Mandatory life jackets the obvious next step

[Ex-SolentBoy]

The mislead interfering bureaucrats from the MCA appear to have now decided that it is unsafe for car drivers to remain in their cars while crossing the Solent from Lymington to Yarmouth.

To my knowledge the only time there has ever been a problem on this route was when the IRA boarded the ferry mid Solent from RIB's to snatch a wanted terrorist on his way to Parkhurst Prison. Actually, that's not real, it was in a Tom Clancy book. There has never been a problem.

Why can't they just leave us alone? We have been sitting in our cars on this ferry since before I was born. In fact, on many ferries in this country you have to stay in your car as there is nowhere to sit.

Perhaps this is a conspiracy by Wightlink to stop us eating M&S sandwiches in our cars when they want to flog us the c**p they sell upstairs.

Next they will tell us we have to wear life jackets all the time.

The stupid thing is that if the thing started sinking you would have to go downstairs to the car deck to get off or jump three stories into the water.

If the Brain of Britain who devised this policy is ever on this forum they might well best choose to stay anonymous.

 

[ProDave]

That's on a par with lengthening the runway on Papa Westray.

Loganair have been flying into and out of that airstrip for years. But then along came an EU directive stating the length of runway needed for a certain weight of aircraft.

So Loganair had to limit the passenger numbers until they could lengthen the runway. I'm willing to bet the extension has never, and will never see a set of planes wheels on it.

 

[chanelyacht]

The mislead interfering bureaucrats from the MCA appear to have now decided that it is unsafe for car drivers to remain in their cars while crossing the Solent from Lymington to Yarmouth.

To my knowledge the only time there has ever been a problem on this route was when the IRA boarded the ferry mid Solent from RIB's to snatch a wanted terrorist on his way to Parkhurst Prison. Actually, that's not real, it was in a Tom Clancy book. There has never been a problem.

Why can't they just leave us alone? We have been sitting in our cars on this ferry since before I was born. In fact, on many ferries in this country you have to stay in your car as there is nowhere to sit.

Perhaps this is a conspiracy by Wightlink to stop us eating M&S sandwiches in our cars when they want to flog us the c**p they sell upstairs.

Next they will tell us we have to wear life jackets all the time.

The stupid thing is that if the thing started sinking you would have to go downstairs to the car deck to get off or jump three stories into the water.

If the Brain of Britain who devised this policy is ever on this forum they might well best choose to stay anonymous.

Really?

Do you have the MGN that relates to this - can't find any this end!

Perhaps you're right about the sandwiches!

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Really?

Do you have the MGN that relates to this - can't find any this end!

Perhaps you're right about the sandwiches!

No, only the word of the Wightlink crew chasing everyone from their cars.

 

[chanelyacht]

No, only the word of the Wightlink crew chasing everyone from their cars.

The only one I can find is MGN341, which in turn quotes SOLAS -

"The SOLAS Convention Chapter II-1 Reg. 20-3, requires that “In all ro-ro passenger ships, the master or the designated officer shall ensure that, without the expressed consent of the master or the designated officer, no passengers are allowed access to an enclosed ro-ro deck when the ship is under way.”


But from memory Wightlink decks aren't enclosed?

 

[prv]

Sadly, it's their ship, so even if there's no MCA ruling saying they have to chase people from the cardeck up to the sandwich shop, they're within their rights to do so if they want.

If they're announcing it as an MCA requirement, though, then it would be good to see if they're being honest.

Pete

 

[l'escargot]

The ruling is that people can't stay in their cars when there is "dangerous cargo" onboard and was always the case when there were specific crossings for dangerous cargo, usually the ones in the early hours to Fishbourne.

Now that the ferry operators allow dangerous cargoes on any crossing (bearing in mind that a fuel tanker and a health authority vehicle carrying blood samples for testing are both classed as dangerous cargoes) or can't be bothered to actually identify which crossings are in fact carrying dangerous cargoes, they have probably just taken the easy option of implementing the ban on all crossings. From a County Press report it looks as Wightlink are really digging deep to qualify what constitutes a dangerous cargo: aerosol deodorants, hairspray, and fire extinguishers

Wightlink also used to implement it on the Yarmouth crossing, on the old boats, when they ran on reduced staffing on the night time crossings. I don't know whether they have done so on the new boats but it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't a convenient option to run all boats with reduced staffing and place the blame on someone else...

