Brightlingsea - St Osyth - East Mersea Ferry.

pvb said:
But the ferry runs to a fairly tight timetable so, unless it was the last trip of the day, running an extra trip wouldn't have been possible.
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Pretty sure they did a second trip the day I used them a few weeks ago due to too many people waiting/booked (Harwich to Shotley). When we were waiting to get back to Shotley the ferry had been sitting against the quay for quite some time - didn't looked very stretched on that occasion. Ferryman was off shoreside somewhere till the allotted time.
 
In the '60s and '70's spastic was a very common term of mild abuse, common in pub banter, implying a silly, clumsy or slightly socially awkward person. Those fibreglass cars supplied to disabled people were known as "spaz wagons" (and they were lethal, one caught fire on the forecourt of a petrol station I worked in and was reduced to a rather charred engine and a puddle of plastic in about 5 minutes) I know 'cos I used the term. I know better now. There are certain terms which have been used perjoritively about minorities which people find offensive. It's good manners not to use them because they offend some people. Those of us who insist on using those terms and who cite opposition to "political correctness" as a reason for doing so are oafish bigots.
 
bromleybysea said:
In the '60s and '70's spastic was a very common term of mild abuse, common in pub banter, implying a silly, clumsy or slightly socially awkward person. Those fibreglass cars supplied to disabled people were known as "spaz wagons" (and they were lethal, one caught fire on the forecourt of a petrol station I worked in and was reduced to a rather charred engine and a puddle of plastic in about 5 minutes) I know 'cos I used the term. I know better now. There are certain terms which have been used perjoritively about minorities which people find offensive. It's good manners not to use them because they offend some people. Those of us who insist on using those terms and who cite opposition to "political correctness" as a reason for doing so are oafish bigots.
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I used the term "Spastic" as that is the name I was brought up to use for this ailment. Although I have no time for this political correctness nonsense, I would not have used this term if I thought that it would cause offence. Furthermore, had I thought about it, I doubt I could have recalled what the political correct name was.
 
DavidofMersea said:
I used the term "Spastic" as that is the name I was brought up to use for this ailment. Although I have no time for this political correctness nonsense, I would not have used this term if I thought that it would cause offence. Furthermore, had I thought about it, I doubt I could have recalled what the political correct name was.
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I dont think you have need to defend what you said.Its a word that you used in a non derogatory sense. Not knowing the ferry times or about the return journeys,it seems the ferry traveled empty with people waiting unnecessarily .The return doesn`t appear to play any part in it, they might not have been returning anyway
 
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Last Monday we used the Shotley to Harwich Ferry, with bikes, and booked a return journey. Were told that the early afternoon was fully booked but could travel on the 1650. Booked and pleased we did so otherwise would have been stranded in Harwich with a rail return and bus journey to collect the car! Does not excuse the St. Osyth ferryman since a return journey was not mentioned. Fear, ignorance and embarrassment I fear were his motives for refusal. I'm surprised the carer did not protest. Perhaps he did later in private.
wingdiver said:
Back to the point raised about people being refused uwe of ferries, we cycled down to Shotley with the intention of catching the ferry to Felixstowe and then cycling home from there. We were told that the ferry couldn't take us as it had already taken people from Felixstowe to Harwich who had booked a return and there wouldn't be enough room for us and them on the leg to Felixstowe.
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A tip for people using the Harwich ferry, tell them in advance, and they will plan around your pre requested trip. The ferry has a website with times and a mobile number which will be answered by a ferry crew. Otherwise you can be left high and dry, I have been tying up a fair bit on Halfpenny Pier and have felt sorry for the stunned/weeping pax who missed the last boat!
 
Kurrawong_Kid said:
Does not excuse the St. Osyth ferryman since a return journey was not mentioned. Fear, ignorance and embarrassment I fear were his motives for refusal. I'm surprised the carer did not protest. Perhaps he did later in private.
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This was 3.30 pm and I think this was a return journey from B'sea to St Osyth. The careers were two girls who I would think were in their mid twenties
 
jerrytug said:
A tip for people using the Harwich ferry, tell them in advance, and they will plan around your pre requested trip. The ferry has a website with times and a mobile number which will be answered by a ferry crew. Otherwise you can be left high and dry, I have been tying up a fair bit on Halfpenny Pier and have felt sorry for the stunned/weeping pax who missed the last boat!
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For information, as of today ferry only operating weekends until 29 Sept, then finished for the year.
 
sailorman said:
The Spastic Society is now known as "Scope" due to the word Spastic being used as a derogatory term
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Prompting schoolchildren everywhere to stop using 'spastic' or 'joey' and start using 'scopey' instead; is there a point to this semantic dance? 'Special' is an insult now too, thanks to the term 'special educational needs'. Language will not be chained, playground language doubly so.
jerrytug said:
A tip for people using the Harwich ferry, tell them in advance, and they will plan around your pre requested trip. The ferry has a website with times and a mobile number which will be answered by a ferry crew. Otherwise you can be left high and dry, I have been tying up a fair bit on Halfpenny Pier and have felt sorry for the stunned/weeping pax who missed the last boat!
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To paraphrase Chief Brody, they gonna need a bigger boat.
 
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