/younger but I feel British and European.

I am aware of my heritage from elsewhere in Europe and feel quite close to other "roots". Interestingly I'd never say I was "English" unless specifically asked - and would probably say "British" or "from the UK" instead.

HPQ our granddaughter’s school coach left the south of Hampshire at 10:45pm Friday, their ferry (Dover) left at 8:30pm Saturday, an horrific time for the pupils and staff.
I did not vote for Brexit, we lived in France for 4 years, 8 months of each year, no we didn’t/don’t own property there, we feel European.

growstuff

Caleo

I wonder why old Brits tend to FEEL British and younger Brits tend to FEEL European.

I'm definitely in the older group now and I FEEL more European than British. Unfortunately, it doesn't make me feel young.

Even Brigitte Bardot is older 😁

Callistemon I guess you've never been a French teacher. If you're taking 50 pupils to France (or beyond), the Dover/Calais crossing is almost always the cheapest (and cost is a huge consideration for school trips) and the most convenient for many.

Callistemon21

growstuff

Caleo

I wonder why old Brits tend to FEEL British and younger Brits tend to FEEL European.

I'm definitely in the older group now and I FEEL more European than British. Unfortunately, it doesn't make me feel young.

Even Brigitte Bardot is older 😁

Huh! And she looks it!

Sorry the link didn’t work, but it was the original 2020 reporting on the article growstuff linked to.

It showed that even in 2020, it was known that refusing the proposal would cause delays from 2021. It is beyond belief that the British government, seven years after the vote, and three years after the issues at Dover were identified, have no strategy for dealing with the problem their Brexit policy created.

Clearly if they want to limit the number of people travelling through Dover at peak times it would make sense to operate the 3 zone system for school holidays like they do in France, maybe Germany too?
The ferry operators don't want to be restricted on the numbers they carry, it would make no business sense to them.

Born and bred in England but for as long as I can remember have considered myself European first, then British and lastly English.

mayisay

What short memories some of you have. The French are notorious for blockading their ports, for one reason or another, even when we part of the EU!!!

The French are not, in this instance, blockading their ports.

The delays are self inflicted by the UK because of Brexit.

Just wait until the biometric checks come in in the Autumn. Maybe we aint seen nothing yet...

growstuff

Callistemon21

growstuff

Caleo

I wonder why old Brits tend to FEEL British and younger Brits tend to FEEL European.

I'm definitely in the older group now and I FEEL more European than British. Unfortunately, it doesn't make me feel young.

Even Brigitte Bardot is older 😁

Huh! And she looks it!

She is 88!
If I look that good at 88, nearly 89, I'll be happy 😁
I'd be happy to get there in fact.

Dinahmo

Born and bred in England but for as long as I can remember have considered myself European first, then British and lastly English.

I found a book I had when I was about 9 or 10 and I'd written my name and address in it, then the town, England, Great Britain, Europe, The World, the Solar System, the Universe.
Just in case the book got lost somewhere.

I must have been a child of the universe way before the song was written.

There is no French border control at Portsmouth. When you cross from France passports are checked in Ouistreham / St Malo by French border control and by UK border control at Portsmouth. Coming into France passports are checked by the Ferry company at Portsmouth then checked and stamped by French border staff on arrival in France. The stamping has added a longer wait to disembarkation.
Newhaven to Dieppe is the same UK border control in UK, French in France.
The juxtaposed controls where you pass UK then France border control in Dover and France then UK in Calais are built around EU membership and were never intended for large numbers of third country nationals. The space is extremely limited.
Glad you made it Joseanne. 😊

Yes, that was very clearly explained by Simon Calder, and anyone who has done the crossing from Dover knows- the area is VERY narrow- Channel on one side, White Cliffs very close on the other. It would be physically impossible to add more booths for checks. And it is the UK that insisted French border guards have to do checks in UK, not on French side. And it is te UK who insisted on all the checks being done!

growstuff

Callistemon I guess you've never been a French teacher. If you're taking 50 pupils to France (or beyond), the Dover/Calais crossing is almost always the cheapest (and cost is a huge consideration for school trips) and the most convenient for many.

I have taken groups over time and time again- for school trips, exchanges, ski trips (in own holidays!) - cutting cost to the minimum for the parents was my motto, always. So coach and ferry by Dover- then longer journey via Luxemburg to fill up on duty free Diesel, and avoid most tolls going via Germany.

Year after year, leaving at 4.30 from school on Friday, and arriving 2-3 pm on Saturday afternoon, then straight into lengthy boot and ski fitting, etc- we said 'never again'. But the cost by air was so much more, we never could justify the extra cost to parents.

Caleo what on earth are you talking about?
I am very senior and feel European through and through , always have done . Please don't try and tell me what I think and feel .
May I say, please check your facts before getting in high dudgeon.
But there again the Home Secretary got it hopelessly wrong

MaizieD

mayisay

What short memories some of you have. The French are notorious for blockading their ports, for one reason or another, even when we part of the EU!!!

The French are not, in this instance, blockading their ports.

The delays are self inflicted by the UK because of Brexit.

Just wait until the biometric checks come in in the Autumn. Maybe we aint seen nothing yet...

Exactly. Simon Calder explains it very clearly

fb.watch/jGJmmSsXXu/