 

[Searush]

How does getting people to leave their cars reduce staff levels???

What if one was to refuse to leave the car? Say a child asleep, or an elderly or infirm relative - or the driver just too drunk to climb the stairs safely?

Could be fun thinking up excuses & simply sitting tight.

 

[l'escargot]

How does getting people to leave their cars reduce staff levels???

What if one was to refuse to leave the car? Say a child asleep, or an elderly or infirm relative - or the driver just too drunk to climb the stairs safely?

Could be fun thinking up excuses & simply sitting tight.

Less areas to deploy staff to in an emergency - everyone is on the same deck.

If you refused to leave the car, the ferry wouldn't sail and the police come to take you off. Doesn't endear you to the other passengers either.

 

[Searush]

Police? Are you suggesting a LAW has been broken, or is it just the ferry people causing a breach of the peace & blaming the poor driver?

 

[webcraft]

.
If they want you to leave your car what is wrong with that? It is standard practice on many ferries.

Good grief, the things some people moan about.

- W

 

[l'escargot]

Police? Are you suggesting a LAW has been broken, or is it just the ferry people causing a breach of the peace & blaming the poor driver?

There are quite strict laws applicable on all forms of transport including ferries and people are often prosecuted and can even be imprisoned for breaching them - try causing a ruck on a plane. If you want to try your luck on the ferry, book a ticket. Let me know when and I'll come and video it - filming a Santa Claus impersonator getting thrown off a ferry could get me £250 from Harry Hill.

 

[chanelyacht]

filming a Santa Claus impersonator getting thrown off a ferry could get me £250 from Harry Hill.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

How does getting people to leave their cars reduce staff levels???

What if one was to refuse to leave the car? Say a child asleep, or an elderly or infirm relative - or the driver just too drunk to climb the stairs safely?

Could be fun thinking up excuses & simply sitting tight.

If the driver was too drunk to climb the stairs then perhaps there are other considerations.

 

[[70521]]

I've only ever used the Lymington - Yarmouth service and thought the view was a lot better from the passenger deck.

 

[chanelyacht]

.
If they want you to leave your car what is wrong with that? It is standard practice on many ferries.

Good grief, the things some people moan about.

- W

Quite - and then blame the MCA for!

And how we get from that to mandatory lifejacket hysteria is beyond me...

 

[prv]

I've only ever used the Lymington - Yarmouth service and thought the view was a lot better from the passenger deck.

I assume if you live or work on the Isle of Widget then the view is very old news and you just want to slump in your car until you can drive off at the other end.

Pete

 

[prv]

And how we get from that to mandatory lifejacket hysteria is beyond me...

Mmm - with my cynical hat on, I thought it might be an attempt to bring more readers to the thread.

Pete

 

[DJE]

And how we get from that to mandatory lifejacket hysteria is beyond me...

Come on now nothing must interfere with our God-given right to have a good rant on the Forum.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Come on now nothing must interfere with our God-given right to have a good rant on the Forum.

Serious rant actually. Some of us use the ferry several times a week.

The muppets at Wightlink have already introduced new ferries that nobody wanted. The design is such that when you arrive with your bags you can no longer leave them near where you board. Instead you have to lug them across the car deck and up three flights of stairs. So, many people take the single lift (which of course is on the opposite side of the ferry so you have to cross the car deck to get to it).

Now they are forcing the old and unfirm to get out of their cars and go upstairs.

Nett result is we now have people queueing to get in the lift, and the queue stretches on to the open car deck which is really dangerous.

The issue is about how much we allow others to tell us how to live our lives.

If there was an accident I would much rather be on the open car deck, ready to swim away than three floors up, facing a jump into the water. I no longer have the choice and as an adult I would rather make my own decisions.

No apologies for the rant.
Personally I find rants about PWC's, motorboats, the cost of sailing and marinas all very tedious, but I would argue for the right for someone to have one about those topics.

Each to his own.