Harecastle Tunnel

[Arthur Marshall]

50 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Just email them.  They got back to me in about half an hour.  Job done.

 

The op could have just done this rather than moaning on here.

Thank you for your courteous and helpful reply, it's appreciated in the spirit it was made.

Not everyone on boats has email,which was my point. I never have had before this trip, and I expect a phone number, if given, to actually perform the advertised service instead of, basically, just telling me to bugger off. Nicely and apologetically, but still useless.

See? 

[Rob-M]

8 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I did. Luckily, for the first time ever , I have email on the boat. I asked why they had given a useless phone line, and apparently if you ring it, select option 4, then select option 2, you get the nice lady who is meant to pass your phone number on to the people who do the booking and they will phone you back, assuming you still have a signal. Only she obviously didn't know that, and so nor did I. And nor would anyone else who rang!

Why the hell they can't give you the phone number of the people who phone you back, I dunno.

I still don't really know how you social distance in the tunnel, but as you've got a megafan blowing everything off the boat in front straight down your throat, they may have a point and I may even wear a (almost certainly useless) mask.

Did you still need to book even though the tunnel has returned to normal operating hours?

 

[Arthur Marshall]

34 minutes ago, Rassiloth said:

I suspect the best idea is to give them an approximate area (Middlewich is North West if that helps).

 

Once it gets to the C&RT Support Teams they will apparantly pass it to the correct one of its not right.

 

No they don't. I assumed Harecastle was in the NW and got told to ring off and ring East Midlands. That after listening to a five minute guff about their website (which they repeated) before giving you a list of options.

Anyway, small beer in the state of things, all sorted, it's not raining and the view's nice.

[Rassiloth]

8 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

No they don't. I assumed Harecastle was in the NW and got told to ring off and ring East Midlands. That after listening to a five minute guff about their website (which they repeated) before giving you a list of options.

Anyway, small beer in the state of things, all sorted, it's not raining and the view's nice.

 

Unfortunately, it seems you need to get through to the regional support team to get any sense.

 

My own experience is with the North West team who have always either helped or passed the call directly to the correct area team.

 

[Rassiloth]

15 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Did you still need to book even though the tunnel has returned to normal operating hours?

 

Just had a quick look. website says you still need to book, although it is open seven days a week now.

 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Did you not book passage by email as requested ?

 

28 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I did. Luckily, for the first time ever

 

Not that it matters, but I was replying to Jen's post where she was refused entry whilst carrying a fishing rod and pedalling a bike.

[Arthur Marshall]

17 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Did you still need to book even though the tunnel has returned to normal operating hours?

 

Yes. The web message is ambiguous, first saying it's back to 7 day working, 8 to 2pm, then comes the previous bit about pre July 8 hours, then the statement you need to book. It looks at first sight as though booking only applies to the second sentence, which is why I phoned them. Would have helped if they'd got someone to update the web page. Again, I know they are probably busy and short staffed, but the first I knew about having to book at all was a notice on a service station on the Staffs&Worcs.

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Not that it matters, but I was replying to Jen's post where she was refused entry whilst carrying a fishing rod and pedalling a bike.

Ah. Someone else asked me the same thing, so I just picked yours to reply to! Sorry...

[doratheexplorer]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Thank you for your courteous and helpful reply, it's appreciated in the spirit it was made.

Not everyone on boats has email,which was my point. I never have had before this trip, and I expect a phone number, if given, to actually perform the advertised service instead of, basically, just telling me to bugger off. Nicely and apologetically, but still useless.

See? 

I sympathise with the situation for others, but you clearly have access to email, otherwise you wouldn't be on here!

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I sympathise with the situation for others, but you clearly have access to email, otherwise you wouldn't be on here!

I think its pretty clear what the OP meant.

 

He was pointing out that the proposed solution of emailing would not be a viable proposition for people who dont have access to it. Some don't, some of course do but (particularly if you are on a boat) your available phone signal may prevent acess.

 

He never actually claimed it was a problem for him personally.

[magpie patrick]

19 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I sympathise with the situation for others, but you clearly have access to email, otherwise you wouldn't be on here!

 

7 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

I think its pretty clear what the OP meant.

 

He was pointing out that the proposed solution of emailing would not be a viable proposition for people who dont have access to it. Some don't, some of course do but (particularly if you are on a boat) your available phone signal may prevent acess.

 

He never actually claimed it was a problem for him personally.

I think Arthur was also pointing out that phone booking was offered, and this service didn't, in reality, work

 

I'd be a bit cheesed off using an advertised service that didn't exist, even if another one was available! 

