Portsmouth Security
Comments
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Patronising? Well I too feel patronised when someone quotes my words back at me as in your post. So let's call it a draw shall we?
I have been patronised one way or another for years on this forum by people telling me that I can only have a good time by either going "over there" or by not going "over there". My point is that I can do both.
By the Way if you want to show humour in your post then try using the appropriate emoji.
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came back into the country via Poole last Thursday, horrendous, checking every Mh/caravan/car, lifted the bunk seats checked the cupboards, asked how much wine i had onboard, told him half a bottle in the fridge if he wanted a quick snort, and a couple of crates in the shower, fortunately he was an ok guy and waved me through without taking the floor panels up. Going out was not problem, 0800 ferry March 22nd so very quiet
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Still puzzled as to why the security checks were so severe going OUT from Poole to Cherbourg at the start of June. Wife had to get out of car to be body searched (I wasn't!) and the caravan was explored inside by one of many staff on duty on a Saturday evening (but man did not open bathroom door!). As the ship was only 25% full, could only assume security staff wanted to justify their existence as there was nothing else to do. Upon returning at Poole, there were no checks apart from a friendly passport control officer asking us if we had had a nice time.
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I think they must have a quota of checks to do and so if the ferry isn't busy you have a greater probability of being searched. What gets me is their standard question " Do you have any knives in the caravan/" to which my stock answer is well yes of course I do, , there is a kitchen there. I think it's a trick question and if you said NO then they would take you apart.
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On the 24th June, we underwent no security checks whatsoever - at either terminal!
We sailed on the morning ferry from Caen - no checks were conducted on anything in any queue, and there were plenty of caravan outfits in the lanes.
On arrival in Portsmouth, it took only 20 mins, from the bow doors opening to us accessing the motorway (and we were nowhere near the front of the queues).
The female operator in the booth checking passports, came out to one or two caravans in front of us (for a very limited check underneath). When we reached the booth, we were asked if we had stopped anywhere between the site and ferry terminal, to which I answered no, and we were waved on our way.
According to friends who sailed 2 days previous (Saturday), a dozen or so migrants were found in the back of an Irish lorry at Caen, and I was therefore very surprised we saw no-one doing checks in France.
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We do indeed live in a beautiful country, it’s just that you have to book sites in advance, suffer traffic jams and put up with some atrocious weather. Apart from that it’s great.
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Just random chance I think, came back via Poole last Wednesday, only check was a quick question “was your van locked on the Barfleur?” then waved through.
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