Priority
Grandad October 4th, 2011
I found a neat little yoke when booking my trip on Irish Ferries.
For an extra tenner you can book a priority thing for the car.
When we arrived in Rosslare, we were given a wee card to hang off the mirror, and then were stuck into a special queue before boarding. When they started loading the cars, our lane was first on so I was well into my first pint while they were still loading cars.
When we arrived in Roscoff, once again, we were amongst the first cars off. Brilliant.
The fun happened on the return journey though.
We drove up to the reception kiosk in Cherbourg and Yer Wan gave us the card to hand from the mirror and told me to switch on the hazard lights [I had to search for the switch. I don’t think I have ever used them before]. We then drove onto the quay and were put into a short lane beside the normal huge lines of cars. The bugger in front of us had spotted the hazard lights trick, and he too was put into our lane. I noticed though that he had no card on his mirror. A chancer? Heh!
When they started the loading, once again we were first on, but not Chancer in front! The bastard was pulled to one side and then sent back to the tail end of the longest queue. Prat!
The one place where there is always a huge holdup is in Rosslare where the customs are a pain in the hole. The last time we came through there, it took over an hour. This time was different. We were the third car off the ferry and so had the pick of the customs slots. I drove and wound down the window. “Where are ye from?” asks the customs bloke. “Wickla” says I. He laughed. Only a Wicklow man will call it Wickla. “Go on outa that” says he.
Thirty seconds through customs.
Sweet.
And they never even checked the luggage.
Just as well…….
- Holidays
- Comments(8)
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Well you obviously didn’t say “Wickla” with a Greystones accent !
More “Arkla” I presume !
Definitely not a Bray one, anyway!
Ah yes, Bray – knacker central.
So you did have a ferry crossing story to tell after all. And isn’t privilege / oneupmanship / feeling special / a cut above the rest worth a tenner?
We had already checked your luggage before you got to customs
Mossy – You are being too kind to the place.
TT – It makes a pleasant change not to have to bung a tip to gain my due deference.
The CIA – Thanks. And a right fucking mess you made of it.
Wickla. Well, fuck me sideways. I’m not that long hanging on your every word but I never picked wicklow. I worked there for 5 years from ’75 to ’80, Wicklow town. The making of me. Had me heart broken eventually and learnt to hold the drink, among other things. Nothing but great memories. The pubs are great, the girls were awesome, (some still are) and the craic we had was unbelievable. I’ve been gone 25 years now but got back a couple of times to catch up. Still like home.
I don’t remember any families called Ramble there, though. Are you a blow-in?
When my luggage is checked they find anti-government propaganda: THE BILL OF RIGHTS.