I gave in to temptation and sent an e-mail to the editor of Truckstop News about their Calais a Non-Non article in their Feb 2007issue.
In reference to the above article, printed on the front page of the Feb 2007 issue 231.
I note that the area where these drivers parked up was called the Dunes area.
I wondered if this was the Zone Industrial (Z.I.) Dunes, or the near by secure lorry park.
As you approach the entire Calais Docks area, taking the last slip-road, which you use to access the freight reception area, you come down the slip road to a roundabout.
The first exit off that roundabout takes you directly into the secure lorry park.
The second takes you back up onto the dual carriageway and on to the passenger reception area.
The third exit takes you into the freight reception area.
The last exit takes you into the dock industrial area and Z.I. Dunes.
The Z.I. Dunes has been well known as an area where persons wishing to gain access to the UK through illicit means tend to gather.
This has been well known among freight drivers for over 7 years, I was warned when I first started back on Euro work in 2000.
The basic rule of thumb has always been:- If you can’t make it into the UK due to the hours rules, park up 4 hours away. If the job goes ■■■■ up and you’re stuck, park on “The Beach”, which is what the secure lorry park is known as.
Coming the other way, from the UK into Europe. If absolutely necessary, park on The Beach or preferably, get well away.
I have noticed that lorry parking in Kent has gone from poor to dire to an absolute disgrace down to virtually non-existent. Now Kent wants to build some lorry park and charge lorry drivers and the whole of the UK for doing the actual building. But for now, it’s virtually impossible to park a truck in Kent, so you are forced to get the ferry and park in Calais
I apologise if I have miss understood what was printed but, if these idiots parked on the Z.I. Dunes, then they deserve everything they get.
How many times do you need to be told not to do something because it could have dire consequences? Once, Twice, ten times? Or do you continue ignoring warnings until the dire consequences actually occur to you, then complain bitterly about what has happened.
not sure about the article but i know that parking on the beach(the supposed secure park) is a nightmare. about 6mths ago i parked at 1am and within 10mins chased 6 people from out the back of the trailer.watched then for about 10mins and the place was crawling with them and there wern’t many trailers they hadn’t tampered with.i was on my way to italy and told them they could stay in the trailer if they wanted but no they only said england.after my time off i set of with another driver and after getting on the motorway i noticed a hand out the side of the curtain banging on the side with a piece of timber. i pulled out past the other driver to let him see and then pulled up the slip road.opened up the back and let out 8 more passengers.the 6 from the previous night must have been part of the same consignment,later at the drop in italy came across a little hut made among the pallets. found a letter for the hospital in calais,broken bottle,scissors,jumper and a bottle of pee. so much for the dog patrol etc at calais.
its a tough one mate , very few places are secure parking and i wouldnt call the beach one , i remember one night a while back there was a full scale pitch battle going on between drivers and illegals . a few times i have kicked them out after staying there . its ok to say park away from calais but ive also had them get in , in belgium and at meer truckstop . but parking in the zi or bandit alley as its known is not a good idea
The beach,or Dunes parking area,is definately not a secure parking area.
I came off the boat at Calais around six months ago and being almost out of time,I opted for the dunes.
I parked up facing the sea,and settled down to watch a bit of telly at around midnight.Ten minutes later,about four or five guys came running down the beach and nipped in through one of the many holes in the ‘secure’ fencing.
Followed quite rapidly by a dozen or more Chinese blokes wielding iron bars and lumps of wood!
The next morning there were several immigrants wandering around looking for a likely ride to England.
Simon:
I gave in to temptation and sent an e-mail to the editor of Truckstop News about their Calais a Non-Non article in their Feb 2007issue.
What do you think? Am I being too harsh?
The problem is Simon, Truckstop News is the Daily Star/Sport of the truck press and they aren’t going to let the facts get in the way of a sensationalist headline/story.
The majority of their stories involve some idiot who has done something stupid and needs to claim he is hard done by and it is everyone else’s fault but his, in an effort to appear less dumb. This results in some minor issue being turned into a drama and blown out of all proportion.
have parked on the Z dunes before infact many times and not had any trouble, but and i stress never comming back always going out. Somtimes i oark near the AS24 as they have gaurds there but only if i’m very desperate, i have a nice spot an hour away from dover where i park. On the way back i never park north of Lille and never come up the coast and park on that road as i think its asking fro trouble. I have seen more of them walking that road than i have in Calais its self recently.
We went on a day trip to France, and got stuck in France for ages because of a strike. We say all the illegals trying to get in trucks, standing next to the road where the cars were and on the dunes with a fire and lots of people around it. When we got into where we showed our passports and tickets, we sat waiting there for a long time, we say alot of people on the dunes with bits of wood in their hands.
I’ve been in the beach 'secure parking before in a car not a truck, my dad took the wrong turning so i saw a section of it. Personally i wouldnt stop in there, i’d preferre a layby in England as soon as i get off the ferry.
JoeG:
i’d preferre a layby in England as soon as i get off the ferry.
Joe
just try and find one with space in it there all ful;l of taliban trucks
ive parked on the beach and in the ids site in the dunes numerus times and never had no trouble at all if the load allows it i always leave the back door open especialy on the beach
would never park on the side of the road round there tho thats just asking for trouble
