After Steve’s memorial service I felt compelled to visit my oldest school friend, who had had a life changing motorcycle accident last year. I would fit this in with a visit to my fathers grave, which I had not seen since the day we buried him, on my birthday, in 2003. I don’t get across to the UK very often.
Heading back to the Eurotunnel we were forced to use the M25 and the Dartford Crossing. I vaguely remember that the old tunnel was a Toll Road, so we kept enough currency to cover any expected charges. The Dartford Crossings were well signposted, no problems, but there was no indication whatsoever about a Toll Charge until we were on the ramp up to the bridge. The old paying station was closed down - out of use, so it was impossible to pay. On the side of the road were large signs ‚Dart Charge‘ nothing else. We arrived at the Eurotunnel and having crossed continued our journey home, just under 20 hours in all.
After just a couple of hours we had to be back on our feet, pick the dogs up from the kennels and a couple other important appointments. Upon checking my e-mails, of which there were many, I decided to see what the road signs ‚Dart Charge‘ might have wanted to tell us.
There’s a 2 pounds 50 charge for using their bridge ! If you don’t pay by midnight the following day you will get a 70 pound fine, if you pay this within 14 days it’s half price!
Even though I was repulsed at the idea of having to pay for something that I had not been informed about before I could perhaps choose to an alternative route, I decided to pay up and be done. I filled in all of their stupid questions and had to realise that there is only the option to pay by credit card. I choose which card and then get told to accept their terms and conditions, which include a 1 pound 50 pence service charge for using a credit card, total charge 4 pounds !
At this I am disgusted ! When running my various businesses over the years I have always understood that it is against international banking law to charge for the use of a credit card ! So I searched out the ‚contact us‘ bit and wrote to them asking how else I could pay. I could do an express bank transfer I suggested. There were still about 6 hours before midnight … all’s well, I thought.
They replied sending me the same 'pay up link' that I already had and the only way to pay on the link was with a credit card or they specifically wrote 'at an authorised Pay Station with cash'. I then asked where the next Pay Station was, giving my address and the post code of the next town. Their reply was DOVER, almost a thousand kilometers away. This of course was a no brainer, so I again asked for a bank account, into which I could pay the 2,50 without surcharges. In all we exchange 8 e-mails each way, three of which were before midnight.
Then their reply was: It’s now past midnight and you can’t pay anymore, you have to await your penalty notice. It is not their fault if I am incapable of following their simple instructions, CLEARLY YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO USE A KEYBOARD they wrote and they are not willing to discuss the issue any further.
Well, what a bunch of tossers ! This is a clear cut case of HIGHWAY ROBBERY ! It did not take long to find that we are not alone in our opinion. There are websites in every country complaining about the disgusting way that the crossing operators FORCE people to use their crossing by not giving appropriate information, a suitable distance away, so that drivers could choose an alternative route. Then to have no possibility to pay at the crossing. Then they expect you (also foreigners) to understand their stupid sign … for which you need a smart phone (which I do not have) … which it is illegal to use while driving anyway (so you would probably get a photo and a fine for that as well) … then you have to navigate through their THREATENING text to eventually be told that it costs ONLY 2,50 and by accepting their terms and conditions … a surcharge of 1,50 = 4 pounds. On top of which, we who come from other countries get a ‚foreign currency charge‘ and lousy exchange rates ! What a fucking rip off !!
What is this world coming to ? Friends tell us it’s the same in Norway, Australia and New Zealand and our holiday research indicates that France, Spain and Portugal are no better.
I have to ask myself if we soldiers did the right thing in defeating Hitler, getting rid of the STAZI, fighting off any number of so called Terrorists Organizations, while fighting other wars all around the globe, and are still trying to defeat ISIS. For what, when our own system treats us like this ?? At this rate it will not be long before the people stand up against these scumbags, who operate ‚Dart Charge’ and other such organisations who operate with the full backing of the legal system and so also the police.
Frankly I couldn’t care less about the 2,50, or even the 4 pounds, not even about the 70 pounds or 35 pounds if I pay within 14 days. But to be treated this way by the people who are supposed to be looking after our interests makes my shit itch ! When this is how they treat honest, hard working citizens … then revolution is not far off
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. It would be great if they spent it on the roads and filled all the pot holes. But I suppose London needs it more than us northern morons 
