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What is Going On ?


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We toddled off to France this last week (Poole to Cherbourg last Sunday pm, back on Friday pm). It is seems obvious that our paranoid State is upping the Police Fever again: both coming and going passports were scrutinised with unusual diligence. Bloody great queue getting back in Friday night while the Poole dozies slowly examined everything....

What is this all about ? Are we part of the EU or not ? How long before Gordon slams down the shutters and makes us fill in forms before we go abroad or change our deteriorating sterling into Euros ???

 

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This has been a problem at Portsmouth for some time.  A BF ferry and a LD Lines ferry get in at roughly the same time and the queues for passport control can be terrible, especially at non-summer times when they don't have many staff on duty!
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I agree with you, we are part of the EU and the passport controls are becoming ever stricter. I was asked out of the car (while they searched my friend's tiny Fiesta) and body searched at Poole in front of everybody and I look really innocent!
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[quote user="Monika"]I agree with you, we are part of the EU and the passport controls are becoming ever stricter. I was asked out of the car (while they searched my friend's tiny Fiesta) and body searched at Poole in front of everybody and I look really innocent![/quote]

 

i bet most terrorists look innocent too.....better a slight delay than we let everybody come and go freely...therein lies disaster

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We use the Cherbourg -Poole B.F. quite regularly and it is getting the norm now to take an hour plus to get out of the port. I have been subjected to the body search a few times and was particularly worried when the chap searching me donned a pair of rubber gloves!!! Fortunately i did manage to keep my composure and my trousers on. After watching the Panorama programme this week on the chap dishing out passports/driving licenses and anything else required,for cash of course, I think these measures might be a bit late.It seems most of the crooks are already in the UK.

Regards.

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[quote user="sheldonrobbo"]

i bet most terrorists look innocent too.....better a slight delay than we let everybody come and go freely...therein lies disaster

[/quote]

OK, if this is true, why don't we see MAHOOSIVE problems in the other member states that have done away with border control?

I've been moaning about coming back into the uk for some time now: passport control at Calais can be a nightmare, and UK customs is a complete joke. They file you through a little gap with warnings about catsclaws, and loads of people in dayglo jackets giving you hard stares.

Meanwhile, at the tunnel exit, cars stream off the shuttles and straight onto the motorway.

I still rate Dover as THE most unwelcoming place in the UK. I KNOW it's in the south, but really...........[;-)]

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[quote user="trees 2"][quote user="sheldonrobbo"]

i bet most terrorists look innocent too.....better a slight delay than we let everybody come and go freely...therein lies disaster

[/quote]

OK, if this is true, why don't we see MAHOOSIVE problems in the other member states that have done away with border control?

I've been moaning about coming back into the uk for some time now: passport control at Calais can be a nightmare, and UK customs is a complete joke. They file you through a little gap with warnings about catsclaws, and loads of people in dayglo jackets giving you hard stares.

Meanwhile, at the tunnel exit, cars stream off the shuttles and straight onto the motorway.

I still rate Dover as THE most unwelcoming place in the UK. I KNOW it's in the south, but really...........[;-)]
[/quote]

I wonder if it could have anything to do with us joining Mr Bush in Iraq ? What do you think ? [:)][:)]

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[quote user="trees 2"][quote user="sheldonrobbo"]

i bet most terrorists look innocent too.....better a slight delay than we let everybody come and go freely...therein lies disaster

[/quote]

Meanwhile, at the tunnel exit, cars stream off the shuttles and straight onto the motorway.

........[;-)]

[/quote]

Tunnel passengers have been through UK immigration control before they board the shuttle -and they can be just as strict. My wife got told off because she was engrossed in a book rather than looking at the officer.

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as far as i am aware most of the other member states don't have the same terrorist threat level as the uk...mainly due to the fact that they don't get involved in other peoples wars ...but thats another story....its a fact of life i'm afraid and its only going to get worse not better .....also i think you'll find that cars stream of the tunnel because uk customs have done their checks at the french end ...hence the queues that end

 

sheldon

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