Off Topic Bristol Airport Money-grabbing B’stards

in their 80's doing well then, my first house was £3195 deposit was £100 and had to be the usual 3.5 times salary. You could get it less but it was a sort of insurance cover for 10 years which covered up to the amount borrowed. I couldnt understand it really as it was a cost on top of the mortgage payment .. so would mean less income in difficult times to pay mortgage. I believe the going rate of interest in the early to mid 60's was about 6-8%.... and rose over about 10 -15 years to 15+% In 1983 I took out a new mortgage as a single person on a house [ present one] which cost 10x more .... I just signed paperwork to say I could afford it and that was it ........

 

another Lych gem .... "They've cut £2bn from the National Railway and they've cut £2bn from TfL (Transport for London)." .......... before congestion charging and polution levels TFL did not exist ... TFL HAS A MASSIVE INCOME WHICH GROWS EVERY YEAR .... The early days were supported by the .gov! it now takes up more and more road space for buses and taxi's forcing more and more people to go slower.. so encourages them to take other transport [ not a bad thing ] but the amount of money needed from .gov is not so important. they are supposed to be self sufficient [ oh .GOV HAS SPENT A FEW £BN on new lines etc ... long live the Queen

 

From my 2 very recent experiences in late April and mid May, a lot of Bristol Airport as a whole (or as a hole more like !) is very poor, or not even that good !

Our Taxi driver was telling us how excessive parking is at the airport, even for Taxi's to drop off customers like us, if they stay more than a couple of minutes.

On our way up to Newcastle for our cruise, there were large queues waiting to check in, followed by surly staff when you eventually got to Bag Drop, and that was just the start of the 'adventure'

I had pre-booked Fast Track Security and joined the queue for it, but was never actually asked to prove I'd even paid for that service, they just waived us through. Very thorough, not !

The Brunel Bar & Restaurant when we finally got there is a total disgrace given the price of the food and drinks.
Old rickety tables which are beyond sticky, and mis-matched furniture elsewhere, and mountains of used glasses and crockery on the unoccupied tables that seldom get cleared, and if it was possible, even surlier and less interested staff than those working on Bag Drop downstairs. I queued and waited 20 minutes to get a pint, so bought 2 while I was there. Total apathy everywhere including the shops.
Yes I know these people are on minimum wage, and it's a boring job, but it gives a crappy impression of the airport and the city for domestic or foreign travellers.

And that was all without the 45 minute delay to the outward flight.

On the way back from Newcastle things couldn't have been more different.
Helpful and friendly staff everywhere, no queue for check in, or at any number of bars that were all open and all of which had staff who were pleased to see paying customers.
Got back to Bristol and then the remaining 20 odd people who hadn't yet received bags from the Newcastle flight just stood by the Baggage Reclaim and waited and waited and waited. In total we waited 80 minutes for our 3 suitcases to be offloaded which was a disgrace. There was no one from DHL to ask for updates as to why this unacceptable delay was taking place.
And it turns out we were lucky as the previous week people had been waiting for 2-3 hours for their luggage.

Another drag at BRS is the mammoth walk from the food area to the departure gates if you are unlucky enough to get Gate 16 or so.

0/10.

 

Agree some parts of BRS could be better, I arrived around 02.30 one morning and my hold bag was badly damaged. Went to the ground handling desk and no one there, just a pile of complaint forms to fill in. Also they lost my car at Silver Zone, had to wait for 2 hours between 0200 and 0400 with 3 small children whilst they located it. Cant agree about Newcastle though its a dump. The only thing it has going for it is the metro which connects it to Newcastle and Sunderland. When I was last there all except one bar was closed, no shops open, dirty, crowded and by some way the worst airport I have been to.

 

That was my third visit to Newcastle Airport. First time was when City played Hartlepool (around 2003 when we were both in L1?) and twice for cruises from Port of Tyne in 2017 and again this year, and I've never had a problem there. So either I've been very lucky, or you've been very unlucky.

 

RMT union is bereft with beating the .gov. They have now openly stated it! Such actions in the past had bad consequences for the unions and the workers. whilst the fat cat leaders came out unscathed many of the minions didnt ......

 

Even worse that some Labour MP's are joining the picket lines and Starmer refuses to criticise the unions.

Rail workers need to face reality

1) People are not travelling by train in the numbers they used to. Whether it's because of the pandemic and people are working from home more ? People have less face to face business meetings due to Zoom and MS Teams ? Less people going by train to British holiday destinations etc, who knows ?
Because of this drop in demand, it's my understanding that people are being kept in rail related jobs that can no longer be justified.

2) Rail fares are extortionate and with the cost of fuel and electricity going up they are likely to be even higher soon

3) In real terms rail workers have had pay rises totalling some 39% over the last 10 years !!

4) Train drivers get around £60k a year and don't even use a steering wheel like an articulated lorry driver ! (joke)

What this strike will hit most are the likes of hospitality (hotels, restaurants) and retail at deserted stations. It will also possibly clog motorways and main arterial roads into cities.

The unions that helped destroy the British car industry in the 1970's and 80's may well spell the end of the railways as we know them. I for one won't miss their overcrowded carriages and ridiculous prices.

Next it's Barristers, the NHS and Teachers. Feels like we're in a time warp !

