Simon, someone told me that the ‘star letter’ in the latest Truckstop News is your work?? Is that so?
It is 
Do I win a prize 
well, I hope they print my reply to it!!! You won’t like it
What a sanctimonious letter!! If I didn’t know better, I would have thought you was writing what your mate down the pub had told you
either of you going to post it for those of us who never bother picking it up?
Just read the letter from Simon,and I can assure you that the ‘Secure parking area’ is far from secure!
Yes there may be security guards patrolling,but there are such huge gaps in the fence that seperates the parking area from the beach that the illegals come and go as they please.
The last time I parked there (came from UK) there were a dozen or more chinese looking types chasing half a dozen middle east looking types with bits of wood and iron bars along the beach,and they all came through the fence into the so called secure parking area.
The next morning when I left there were five illegals wandering around the parking looking for a ride to the UK.
As usual,the French aren’t interested,they’d rather these people got to the UK and out of their way.
just read the letter and it does seem a bit harsh. 
but then again i do tend to agree with the bit
" how many times do you have to warn people about parking there "
its not rocket science is it … DONT PARK ANYWHERE NEAR CALAIS
thanks marcustandy - but what’s wrong with the letter anyone?
jj72:
thanks marcustandy - but what’s wrong with the letter anyone?
nothing wrong with the letter its just one persons view.
its a problem firms have to look at and maybe think about what port they are shipping into. if there is no parking south of the dartford crossing and calais with a 3 to 4 hour no go zone round it what do you do
if you are in northern france with 5 hours driving time left thats not going to get you north of dartford if in france at 11am to 1 pm cos by the time with the crossing you are hitting the rush hour at the m25 also its too early to stop in france … what do you do.
i would be coming well off the beaton track to find some parking, maybe having a nosy at sittingbourne or faversham. just somewhere well out of the way hoping that nobody else has the same idea.
The failure here is by politicians, not lorry drivers.
TheBear:
well, I hope they print my reply to it!!! You won’t like it
What a sanctimonious letter!! If I didn’t know better, I would have thought you was writing what your mate down the pub had told you
Oh dear, what a shame, never mind. 
I felt that something had to be said, so I said something.
Whether you agree with me or not is entirely up to you.
WADR I disagree with you Simon.
People who are burgled are not to blame for “living in an area where there is much burglary”
France is a safe country, yet clandestines of all nationalities travel the length of France to get to a softer touch.
I have seen footage of clandestines leaping onto the roofs of England-bound tilts in Belgium from motorway bridges while the truck below was travelling flat-out. Is Belgium unsafe for a Somali?
The last thing we need is a lorry driver criticising his fellow driver who is caught up between an international criminal trade and a failure of those in power to prevent it.
Harry Monk:
The last thing we need is a lorry driver criticising his fellow driver who is caught up between an international criminal trade and a failure of those in power to prevent it.
Fair enough, you have a point there, but you also said
People who are burgled are not to blame for “living in an area where there is much burglary”
Do those same people go out leaving the house empty and all their doors and windows wide open■■?
So, do we also ignore the fact that, if you don’t take reasonable precautions you’re going to get burned?
The day I started at Murfitts a driver was jacking international work in.
Why? Because in the six weeks he’d been doing it he said he’d been gassed and robbed 3 times.
Where did this occur? Jabbeke Services the first time and the second time and the third time.
Did it not occur to him that maybe Jabbeke Services was not a good place to park overnight ? ? ?
The last paragraph of my letter (which should probably have been the first),
How many times do you need to be told not to do something because it could have dire consequences? Once, twice, 10 times? Or do you continue ignoring warnings until the dire consequences actually occur to you, then complain bitterly about what has happened?
was probably the point I was trying to make. The rest was mainly explaining why I thought they, “Deserve everything they get”.
A bit harsh maybe, but unless we start taking action nothing will get done, hopefully this’ll make some people do something instead of just moaning.
Instead of listening and obeying when the boss says “park in Calais”, tell him to “go and do one” (that is the phrase isn’t it?). “I’m not parking there, I’ll get robbed, or stabbed, or I’ll get illegals”.
The boss, along with others start applying pressure to the FTA, RHA etc etc.
Thats why POA came about, get them to do something for us instead.
OK, so I’m in cloud cuckoo land if I believe that’ll happen, but just every now and then you have to try.
On a lighter note.
Simon:
:idea: Do I win a prize
Each month we will print your letters…
and there’s a prize for the best one.
Top model maker Corgi is putting up a
prize every issue from its superb
classics range.
I DO 
TheBear:
well, I hope they print my reply to it!!!
Maybe you’ll get the Star Letter too
How long do you think we could keep it up, long enough for everyone to get a prize? 
I think the most shocking thing about this thread is the fact that people A, read Truckstop News and B, pay any attention to what it says. 
It’s a comic which make the Daily Sport look like serious journalism. Their reports are always poorly researched and they never seem to let the facts get in the way of a sensationalist story.I glance at it every six months or so to see if it changes, and it doesn’t appear to.
why slack off Truckstop news it is the number one free paper for truckers
hitch:
why slack off Truckstop news it is the number one free paper for truckers
I don’t think it is. Toilet paper is usually free for truckers and that beats Truckstop News by a mile.
Well I am quite surprised this thread has not been locked or “Moved for review”, it does after all, mention the name of a rival publisher of trucking interest - or maybe as this thread is slating it more then promoting it it is allowed to stay!!! 
hitch:
why slack off Truckstop news it is the number one free paper for truckers
It’s been noted on this thread that TN is free, and that it is “poorly researched” and “sensationalist” in its style. Before anyone has a pop at me on this- those weren’t my words. I’m not even passing a comment on the story as I have no insight into it.
It occurs to me to ask whether anybody has considered the following
-
To what extent should we be surprised if a free publication lacks research
-
Good reseach costs time and therefore money, so who pays
-
Do TN’s “journalists” get paid for their efforts
-
What, if anything, could we reasonably expect for free
We all know the saying in transport that, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
- So, is that saying also true for journalists
Last question: Does TN honestly stand direct comparison with the publications from RBI, for which you do pay
dieseldave:
Last question: Does TN honestly stand direct comparison with the publications from RBI, for which you do pay
Not really, but it is published by Future who also do Trucking, and the readership is greater for TSN then T&D I believe (could be wrong though)