Have you had a difficult time going through Calais? I am a masters student researching how the Calais migrants are affecting drivers’ experience of passing over the UK/France border. I know its a big topic, but was wondering if anyone would be willing to chat to me for about 20 mins on the phone whenever you have time? The research will be totally anonymous and hopefully will end up being useful in working with the authorities to make it safer for drivers.
If anyone would like to participate could you email stephaniezeller1@gmail.com and we can arrange a time for a quick chat. Thanks so much in advance 
Ps. Rikki has ok’ed this post!
You would do far better getting first hand experience by finding a driver willing to meet up with you in France and drive you to Calais. You could then do plenty of on the spot research and get a real feel for how scared a person can be sat in a cab with that lot around you and then you can base your dissertation on that and not something that is hypothesised.
Hi Conor, yes I have spent time with drivers! I am just trying to get a general impression of the thoughts and feelings that drivers have about the situation. Thanks for your help!
steffz1:
I am a masters student researching how the Calais migrants are affecting drivers’ experience of passing over the UK/France border.
…
The research will be totally anonymous and hopefully will end up being useful in working with the authorities to make it safer for drivers.
How wonderfully naive. Your research will only be of any use to the authorities if it tells them what they want to hear,
otherwise it will be straight in the bin.
Stanley Knife:
steffz1:
I am a masters student researching how the Calais migrants are affecting drivers’ experience of passing over the UK/France border.
…
The research will be totally anonymous and hopefully will end up being useful in working with the authorities to make it safer for drivers.How wonderfully naive. Your research will only be of any use to the authorities if it tells them what they want to hear,
otherwise it will be straight in the bin.
Absolutely! I politely informed the authorities about drivers’ feelings about the situation 15 years ago when we were running the gauntlet at Calais. Nothing was done then as nothing is being done now. It’s nothing short of a disgrace. Robert
The only time I ever had a rock thrown through my windscreen - was when I was driving for Langdons, Dover (via agency) in 2011.
I would imagine the blog driver with his nagel trailer - was probably dropping it at the very yard I was working out of, on the PortZone estate near Whitfield.
Small world init. 
Hi, I don’t suppose any of you would be willing to chat about your experiences? Thanks!
The general feeling is that Trucks should have a 50 Cal machine gun mounted on the cab and be given permission to use it. 
Steffz 1 I drive through Calais 4-6 times a week. No 2 minutes are the same there it’ll be all ok for days or weeks then ww3 will breakout ! You can discuss it or write about it as much as you like but nothing will change for the drivers. the fta rha talk a good shagg and have achieved nothing! Most are under no illusions that anything will ever be done to make it safer. I can tell you it’s zb scary when your trucks surrounded by the mob. No one will sort this problem out not the French English or European authorities it’s a monster no one wants on their cv!
Super loopy - any chance you would be willing to have a 15/20 min phone chat about how its changed and your experience of it?
Thanks!
why don’t you just youtube Calais trucks vs vermin and watch hours of what you will never be allowed to see in the newspapers or on tv? im over and back constantly and your questions are extremely useless when its all there in front of you? don’t take rocket science to work out the general feeling.most of that general feeling would put a ban on most of the comments in here,hence they cant be said.
Some of you are a negative bunch, ok so the research might not change anything, I understand that, but somebody who probably lives and works in an environment where our path wouldn’t normally cross is interested in hearing your opinions and experiences of something that get poorly reported by the media.
Surely the more people from various walks of like that hear it direct from us the better.
So if you have 20 minutes to spare what the harm?
another Research?
any Pay for answer?
Immigrant:
another Research?
any Pay for answer?
Reflections of a life in wonder.
Chandeliers hang in silence.
muckles:
Some of you are a negative bunch, ok so the research might not change anything, I understand that, but somebody who probably lives and works in an environment where our path wouldn’t normally cross is interested in hearing your opinions and experiences of something that get poorly reported by the media.