 

Speaking on the picket line at Euston station, one worker, who didn’t want to give his name, told me: "Grant Schapps would be better served trying to find a resolution to this dispute than criticising rail workers who kept the country moving during Covid.
"He called our members true heroes during the pandemic – now he’s attacking them."
Another added they are being "threatened with thousands of redundancies which will threaten not just their livelihoods but the safety and security of the railway".

"who didn’t want to give his name, told me: "Grant Schapps would be better served trying to find a resolution to this dispute than criticising rail workers who kept the country moving during Covid." I am sorry but this is comes over as the pathetic attitude of a brain washed numpty .. scared to give his name [ or is it a media false news ] in Covid millions kept working doing their jobs and glad to have done so, they got paid 100% wages plus O/T and didnt lose out financially millions lost out on half the wages he is on! His gripe is more likely they worked for a year whilst others stayed at home and maybe got 80% of their income ... This has in the last 48 hours melted down to the RMT union "leaders" wanting to take on and defeat the .gov. Starmer wont say anything against the union as they contribute toward the labour party funding. He doesnt want a lack of membership because less members less income! he would put at risk modernization to safer technically more sound ways to protect the general public and rail workers at the expense of jobs.
problem is on £44000 or more per annum you will not find to many jobs like that amongst the near 4 million vacancies that are out there! so of course they will strike [ they can afford to!]

 

I heard that the rail network was bailed out to the tune of a staggering £16bn during the pandemic and the most of the lazy sods barely had to work for the best part of 2 years

 

the work they did was minimal know a rail worker no trains less wear and tear, works in Reading area said nights were about 3 hours work, took it in turns to get 6 hours sleep near end of shifts then had complete day off at home to sun bathe or walk the dog!!!

 

Try Cardiff airport, it’s terrible and makes Bristol look fantastic. I’ve never thought Bristol that bad it even has a smoking shelter which a lot don’t.

 

Economist and Labour adviser Jim O'Neill said the "constant protection of pensioners" was "ludicrous".
But Mr Sunak said pensioners were "among the most vulnerable in society" and needed to be protected.

J O'N what a typical a**o of a Labourite.. a vast many advisors and Labour MP's have come out in favour of the RMT who want upwards of 4% pay rise = about a 30% of a pensioners basic salary £200 per month.. and pensioners who done without for 2 years whilst their agreement was scrapped so EVERYONE and I mean everyone else suffered less during lockdown ... what an inconsiderate abominal man..typical of Labour "look after their own" .. unions

 

THE DAMAGE THE STRIKE IS MAKING ... small every day shops like on or near stations, or near work places [ where people maybe havent got into work /choose to work from home are loosing money so who and how is the shortfall recovered .. the shop keeper adds on a bit to cover his loss and rarely takes it off again...
Strange how a lot of beer in Supermarkets has stayed pretty stable a 6 box in a local was £9, 6 months ago, now uummmm £9 beer in some pubs 6 months ago was £3.50 now is £3 . 85 in one local £4.00 in another, worst is the pub in Winscombe £4.50 for the same beer as the £3.85 Pre Covid was 3 pints and change from £10 or owed something like 5p or 10p with a packet of crisps [ told landlord next time I owe you 5p /10p amazing the honesty

 

The Woodborough's not that bad! If you go to any Butcombe pub - Langford Inn, Swan at Rowberrow, etc., Thatchers Gold is something like £5.25 a pint. The umbrella company, Liberation, has spent absolute shedloads on acquiring and renovating pubs in the immediate area (the latest being The New Inn at Backwell and the Northy Arms between Bath and Box) and seem intent on recouping their outlay as quickly as they can. I heard (don't know if it's true mind!) that they spent a million quid on the Langford, which should be my local. Nice pub, but not at my expense!!

 

they make a massive profit on their chips .. 9 chips about 12mm square and 75 -100mm long £3.50 opposite is a chip shop dont know the price but saw people eating a bag and would have been twice as many each for 3 of us ... and real spuds not reconstituted ....

 

Starmer is like an old 8 track tape when it gets to the end it automatically starts over again.
APPARENTLY train drivers are not on strike, as spoke to one today and he turned up for work yesterday. However the the hypocrysy of KS and one of his cronies is beyond belief. He will not condemn the strike [ because his party recieves £10m from RMT and one of his cronies making a statement about .gov support in a financial aspect was truly slapped down when told to not spend so much time on the picket line along with 25 other labour MP's

 

The BBC report polls saying 58% back the strike.
I realise it's the BBC but I haven't spoke to ONE person that supports the strike.
Apparently, according to the Hugh Laurie, Papers Independent and Times etc Mick Lynch now enjoys a cult following.
I'm so out of touch.
Thank goodness.

 

So pensions should be linked to inflation but us that actually work for a living, many of which can’t afford to own their own houses, should be content with a 2% increase, who do you think pays for pensions? . Yes us hard working people

 

have you not retired?

PENSIONS . pensions have fallen behind ever since before I retired 15 years ago I have worked it out that to get on course with a basic civil servant wage from 2003 to 2017 only figures I could find my basic state pension should increase by 17.68% [ have taken that at 85% of civil servant rate as they pay NI ] so would go up from £137,50 PW to about £162 pw

 

No I’ve not retired

I find it amusing how critical you are of other sectors of society who claim for an increase in salary inline with inflation, but feel you are due one. It just seems like double standards