Delays at Dover (1 Viewer)

Billggski

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The Channel Tunnel has minimal delays, and other ports seem fine.

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DBK

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I was walking the dog near a French aire yesterday and two gendarmes stopped and quizzed me. They also went to investigate a couple sitting in a car. I think they are taking security seriously.
 
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Hope this gets sorted before I go in 3 weeks time - can't say as I fancy 4 hour delays with 3 kids on board! I guess it may be especially busy right now with the schools having just broken up. I have to feel sorry for the families stuck in it now in cars, at least in a MH you can move about & go to the loo!
 

johnp10

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I was walking the dog near a French aire yesterday and two gendarmes stopped and quizzed me. They also went to investigate a couple sitting in a car. I think they are taking security seriously.

About time they took control of the jungle and the safety of vehicles / drivers approaching the port seriously.
 
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I really can't remember when the French even looked at us or our passports.
They usually sit in their nice cozy cabin behind smoked glass and don't even bother to open the window. Just occasionally one might get a nonchalant gallic wave of the hand to move you on so as not to spoil their view with your big ugly van.
I suppose that higher authority has commanded them to actually do some work for a change so it will be done at their speed (very, veerryy sloooooooow) to comply with their union rules and regulations.

Richard.
 
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We were warned of delays due to extra security when we came through the tunnel a week ago.

It was busy but no real delays. French passport control just waved us through although the UK control did check our passports which has never happened in Folkestone before.

Today is the first real day of the school holidays so that probably has as much to do with the delays as anything.
 
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Apr 9, 2014
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We are on the A20 outside Dover joined the queue at just before 1am, moved about 3 times till about 9:30, when we actually started crawling along.

Apparently they only had 2 french officers working last night, they were rumours of a 3rd? Highways and the Dover port authorities really need a good kicking, as there has been no management at all, it seems to have come as a surprise to them that so many people are travelling this weekend.:mad:

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We are on the A20 outside Dover joined the queue at just before 1am, moved about 3 times till about 9:30, when we actually started crawling along.

Apparently they only had 2 french officers working last night, they were rumours of a 3rd? Highways and the Dover port authorities really need a good kicking, as there has been no management at all, it seems to have come as a surprise to them that so many people are travelling this weekend.:mad:

Breweries and piss ups seem to be the relevant thoughts.

Richard.
 
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MattR

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IMHO, this less to do with security and more to do with one or more French Gov departments taking the p*ss. They know that this is a busy weekend and if they only had 2 staff on last night, they created the problem. They also know that the likelihood of a terrorist coming from the UK is significantly less than any of their porous land borders.

The impression that I get from this is that they don't want to welcome Brits to France and that they are throwing their weight around for undeclared reasons.
 

sdc77

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The impression that I get from this is that they don't want to welcome Brits to France and that they are throwing their weight around for undeclared reasons.
I don't think that the French don't want Brits there (officially or otherwise). I do think that their security services though are extremely hard pressed and that unfortunately as we're less of a risk we get less staff ...
As has been pointed out .. the tunnel seems to be coping well.

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We are on the A20 outside Dover joined the queue at just before 1am, moved about 3 times till about 9:30, when we actually started crawling along.

Apparently they only had 2 french officers working last night, they were rumours of a 3rd? Highways and the Dover port authorities really need a good kicking, as there has been no management at all, it seems to have come as a surprise to them that so many people are travelling this weekend.:mad:

Neither of those bodies has any control whatsoever on the number of French immigration control officers that are on duty.

Apparently there are seven booths only three manned, with only one officer available to check coach passengers it was taking 40 mins to process one coach of which there were scores arriving.

A very bad situation and my sympathies are with everyone stuck in this situation but please direct your anger at the correct people.
 

scousebird

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Port of Dover reported one French officer was checking coaches overnight at an average of 40 minutes per coach! They only had 3 booths out of 7 open.

Port of Dover took the issue up with GB government earlier in the week who in turn took up the issue with French government.

There is nothing Port of Dover can do about it as French border control is out of their durisdiction.

As for road queues into Dover there is not a lot that can be done, where can the traffic go? There are 2 service areas in Kent on the M20 at Maidstone and Hythe, they must be rammed.
 

MattR

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I don't think that the French don't want Brits there (officially or otherwise). I do think that their security services though are extremely hard pressed and that unfortunately as we're less of a risk we get less staff ...
As has been pointed out .. the tunnel seems to be coping well.

You may be right but when we returned from France at Xmas, there were long queues as there were so few security personnel working. There were, however, a large number chatting in groups, having fag & coffee breaks and generally wondering about, not doing anything that could be considered work.

Do they really think that there is a significant risk from terrorists leaving the UK.

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About time they took control of the jungle and the safety of vehicles / drivers approaching the port seriously.

Very large police presence when i came through Calais two weeks ago in the early evening. Fences improved since my last visit and not a sign of immigrants only the other side of the fence in the jungle,,,BUSBY.
 
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Water has just been distributed by the Coastguard and police escort. This is the first official presence we have seen in 11 hours. Appreciate it is the French undermanning, but it is down to the UK bodies to manage the resulting mess. Apparently people were stuck on the A20 before 10pm. No warnings no signs nothing.

So i will direct my anger at those I think should have done better.

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DBK

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Water has just been distributed by the Coastguard and police escort. This is the first official presence we have seen in 11 hours. Appreciate it is the French undermanning, but it is down to the UK bodies to manage the resulting mess. Apparently people were stuck on the A20 before 10pm. No warnings no signs nothing.

So i will direct my anger at those I think should have done better.
Are you in your MH and heading for a ferry? Best wishes.
 

spitfire

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You may be right but when we returned from France at Xmas, there were long queues as there were so few security personnel working. There were, however, a large number chatting in groups, having fag & coffee breaks and generally wondering about, not doing anything that could be considered work.

Do they really think that there is a significant risk from terrorists leaving the UK.

Why not ? Anything is possible at the moment . They might see France as a good target
 
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kcy

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You may be right but when we returned from France at Xmas, there were long queues as there were so few security personnel working. There were, however, a large number chatting in groups, having fag & coffee breaks and generally wondering about, not doing anything that could be considered work.

Do they really think that there is a significant risk from terrorists leaving the UK.
Well reading some of the derogatory French stuff on here,I'd say yes to that

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MattR

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Why not ? Anything is possible at the moment . They might see France as a good target

In my limited security experience, I would have thought that France is not a good destination for UK-based terrorists; France is on high alert and there are already many people in the country or could easily enter the country that could undertake attacks. It would be harder for terrorists to enter the UK so if they are already here, it would make more sense for them to stay.
 
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spitfire

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In my limited security experience, I would have thought that France is not a good destination for UK-based terrorists; France is on high alert and there are already many people in the country or could easily enter the country that could undertake attacks. It would be harder for terrorists to enter the UK so if they are already here, it would make more sense for them to stay.

You could be right but France is huge so it can't be all policed .
 
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MattR

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You could be right but France is huge so it can't be all policed .

No it can't, but only having two checkpoints open at one of the busiest port doesn't make economic or political sense. It suggests that France can't cope and will put tourists off.

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