Manchester Airport

[NotDeadYet]

I'm happily minding my own business, reading YD and looking for someone to take the piss out of with the telly on in the background.

Just on the BBC NW news... Manchester Airport are charging people £1.80 a go to drop off or pick up passengers due to "security measures". I suppose that's the first of their profiteering in the name of security. Probably an extra 50p on a cup of tea due to the risk of it being used as a weapon. £900k a year they are going to make for feck all.

And now Tommy Sheridan is on Question Time... can it get worse...

[jim oldham]

Stuff the profiteering toe rags. Park up for the minimum amount of time in the short stay, or keep going round and round in circles until the place seizes up.
This makes my blood boil. Any chance to screw the public and they are in like a shot. Unscrupulous sods.
Jim.

[Robert-Jan Bulter]

Manchester Airport is not my favorate airport but it is my local one so I have to. But all those restrictions, fees, check ups etc. it is really absurt. I fly a few times a month but you will see that the 'additional sucurity' is simply window dressing. They prefer to hire more people to check you than using for example proper technology. Any way it makes flying less fun.

[Mark Davies]

It is a business, after all! I understand that parking is only a close second in earnings to landing fees.

Not necessarily going to defend them, but I will be devil's advocate for a moment.

Vehicles parked next to terminal buildings or in other strategic places are a security issue. It's a part of my job to make sure it doesn't happen. Each terminal has a 'drop-off only' zone outside it. You're meant to stop for only as long as it takes to unload your passenger and then go. At no time should your car be left unattended. If it is, we come along with mirrors and sniffing equipment, check it for explosives and then tow it away. Five minutes is all it takes. It is that serious an issue.

Now parking is no more expensive than in the city centre. All the area around the airport is private land owned by them. They want you in their car parks paying money. You're using their facilities so they have that right. They are not a public service. To try and ensure you use their car parks (primarily to make money but also for security issues) there are double yellow lines on all the roads. Therefore, you cannot park anywhere except in a car park within a mile of any terminal.

Except for the 'drop off' bays . . .

People being people, of course you find loads of them sitting in their cars for ages in these bays. They're not dropping off, they are picking up - but are trying to avoid paying for parking. The result is these areas intended for quick set-downs are constantly clogged up by people sitting in their cars for half an hour at a time or more. They disrupt the smooth operation of the airport as we then get cars double parked as people who are genuinely dropping off can't find anywhere to stop. The whole road system backs up into jams and then people are late for their planes.

That is why the charges are being introduced - so people will use the short stay car parks for what they are intended, rather than dodging a fee parking where they are a nuisance to everyone else.

It's easy to quickly shout 'robbing bastards', but the fact is they are trying to remedy a problem caused by 'you', the wonderful, selfish, general public.

[B]

Originally Posted by Mark Davies

It is a business, after all! I understand that parking is only a close second in earnings to landing fees.

Not necessarily going to defend them, but I will be devil's advocate for a moment.

Vehicles parked next to terminal buildings or in other strategic places are a security issue. It's a part of my job to make sure it doesn't happen. Each terminal has a 'drop-off only' zone outside it. You're meant to stop for only as long as it takes to unload your passenger and then go. At no time should your car be left unattended. If it is, we come along with mirrors and sniffing equipment, check it for explosives and then tow it away. Five minutes is all it takes. It is that serious an issue.

Now parking is no more expensive than in the city centre. All the area around the airport is private land owned by them. They want you in their car parks paying money. You're using their facilities so they have that right. They are not a public service. To try and ensure you use their car parks (primarily to make money but also for security issues) there are double yellow lines on all the rioads. Therefore, you cannot park anywhere except in a car park within a mile of any terminal.

Except for the 'drop off' bays . . .

People being people, of course you find loads of them sitting in their cars for ages in these bays. They're not dropping off, they are picking up - but are trying to avoid paying for parking. The result is these areas intended for quick set-downs are constantly clogged up by people sitting in their cars for half an hour at a time or more. They disrupt the smooth operation of the airport as we then get cars double parked as people who are genuinely dropping off can't find anywhere to stop. The whole road system backs up into jams and then people are late for their planes.

That is why the charges are being introduced - so people will use the short stay car parks for what they are intended, rather than dodging a fee parking where they are a nuisance to everyone else.

It's easy to quickly shout 'robbing bastards', but the fact is they are trying to remedy a problem caused by 'you', the wonderful, selfish, general public.

Mark... as ever, thoughtful and reflective... send some of that my way.. lol

well said mate and well thought out

(now where the hell is Monty.... lol)

B

[MRBLUESKY]

Well said Mark, although I still partially agree with the OP.

If, as you say, and I would like to believe, it is not a money making exercise, I would like to see the company involved give the money to charity (maybe a road safety campaign, or childrens charity).

I hate the inconsiderate people as much as anyone, probably more, and fly quite a lot, but because of these people I always get whoever is kind enough to pick me up or drop me off, to park in the short stay, for which I pay.

I also arrive in plenty of time, ensuring I would not be delayed by such issues if they did arise.

However I know not everyone has my obsessive punctuality problems

Andy

[NotDeadYet]

I thought you'd already paid for use of the airport in your airport tax added on to the price of your ticket? It seems a bit cynical to charge you (potentially) another £3.60 to get in and out.

[Dave Crampton]

Well I was going to say they had just employed Mark Davies, who wants a new TT? so have had to up the prices to pay his wage packet, but he's already been on here.

[machiavelli]

Airports are a public service as well as a business and are an important part of the transport infrastructure. Manchester Airport plc was formed as a result of the abolishion of the Greater Manchester Council in 1986 and the majority shareholder remains the City of Manchester. The remaining shares are owned by the other Greater Manchester authorities. It could therefore behave like a public service if its shareholders wanted it to.

The restrictions on the approach roads and drop off/pick up bays are necessary to keep the place moving, and were in place long before the current security measures. I agree that the bays should be reserved for buses and cars should be required by pick up/drop off in the short stay car park. But if that was the objective, why are they abolishing the free ten minutes you currently get in the short stay? Instead they should keep it, and advertise the fact - those currently misusing the bays may be unaware of it. Imposing charges for drop off/pickup in short stay will only encourage the misuse of other roads and parking space.