Surely the more people from various walks of like that hear it direct from us the better.So if you have 20 minutes to spare what the harm?
be sure and let us all know in here what the conversation goes like then? its a female name n the email address,no doubt that’s meant to help with the interest and replies…id quite happily talk to anyone about the general opinion of the flood of parasites surrounding us but whats the point,none of it would ever be printed,or shown by the media as its anti illegals and daren’t be revealed by the bbc or newspapers because for whatever reason,then these vermin have to be shown in a positive maner.though when thinking about it,as much as I despise the jungle mob and their ilk,i think id have much more satisfaction watching the whale kissing tree huggers that flock to support them come to greif.theres hundreds of youtube live videos showing this mob in their true light,faking misery,robbing the aid workers,they had to flee for their life and lost their passports,but they all have new adibok trainers,and new iphones etc…wake up and smell the cheese… 
Hi all. No unfortunately I will not be able to provide payment for answers we need to ensure we are getting genuine experiences from people. In reference to being a female. Yes I am but that is in no way supposed to impact the amount of participants. This is independent research about a topic rarely covered in academia, with the aim of speaking to induviduals about their thoughts and experiences. Much policy and dialouge about topics begin with academics publishing peices to raise awareness, so it’s not necessarily all gloom and doom and nothing can be done! If anyone has just 20 mins to spare that would be brilliant!
well I am for the first time in about 15 years in june so will report my findings.
but as others have said its always going to be hit and miss - you could go through 10 times and have nothing then a horrendous journey.
dieseldog999:
muckles:
Some of you are a negative bunch, ok so the research might not change anything, I understand that, but somebody who probably lives and works in an environment where our path wouldn’t normally cross is interested in hearing your opinions and experiences of something that get poorly reported by the media.
Surely the more people from various walks of like that hear it direct from us the better.So if you have 20 minutes to spare what the harm?
be sure and let us all know in here what the conversation goes like then? its a female name n the email address,no doubt that’s meant to help with the interest and replies…id quite happily talk to anyone about the general opinion of the flood of parasites surrounding us but whats the point,none of it would ever be printed,or shown by the media as its anti illegals and daren’t be revealed by the bbc or newspapers because for whatever reason,then these vermin have to be shown in a positive maner.though when thinking about it,as much as I despise the jungle mob and their ilk,i think id have much more satisfaction watching the whale kissing tree huggers that flock to support them come to greif.theres hundreds of youtube live videos showing this mob in their true light,faking misery,robbing the aid workers,they had to flee for their life and lost their passports,but they all have new adibok trainers,and new iphones etc…wake up and smell the cheese…
Thats because they stole them from the back of trailers.
dieseldog999:
muckles:
Some of you are a negative bunch, ok so the research might not change anything, I understand that, but somebody who probably lives and works in an environment where our path wouldn’t normally cross is interested in hearing your opinions and experiences of something that get poorly reported by the media.
Surely the more people from various walks of like that hear it direct from us the better.So if you have 20 minutes to spare what the harm?
be sure and let us all know in here what the conversation goes like then? its a female name n the email address,no doubt that’s meant to help with the interest and replies…id quite happily talk to anyone about the general opinion of the flood of parasites surrounding us but whats the point,none of it would ever be printed,or shown by the media.
Yes it’s a female name, but I would have responded to them if they were male or female. You say you’re quite happy yo talk to anybody about the situation, but when somebody actually wants to listen you don’t want to respond.
And as the mainstream media are not interested in our story or opinion then surely having another way to reach a different audience from trucknet is something you should be interested in doing?
The interviews will be published in an academic work, therefore it will be read by people in an academic environment, how many times a day do you speak to people who aren’t in the transport industry about problems in Calais?
And then there is the just to help somebody, I really can’t see why not, it doesn’t cost you anymore than a bit of your time. Which I have in abundance at the moment. Obviously if you’re busy then it’s probably not so easy.
As for the conversation, she wants to hear your experiences of going through Calais, how things have changed, your feeling towards those in the camp, your feeling when getting near Calais. Some stuff about Borders which goes with her area of research.
But basically she wants to hear want you think as the person who has to deal with it on a regular basis.