I could hire someone to drive my car around all day for less than that!
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I could hire someone to drive my car around all day for less than that!................
Do the maff - what you'd save on the parking you'd more than lose on the fuel!!!
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Why would you want to spend a day at Knutsford services?
You're not the guy who sells the dodgy denim jackets are you?
From what I've seen, pretty much every services in the UK does this. 2 hours is free, any more and it's mucho mullah.
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oddly enough I didn't spend the day there. I met a colleague and we continued the journey together.
Parking used to be free then the service stations twigged that they could charge and it was about £5 or £6, now it seems to have doubled which is a rip off.
£12 is what you'd pay in a city centre for 12 hours in a properly secure, perhaps covered car park not 5 or 6 hours in a windswept unsecure car park.
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Long time since I've been in a service station.
Do they still have those guys wandering around saying 'we've got some stuff left over from a job we've just done we need to off load it quick before we go back to the depot'.
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Do they still have those guys wandering around saying 'we've got some stuff left over from a job we've just done we need to off load it quick before we go back to the depot'.
I was offered some nice wathches by some guys in a brand new BMW M3 at Reading services a year or so ago, said they had been at a BMW event in Cardiff, had been told that they had 100 or so watches to give to valued clients as part of a test drive incentive and had a few left that they were selling for pocket money on the way home to London. Top brand watches too though I cannot remeber the brand, perhaps Raymond Weil, I should have bought one, either that or phoned the cops I guess.
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I was offered some nice wathches by some guys in a brand new BMW M3 at Reading services a year or so ago,
Sounds a lot like a scam I saw a thing about on telly. They were telling people they were worth hundreds but selling them for a fraction of that. The scammers even took out the glossy adverts on the back of car mags, to give them fake cachet. A bloke bought one from the guy in the flash BMW, took it to have it valued a week later, and was told the movement was Chinese and worth about £2. Cant remember what the brand name was in that instance...
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It's not so much a rip off as a deterrent. The OP describes a business trip, ore extreme examples have involved cars left for 14 days and journeys continued to airports.
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The parking fee is fair, if you compare it to the fuel saved & wear on your car, by car sharing & parking within their reasonably secure areas.Especially if you were heading for inner city areas, it'd cost as much, or more, I'd guess.
As for the watches/jackets/samples. these guys are well presented & always smartly dressed, even the brochures & glossy magazine ads, they show, imply the 'genuine' article.
But the signs within the service area, in the toilets & public areas do let you know clearly that what you buy aint what you THOUGHT you were getting!!
Common sense might tell that too!!
VB
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Got offered "really expensive" speakers at Hook services last year by a van driver who said "Dispatch put too many on the van and there is no paperwork for it"
Funny thing is I was there the next day and "dispatch" appeared to have have done it again.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Silly "Dispatch". You ought to get on the blower to them and tell them they keep cocking up.
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"It's not so much a rip off as a deterrent. The OP describes a business trip, other extreme examples have involved cars left for 14 days and journeys continued to airports."
Two questions:-
1. Why is this deterrent not necessary at any services on the continent?
2. Do the services also suspect all those drivers of 44ton artics of leaving them there while they nip of to the airport and a fortnight's holiday?
No, it's another example of "rip-off Britain", that doesn't do much for road safety (tired? take a break, but if you don't want to pay £12 keep driving till you drop off for ever on the motorway)
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Phil
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If you only use the service area for its intended use (ie: a break from the road) there is no charge. If you cant get enough rest in 2 hours you probably shouldn't have set off in the first place.
I have no problem with charging people for cluttering up the car park of what is a very busy service area. It is exactly the same reason that my local hospital charges for parking - if they didnt the car park would be full of local workers saving town centre parking charges.
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Two questions:- 1. Why is this deterrent not necessary at any services on the continent?
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i don't know how the continental system works; but here in the uk, service areas are licenced from the state for a hefty fee and have very heavy fixed costs. they are obliged to provide 24hours 365 days certain free service facilities. the operator of the site relies on a throughput of traffic at the site and hopes that enough of them will use the "pay" services and hope to make a profit from that. if thye do not deter the "freeloaders" from staying too long, you would find that the car parks virtually turning in to free long-stay car parks, or free all-week car-boot sale venues.
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"how the continental system works"
well, in any country I have been to, parking is free in services for as long as you like as far as I know.
And without wishing to be provocative/argumentative etc, why would they turn into "free long-stay car parks, or free all-week car-boot sale venues" since £12 a day is cheaper than most long stay carparks, and I would also expect car-boot sale venues would make more than £12 a day so they would still go on even with the charges if there was any demand. Which "freeloaders" would abuse free parking? Only people it penalises are those who might need to stay longer - LGV drivers mainly?
As for "full of local workers saving town centre parking charges." where exactly would that work and how would they get to the town centre workplace without incurring more than £12 in other transport charges? Not as if there is a good bus/tube service from services to town centre as far as I know. Or would groups of workers organise car sharing to make it worthwhile? If so, it would still be worthwhile with current charges - does it happen now?
Nope, it's a rip-off.
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Phil
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I don't much like the service stations: overpriced bad food and overpriced fuel, so I try to make my pistops brief, and have no desire to be there for as long as 2 hours.
