Just seen on another site that the rumour is they are increasing the overnight parking charge to £42.50 !!
Discuss.
Bargain.
Excellent parking facilities, reasonably priced excellent food, all truck drivers made to feel welcome.
What more could you want.
robroy:
What more could you want.
Waitress service?? to hand deliver your evening meal to your truck from the Michelin starred restaurant on site
peirre:
robroy:
What more could you want.Waitress service?? to hand deliver your evening meal to your truck from the Michelin starred restaurant on site
I wouldn’t mind a hand delivery from a waitress. …
the nodding donkey:
peirre:
robroy:
What more could you want.Waitress service?? to hand deliver your evening meal to your truck from the Michelin starred restaurant on site
Failing that, a ■■■■■■■■ would do…
Are you telling me they don’t do that for that price? 
robroy:
the nodding donkey:
peirre:
robroy:
What more could you want.Waitress service?? to hand deliver your evening meal to your truck from the Michelin starred restaurant on site
Failing that, a ■■■■■■■■ would do…
Are you telling me they don’t do that for that price?
I don’t know, I’ve not stopped a Birchanger lately…
I can never understand some of you guys why you choose these ■■■■ holes as a first option.
The usual 20 quid or whatever tf it is to park now is bad enough, but this is a severe urine extraction excercise at 40+…is there not a sublime message in there somewhere that they don’t really want us, and/or they are cashing in on those daft enough to pay it whatever the charge. 
Absolute last resort for me those places, I can count on one hand and have plenty fingers left as to how many times I’ ve overnighted on one in last 20 yrs.
Ok, I confess to being a regular parker at Charnock Richard on a Thurs night in the 80s, the fact that there was a night club (Park Hall) across the back field had nothing to do with it 
oh, and nobody bothered paying in those days. 
Is this another one swimming in p1ss or one of the better ones?
AndrewG:
Is this another one swimming in p1ss or one of the better ones?
You mean that there are ‘better’ ones?
Certainly not on this side of the channel I would say.
AndrewG:
Is this another one swimming in p1ss or one of the better ones?
Calling it a sjithole would be kind. Parking arrangement is diabolical. Avoid at all cost. It’s only reason for existence is that it is so close to London, and drivers need it before going into that hell hole , or after getting out, desparate to get a break in…and the less overnight parking options there are left in that hell hole, the more drivers will be forced to use the services.
robroy:
I can never understand some of you guys why you choose
Because…
Unlike you with your decades of experience and thorough knowledge of good places to stop. New drivers rely on MSAs and phone apps to plan their overnights.
I’m on days now but, I did night outs for many years here and I’d be at a complete loss where to stop for a night out now. Stopping in town centres, market squares and local pub car parks like I used to do has all but vanished.
I agree with you that MSAs are ■■■■ holes and ■■■■ expensive ones too but, for many drivers there is no alternative.
yourhavingalarf:
robroy:
I can never understand some of you guys why you chooseBecause…
Unlike you with your decades of experience and thorough knowledge of good places to stop. New drivers rely on MSAs and phone apps to plan their overnights.
I’m on days now but, I did night outs for many years here and I’d be at a complete loss where to stop for a night out now. Stopping in town centres, market squares and local pub car parks like I used to do has all but vanished.
I agree with you that MSAs are [zb] holes and ■■■■ expensive ones too but, for many drivers there is no alternative.
No alternative?.. Really?
I haven’t always had ‘‘decades of experience’’ mate, I was also once a new driver.
How do you think I found places to park in the first place?
Have these ‘‘new drivers’’ you mention…
No power of speech to ask other drivers?
Do they never tip on ind ests or retail parks, and notice that they would be ok for overnighting on in the future?
Do they not have more useful apps that are for truck parking?
Would they not rather park adjacent to proper facilities and better food places.
Do they have no initiative whatsoever?
Do they not mind getting financially raped for the use of ■■■■ poor facilities?
If all the answers are ‘No’, then they are beyond help and yeh, they should stick to their MSAs. 
robroy:
Bargain.
Excellent parking facilities, reasonably priced excellent food, all truck drivers made to feel welcome.
What more could you want.
A bit more sarcasm? 
Robroy…
Where did you first park up when you were a new driver?
Msa’s are pretty much my last resort and ive done something very stupid/lazy during the day to wind up at one.
This day and age with the technology at our finger tips there’s very little excuse for having to rely on MSA, naivety of the young maybe.
That said some of the more secret spots are only passed on through word of mouth and not on the internet, apart from the odd TNUK faux pas…
Although 2 years ago I had the misfortune to park at Birchanger, wasn’t to bad to be fair but never again. Just doesn’t feel right.
yourhavingalarf:
Robroy…Where did you first park up when you were a new driver?
How tf am I expected to remember that, it was 1979.
It would be somewhere where another driver told me about, as I always asked being new.
Are you about to tell me that the list I made was rubbish?
What I can tell you it was not MSA.s they were even expensive then, unless you knew the ones where you could park for free, but even then I avoided them apart from Charnock M6 that I mentioned.
Granted there were town truck parks then, but today there are many alternatives if you/them/me used the methods I listed.
The thing is Robroy, I assume these places you know aren’t really official truck parking places, but places you know you can park where it’s not a problem, which is great for a few trucks and I’ll admit when I was tramping I often liked the quiet spots I’d found as opposed to the official places, but really there needs to be a proper parking plan for the UK, I personally don’t know any official HGV parking places from the M25/M11 junction to Cambridge, except for Birchanger, althou its also very unlikely I’d be looking for one.
robroy:
Are you telling me they don’t do that for that price?
I dunno, I’d suggest asking Dipper Dave
the nodding donkey:
I wouldn’t mind a hand delivery from a waitress. …
I wouldn’t mind a hand tipping my load, even if it’s only at an Aldi DC
robroy:
Are you about to tell me that the list I made was rubbish?
No…
That’s not what I’m saying.
I’m agreeing with you. MSAs are over-priced ■■■■ holes but many drivers don’t know where the alternatives are. The good places are kept secret for good reason. As soon as the masses arrive, the litter appears, the ■■■■ bottles appear, the knocked over street lights appear and so on. Then out come the double yellow lines and the no parking for lorries signs.
As I said earlier, I wouldn’t know where to park overnight now.
Where is a driver who’s newly passed with no road experience at all going to head for first?
As I said earlier, I wouldn’t know where to park overnight now.
Where is a driver who’s newly passed with no road experience at all going to head for first?
[/quote]
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
wing it,using a modicum of intelligence and the experience will surely follow assuming they can learn from mistakes.
your hideyholes are only relevant for the places you know.
as soon as your somewhere new,then your winging it anyway if your nowhere near somewhere youve already been.
who in their right mind wuld hyse a ■■■■■■■■ msa or minging truckstop.
the ones that get paid parking are ony doing what the fannys that can only go somewhere with a satnav are doing.
use your brain,and work it out for yourself,hence gain experience.