What cheeses me off

[OZDUCK]

Yesterday we met up in York with some German friends who had also been at a family reunion in Cambridge. They had a hire car and invited us along to see a couple of the local sights. One of these was Rievaulx Abbey.

This is an English Heritage operated site and they charge very high fees - £14 per adult and £4 for parking in the middle of nowhere. When our friend went to pay he was told the fee was £60 including a donation. Being a no nonsense German he asked what this donation fee was and then had it removed. I assume the principle is that they include a donation fee in the hopes that the visitor is too embarrassed/unsure to ask for it to be removed. Seems very sharp practice to me.

 

[VPS]

Yesterday we met up in York with some German friends who had also been at a family reunion in Cambridge. They had a hire car and invited us along to see a couple of the local sights. One of these was Rievaulx Abbey.

This is an English Heritage operated site and they charge very high fees - £14 per adult and £4 for parking in the middle of nowhere. When our friend went to pay he was told the fee was £60 including a donation. Being a no nonsense German he asked what this donation fee was and then had it removed. I assume the principle is that they include a donation fee in the hopes that the visitor is too embarrassed/unsure to ask for it to be removed. Seems very sharp practice to me.

and as a senior you can join for about £70 and you get free parking

 

[TheRealTMA]

and as a senior you can join for about £70 and you get free parking

And for National Trust in England, it’s cheaper to join the NT Scotland. Reciprocal.

 

[OZDUCK]

I understand that it is also cheaper to join the Australian National Trust and get reciprocal rights.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I understand that it is also cheaper to join the Australian National Trust and get reciprocal rights.

Yes but there are issues like no free parking. And it’s fair to pay NT a fair fee IMHO.

 

[drron]

I always rejoin the Australian National Trust when visiting the UK. Sometimes however it doesn’t include parking However my sister lives in the UK and goes by her maiden name So sometimes I am guilty of being her partner.

 

[VPS]

I always rejoin the Australian National Trust when visiting the UK. Sometimes however it doesn’t include parking However my sister lives in the UK and goes by her maiden name So sometimes I am guilty of being her partner.

But she would need to be there or you would have to have her card because you have to scan their card to park

 

[JohnK]

Have had taxi pre-booked with trip.com since June for travel Pattaya-BKK airport tomorrow morning at 10:00am as we have 1:30pm flight.

Driver confirmed at 7:15pm then another email at 10:43pm that they are unable to secure taxi booking due to weather and availability. What utter rubbish. Taxis are still running. Yes availability is limited but still available.

Another email at 11:11pm advising to cancel the taxi booking and make alternate arrangements. Seriously? It is midnight and where do you think I can make alternate arrangements?

All I can say is lucky we were still awake otherwise it would have been frantic morning expecting taxi and trying to find alternate arrangements.

Totally unprofessional.

 

[drron]

But she would need to be there or you would have to have her card because you have to scan their card to park

Indeed we do.

 

[Quickstatus]

Taxis are still running. Yes availability is limited but still available.

Is your route afffected by the current floods?

Looks pretty bad - the city declared a disaster zone..

 

[VPS]

In the rehab pool - clearly says no children under 16 - 3 guys and 4 kids come in and start messing around and splashing. I said to the lifeguard I thought you weren't supposed to have kids under 16 in here and he says oh where?

FFS you're a lifeguard are you not looking at people in the pool

 

[drron]

This is what claude is saying on the bangkok floods.

https://claude.ai/artifact/KgT7rQahSNQKJgWhEHE1v3

tourist areas being hit hard.

 

[pagingjoan]

Have had taxi pre-booked with trip.com since June for travel Pattaya-BKK airport tomorrow morning at 10:00am as we have 1:30pm flight.

Driver confirmed at 7:15pm then another email at 10:43pm that they are unable to secure taxi booking due to weather and availability. What utter rubbish. Taxis are still running. Yes availability is limited but still available.

Another email at 11:11pm advising to cancel the taxi booking and make alternate arrangements. Seriously? It is midnight and where do you think I can make alternate arrangements?

All I can say is lucky we were still awake otherwise it would have been frantic morning expecting taxi and trying to find alternate arrangements.

Totally unprofessional.

So how did you get on?

 

[prozac]

So how did you get on?

Things might be a bit frantic atm, we might not get an update for a while.

 

[pagingjoan]

Things might be a bit frantic atm, we might not get an update for a while.

Quite possibly. But would be past check in time.

 

[Quickstatus]

Quite possibly. But would be past check in time

If no taxi, then AI says there are buses.....

 

[Brissy1]

This is what claude is saying on the bangkok floods.

https://claude.ai/artifact/KgT7rQahSNQKJgWhEHE1v3

tourist areas being hit hard.

Just off the phone to my older sister wishing her bon voyage for her 1 month holiday to Thailand starting with time in bkk, leaving tomorrow. I mentioned Bangkoks had "a bit of rain". Had no idea. Still doesn't, she's a worrier. Fortunately going to be met at the airport by her (very competent) daughter who evidently also hasn't told her anything.

 

[JohnK]

Is your route afffected by the current floods?

Looks pretty bad - the city declared a disaster zone..

Not really. We managed to book taxi very late last night using an old contact and we woke them up otherwise no way to book taxi. Less than 90 minutes Pattaya - BKK airport at 10:00am today.

We had 1:30pm flight to Chiang Mai. Re-timed to 2:30pm around the time we should have departed and now indefinitely delayed again.

I don't like our chances departing today. Lots of delays and very few cancellations but something doesn't feel right. Flights are taking off so this could be different issue.

If flight cancelled don't know what will happen with our 13 day car booking. Called Alamo already not to cancel but technically they can claim no show.

Not interested in overnight hotel. Ladkrabang is flooded in parts and getting to/from Bangkok centre has its own problems and lengthy delays.

Ah the joys of travel. We do have travel insurance but I think I specifically excluded these types of events. Who could guess?

 

[Quickstatus]

Ah the joys of travel. We do have travel insurance but I think I specifically excluded these types of events. Who could guess?

It depends on when you purchased cover (before or after the flood) and whether your TI covers "natural disasters"

 

[JohnK]

It depends on when you purchased cover (before or after the flood) and whether your TI covers "natural disasters"

I purchased travel insurance before we left before flood but didn't choose natural disasters.

Finally managed to get away about 3 hours late. No harm done to us but feel sorry for all those affected in Bangkok and other areas. In Chiang Mai rain is not as bad but still mud everywhere.

Now relaxed on my balcony drinking Chang beer and listening to music with just crickets as the background. Pancake (dog) was confused for 5 minutes but she now recognises me and can't stop barking. She really hates me.

Oh and trip.com still claiming force majeure which is rubbish. I want a taxi from Pattaya to BKK airport not a taxi that comes from Bangkok to Pattaya to take me to BKK airport. Wimps. Awful customer service. They are so proud they processed my refund. Wonder whether they would have kept money had I not cancelled?