But on one occasion, I did stay longer. Had set off from London after a long day, felt very tired (dangerously tired, could barely stay awake), and pulled into the services for a nap ... and ended up sleeping for 6 hours. Not a good idea, felt quite scared when I woke up, but the car park was mostly empty, and I'd have been very miffed to have had to pay £12 for the privelige (this was befoe they started charging).
I can see why they want to stop people parking there for a week, but if they do charge then the free period should be longer than 2 hours, and it shouldn't cost £12 to pull in for a nap. That's an anti-safety measure :(
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Nope, it's a rip-off.
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if it is easy money, and (on the basis if you can't baet e'm -join e'm) why don't the whingers for join them?
the obligations on service area providers is summed up by this statement by one of them:
Universal Service Obligation
MSA operators have a universal service obligation?to stay open 24-hours a day to ensure motorists always have somewhere to stop, rest, refresh themselves and refuel their vehicles. RoadChef wishes to continue to offer this level of service?accepting, as at present, that a percentage of customers (currently 35%) will use the facilities without making any purchases.
as for europe, in france, according to the aa:
www.theaa.com/services/european_breakdowncover/eur...l
What to do on a French motorway
Motorways in France are privately managed, so if you break down on a French motorway or motorway service area, the AA cannot send out assistance to you.
in other words, the french charge you for access to their services by virtue of your having paid a toll to use the motorway.
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"why don't the whingers for join them?"
??
"in other words, the french charge you for access to their services by virtue of your having paid a toll to use the motorway"
Except there are plenty of services on non-toll French motorways, and they don't charge for parking. Even on toll motorways, do the services receive a portion of the toll?? They also provide picnic areas and tables, play areas for children, exercise areas etc not just some tatty old tarmac. I suspect that far more than 35% use the facilities without making a purchase despite prices for food and drink being far more reasonable than here. Germany doesn't have toll motorways, I don't think, but still does not charge for parking. Same with Belgium? And Holland?
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Phil
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"As for "full of local workers saving town centre parking charges." where exactly would that work and how would they get to the town centre workplace without incurring more than £12 in other transport charges? Not as if there is a good bus/tube service from services to town centre as far as I know. Or would groups of workers organise car sharing to make it worthwhile? If so, it would still be worthwhile with current charges - does it happen now?
Nope, it's a rip-off."
Slight problem in your argument.
1/ The thread was prompted becuase someone did just this
2/ If a lot of people didnt want to long term park there would
a: be no need to bring it in
b: no financial sense in setting up or policing this fee.
Its there because people do it, and it pays.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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"Slight problem in your argument.
1/ The thread was prompted becuase someone did just this
2/ If a lot of people didnt want to long term park there would
a: be no need to bring it in
b: no financial sense in setting up or policing this fee.
Its there because people do it, and it pays."
Maybe so TVM, but
1. He didn't say he did this to avoid city centre charges- he said he "continued the journey"
2.The "lot of people" are probably as I also said - "LGV drivers mainly?" I suspect that many LGV drivers have little choice in this because of driving hours regulations and therefore it makes "financial sense". Especially since most services probably employ one "security" bloke per night and expect drivers to go into the services to pay for their ticket - not much outlay but plenty of income. My only experience of the system was when I stopped at Thurrock once on returning from the continent in the early hours. Truck parking area was full, caravan parking area was full (of trucks), car park was empty except for my car (and lots of trucks).
So why is there a flaw in my "argument", which was actually mainly questions as in "why would they turn into "free long-stay car parks, or free all-week car-boot sale venues" since £12 a day is cheaper than most long stay carparks, and I would also expect car-boot sale venues would make more than £12 a day so they would still go on even with the charges if there was any demand. Which "freeloaders" would abuse free parking?"
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Phil
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Before Phil W and TVM use their two hours of free time in the car park to have a fight, can I just point out that I met my colleague so that we could make a longish journey to a meeting in one car not two.
Whilst it would be nice to have free car parking as in days gone by, I accept that the parking has value to me so paying a charge is logical. My point was that this charge has doubled and to a rate which is very high when compared with car parks which either have higher running costs ie city centre locations, dedicated staff to run them or which offer greater utility per £ (covered/secure etc).
The pricing at work on the m/way seems to be more based on "finger in the air, how much can we get away with" logic which is rip-off pricing. Or has the ground rent on service stations doubled in recent months?
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The charge does not apply to LGV's or the LGV parking area. There is a byelaw about trading in services car parks so that kills the car boot theory.
Next?
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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"next?"
P - HGV with food voucher: £15 (without voucher: £13) - Car: £8 (moto, Thurrock)
next? Or shall we call it a day?? ;-)
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Phil
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NO you didnt answer thew car boot sale.....
;-) ;-)
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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TVM,"full of local workers saving town centre parking charges.", was an analogy, applied to a hospital car park. The hospital charges to stop people parking there and then bussing it (very good local service) the remaining 3 miles to town.
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"they are obliged to provide 24hours 365 days certain free service facilities"
What free services do they offer? Toilets is the only one that springs to mind; offered by every garage free of charge these days.
V
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What free services do they offer
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2 hours free parking.
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vin:
just a p.s. to you: i am still counting the days -
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=24...8
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