Unusual things on the ferry yesterday

[CamperManLez]

On the Stena Harwich - Hook of Holland day crossing yesterday, Ship arrives and passengers go the the vehicles. So I am sitting in the van on the ship waiting to go and along come two police officers with a breathalyser kit. They get the guy in the lane next to me to do the routine and take his details, they let him go so I guess he was ok but they seemed to be doing spot checks as they moved on to another vehicle farther back. Some caution needed if you plan on drinks on the Ferry? I have wondered how many people are over the limit when they get off Ferries when I see the rate of drinking that goes on.

 

[meanders]

If people cannot work out that if they know they have to drive, they need to not have alcohol, I regret I have zero sympathy.

At local railway stations at key times of the year the police offer a breath test to people before they get in their car. Some refuse, and are then stopped leaving the car park and found to be over the limit.

Drivers are responsible for what goes down their throats wherever they are.

 

[The Wino]

On the Stena Harwich - Hook of Holland day crossing yesterday, Ship arrives and passengers go the the vehicles. So I am sitting in the van on the ship waiting to go and along come two police officers with a breathalyser kit. They get the guy in the lane next to me to do the routine and take his details, they let him go so I guess he was ok but they seemed to be doing spot checks as they moved on to another vehicle farther back. Some caution needed if you plan on drinks on the Ferry? I have wondered how many people are over the limit when they get off Ferries when I see the rate of drinking that goes on.

I think the answer is there's always some caution needed on drinks on the ferry whether or not they are breathalysing drivers. I'm afraid I've got very little sympathy for anyone testing positive..

 

[AJM2]

If people cannot work out that if they know they have to drive, they need to not have alcohol, I regret I have zero sympathy.

At local railway stations at key times of the year the police offer a breath test to people before they get in their car. Some refuse, and are then stopped leaving the car park and found to be over the limit.

Drivers are responsible for what goes down their throats wherever they are.

Totally agree. Drink (and drug) driving is a totally selfish action and I would be happy to see far greater penalties.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

That used to be a regular sight on disembarkation from the overnight crossings from Hull to Europort 28 years ago when I used that route sometimes twice a week. Mostly it was targeted at lorry drivers, some of whom sat drinking until the small hours. On the freight ferry return (not P&O), it was practice that the drivers got 6 bottles of lager when they boarded.

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[scotzsue]

No sympathy, I rarely drink after 6pm if I am driving the next day then it is only a small one.

 

[TinaLes]

I bet the Tottenham Hotspur/ Man Utd Fans are preying they don't pulled at UK car park exits on their return, or aboard ferries after last nights result.
LES

 

[Dorwyn]

Truck drivers do seem to drink heavily if you peek into the truckers lounge on some ferries. The thought of the size of those things being driven on strange roads by merry or high truckers is scary. There was one foreign guy that arrived at a local trading estate just after they closed on a bank holiday weekend. Parked on a layby and drank the time away. He was seen behaving drunkenly, staggering across the road in traffic etc, somehow the truck went up in flames and police arrived and arrested him, road closed etc. It was a major fire. But judging by that even one drunken trucker is one too many.

 

[BikerGraham]

It’s been happening on the Newcastle to Ijmuiden ferry for years. When arriving in the Netherlands.

The Dutch customs randomly breathalyse drivers. If over they pull you to one side until you are under the limit then they allow you into their country.

Last year every motorbike rider was breathalysed on a ferry I was on.

The previous year, when in the van, vehicles were directed to one of 4 or 5 lanes to passport control. One of the lanes, every driver was breathalysed.

 

[meanders]

We have had a problem at the village hall when the bar is open or there are quizzes where people bring their own. Despite it always being announced that anyone driving should not be drinking, and the offer of lift home fir anyone wanting to leave the car, we still lost one local after an event who went over a low bank into the flood channel. The inquest revealed he was almost twice the limit and there was talk of us losing our licence albeit those running the bar believe they had on served him once and he showed no signs of being drunk.

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[Scottish Scrutineer]

The other common check which was usually unseen was the drugs dogs checking the vehicle decks. There were 3 of us driving powder tanks, delivering oats, to Rotterdam, and we worked out that on the return trip we would usually get stopped and searched by UK Customs once a month. However, if we used a different vehicle, even just using each others units, we would get stopped.

 

[scotjimland]

Checks for explosives are routinely done in London at Canary Wharf.
When you drive up you are stopped at the security barrier. .. they use explosives trace detectors (ETDs), to scan your hands and steering wheel..

 

[BikerGraham]

The other common check which was usually unseen was the drugs dogs checking the vehicle decks. There were 3 of us driving powder tanks, delivering oats, to Rotterdam, and we worked out that on the return trip we would usually get stopped and searched by UK Customs once a month. However, if we used a different vehicle, even just using each others units, we would get stopped.

Had drugs wipe checks and sniffer dogs a few times also.

Think we must look a bit dodgy

 

[royandsharont]

I must admit, it was very noticeable as you passed by, the number of people drinking for hours on the Santander ferry last week. I don’t drink in the bar so couldn’t say if people left or not but it was pretty full all the time and I did recognise some who were there a very long time as I walked past. Another Motorhome passenger actually commented to us when disembarking about the numbers drinking lots and surely they couldn’t all be non drivers.

 

[WillH]

Many years ago when I worked in the ferry industry one of our passnegers was stopped driving off a ferry. The staff had reported him to the Port Police. He was found to be over the limit but went to the High Court claiming he was not on a public road. The prosecutions case was the fact that the linkspan, indeed the car deck of the ferry, was a public road, the ferry company invited members of the public to drive their cars there. Guilty.​

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[meanders]

Many years ago when I worked in the ferry industry one of our passnegers was stopped driving off a ferry. The staff had reported him to the Port Police. He was found to be over the limit but went to the High Court claiming he was not on a public road. The prosecutions case was the fact that the linkspan, indeed the car deck of the ferry, was a public road, the ferry company invited members of the public to drive their cars there. Guilty.​

Pity more ferry companies do not take more of an active role. I know they want to sell the alcohol but they must have a duty of care as well?

That in turn reminds me of a fairly heavy drinking colleague I travelled to Belgium with by air some years ago. He had several at Brussels airport as our return flight to LHR was delayed and I said to him about driving at the other end. He got stopped on the M4 and was over the limit and promptly banned. He always blamed me but it was not, although as I said to him, I rally should have rung the police! He then began drinking even more heavily lunch time and after work. It ended badly as his wife left him and he also lost his job after being drunk after lunch on several occasions and making very poor decisions. No idea what happened to him after that as it was about 30years ago. Sad story though.