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Brown's attempt to help stranded passengers
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Following on from the airlines' call for compensation, what does everyone think about Brown's response to the crisis?
Ignoring the pathetic level of response in relation to the number of people affected, do you actually think that it is the responsibility of politicians to mobilise the navy, order fleets of coaches, etc. to repatriate holidaymakers?
Do you think help would have been offered at all, if there wasn't an election coming up?
Would money have been better spent providing immediate financial help through the embassies, for the cost of additional accommodation/food for the stranded passengers?
For what it is worth, and I suspect I am in the minority, I don't think this has been handled at all well. Much as I sympathise with those stranded, I don't think the situation equates with, say, the need to repatriate nationals directly affected by volcanic eruption, earthquake or flood while abroad. While not being able to get home after a holiday is extremely inconvenient, the individuals are in no personal danger. No employer or school can possibly hold them responsible for being late home. My view is that the embassies could have done more to support people in the destination country until the planes started flying again. This isn't exactly Dunkirk, after all.
Ignoring the pathetic level of response in relation to the number of people affected, do you actually think that it is the responsibility of politicians to mobilise the navy, order fleets of coaches, etc. to repatriate holidaymakers?
Do you think help would have been offered at all, if there wasn't an election coming up?
Would money have been better spent providing immediate financial help through the embassies, for the cost of additional accommodation/food for the stranded passengers?
For what it is worth, and I suspect I am in the minority, I don't think this has been handled at all well. Much as I sympathise with those stranded, I don't think the situation equates with, say, the need to repatriate nationals directly affected by volcanic eruption, earthquake or flood while abroad. While not being able to get home after a holiday is extremely inconvenient, the individuals are in no personal danger. No employer or school can possibly hold them responsible for being late home. My view is that the embassies could have done more to support people in the destination country until the planes started flying again. This isn't exactly Dunkirk, after all.
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Well, quite. But I'm not sure that the thousands of holidaymakers now stranded in Madrid with promises of fleets of coaches, etc., would agree.
Try telling that to the County Council in Devon. I don't think they will eventually decide to dock teachers pay because there would be an outtrage but to even consider doing it ... ? :banghead:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/8631479.stm
I wasn't suggesting that employers should have to pay absent employees any more than they might normally do. The point I was trying to make (badly, it seems) was that people shouldn't feel they will be unfairly penalised by employers or schools.
That was my point exactly. There is a huge difference between repatriating people who are in physical danger, e.g. through natural disaster, war, etc. (genuine "crises") and the situation here. In my view the government's response has been inappropriate and ineffective.
Would the monocular Scottish one have laid on this help if there wasn't an election coming up? Dunno - it depends on what Mandelson and Whelan told him when he asked whether these people were Labour voters or not.
I'm sure people's banks and credit cards are better placed to help people out in the short term, with consuls providing the usual back up service.
Brown fucked up a bit with promises of massive fleets of buses that were not there, though to be honest in the grand scheme of things, that wasn't the biggest of the standed travellers' problems.
Bollocks, if the Government sat back and did nothing you'd be on here moaning that the Government aren't helping the people who pay their wages.. utter bullshit.
Although it wasn't a brilliant idea/though up strategy the fact the Government was willing to help, I applaud them for at least looking into it and organising help. I would rather live in a country were if I was stranded my Government helped or tried to help than be told to "not our problem"
In case you haven't noticed, I'm a libertarian. That means I think the government should be smaller and do a lot less. You and I do indeed pay their wages, but that doesn't mean I want a government official to come round to my house and wipe my arse for me, does it? Similarly, I see no reason why government needs to help people to get home simply because their plane was cancelled.
Are you self-employed? Why don't you get statutory sick pay?
Oh get the fuck over yourself. there is a difference between having a flight cancelled and the whole airspace and EVERY flight cancelled,
if your normal flight was cancelled airlines will put you up, per T&C, this time round most airlines have told people to fuck off and sort it out yourself.
with insurance companies refusing to help, Airlines refusing to help, the people stranded needed help, the Government were one of the only groups who said "We're HELP YOU"
Well lets hope you go and get yourself stuck somewhere, let the Government leave you there with no money or accommodation, let the embassy tell you to fuck off,
Well you only get it after 3days and it is a pittance really isn't it.
I don't know about you, but I'd be despairing if I heard that the government wanted to help me get home from somewhere. Much as I disagree with some of his politics, Ronald Reagan was right when he said the most terrifying words in the English language were "I'm from the Government and I'm here to help".
Now then, the airlines have a legal duty to help out passengers in the event of flights being cancelled, including in unusual situations such as this one. From all accounts, the help has been found wanting. So will we see legal action being taken against the airlines because of their failure to comply with the law? Don't hold your breath. Infact, the brass-necked overpaid cunt that is Willie Walsh has already asked that BA be compensated because of all the cancelled flights.
Aim your fire towards the people who really failed in their duty here, Hellfire.
There are an estimeted 150,000 stranded ...with kids old people etc.
Many of these people have budgeted finely and are skint after their little spring break ...they have no means to get home but some of you don't give a fuck from your comfy little worlds.
Couldn't Agree with you more, if over 150000 stranded Brits is not the governments problem, then what is?
Oh yes, and before I forget, has anyone seen this?
"The Civil Aviation Authority has told Channel 4 News the grounding of aircraft caused by the ash cloud may not have been necessary if rigorous engine testing had been done previously. Last Thursday the decision was taken to stop all aircraft from taking off or landing in British airspace. But as the ban on flights was extended, flight operators and travellers increasingly questioned the science behind shutdown."
So this whole carry-on might not even have been necessary in the first place. Well, well, well...
No, a libertarian believes government shouldn't be restrictive, it's your right wing tendency that wants a smaller less helpful government.
In part I agree.
The question is, what do you expect the Govt to do about it? Send the navy, hire some buses? At waht point, on the first day, second? After a week?
Sometimes I worry that people expect their Govt to be more than they can be.
What sort?
I think I am in agreement that "people just can't be left". But, as one of those affected, did you think that the response was appropriate? My feeling was that money would have been better spent on securing accommodation/living expenses while stranded passengers waited for the flights to resume. This, to my mind, is the purpose of having embassies/consulates abroad. What were they up to while all this was going on? Instead, Brown seems to have opted for a showy "Dunkirk" exercise that was inappropriate and ineffectual.