[Arthur Marshall]

17 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

 

I think Arthur was also pointing out that phone booking was offered, and this service didn't, in reality, work

 

I'd be a bit cheesed off using an advertised service that didn't exist, even if another one was available! 

Precisely.

[ditchcrawler]

Could this be the start of things to come, All Anderton lift passages pre booked at £5 all trips through Harecastle tunnel pre booked, all trips to Liverpool pre booked, all passages down the Mont pre booked. I am sure there are more

[George and Dragon]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Could this be the start of things to come, All Anderton lift passages pre booked at £5 all trips through Harecastle tunnel pre booked, all trips to Liverpool pre booked, all passages down the Mont pre booked. I am sure there are more

I think you're right. You can't turn up to A&E in Cardiff unless you are literally dying; phone to make a booking. Understandable but a very different way of doing things

[Rassiloth]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Could this be the start of things to come, All Anderton lift passages pre booked at £5 all trips through Harecastle tunnel pre booked, all trips to Liverpool pre booked, all passages down the Mont pre booked. I am sure there are more

There is nobody in the booking office at Anderton at the moment, as they're all remotely working.

 

I'm assumoing the issue at the moment is that its a bit hard to do a 'next available slot' when there is nobody there to put you into the booking system.

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Could this be the start of things to come, All Anderton lift passages pre booked at £5 all trips through Harecastle tunnel pre booked, all trips to Liverpool pre booked, all passages down the Mont pre booked. I am sure there are more

The Tinsley flight to Sheffield needs booking a day ahead. It is on most boaters bucket list, well in front of the Ponty, Llangollen, Anderton, Central London Thames etc.

[Mac of Cygnet]

20 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The Tinsley flight to Sheffield needs booking a day ahead. It is on most boaters bucket list, well in front of the Ponty, Llangollen, Anderton, Central London Thames etc.

 

I think you are making assumptions there,  I've been to all those places, but not the Tinsley flight, and have absolutely no wish to do so.   

[Alway Swilby]

2 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

I think its pretty clear what the OP meant.

 

He was pointing out that the proposed solution of emailing would not be a viable proposition for people who dont have access to it. Some don't, some of course do but (particularly if you are on a boat) your available phone signal may prevent acess.

 

He never actually claimed it was a problem for him personally.

If the phone signal pevents email access it would also prevent you from making a phone call.

[Alway Swilby]

4 hours ago, Midnight said:

You could give them one of those 'What three words' - you know something like "clueless" "uneducated" "tosser"

Doesn't exist. however clueless.uneducated.tower is in Myanmar.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 hour ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

I think you are making assumptions there,  I've been to all those places, but not the Tinsley flight, and have absolutely no wish to do so.   

 So my theory that CaRT only put booking systems on the most popular and picturesque parts of the system may not be entirely correct then. ?

[cuthound]

6 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

I tried to cycle through Harecastle tunnel with a fishing rod, but they wouldn't let me. Effing CaRT. Only interested in catering to boaters. ?

 

I'm not surprised they wouldnt let you enter.

 

There isn't much room for cycling on the stern deck of your boat! ???

[Tracy D'arth]

22 minutes ago, Alway Swilby said:

Doesn't exist. however clueless.uneducated.tower is in Myanmar.

I've been near there!  Never saw a tower, perhaps its because I am uneducated and clueless why I went in the first place!

TD'

[Guest]

38 minutes ago, Alway Swilby said:

If the phone signal pevents email access it would also prevent you from making a phone call.

Well that is open to debate. Many a time I've been able to make a call but not get a good/fast enough signal for internet.

[nbfiresprite]

2 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

I'm not surprised they wouldnt let you enter.

 

There isn't much room for cycling on the stern deck of your boat! ???

He be demanding that the old tunnel towpath is reinstated next.

[Arthur Marshall]

2 hours ago, Alway Swilby said:

If the phone signal pevents email access it would also prevent you from making a phone call.

No, my phone makes phone calls. It doesn't do email  because it's a phone. It may be 10 years old but it works fine, does maps and texts, but not internet stuff. It doesn't actually predate the web, but it's too obsolete to use it any more. I've only just bothered to get a net enabled tablet as what I like about spending half the year boating is that I can get away from all that.

I suspect I'm not the only Luddite on the system.

[Mac of Cygnet]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

No, my phone makes phone calls. It doesn't do email  because it's a phone. It may be 10 years old but it works fine, does maps and texts, but not internet stuff. It doesn't actually predate the web, but it's too obsolete to use it any more. I've only just bothered to get a net enabled tablet as what I like about spending half the year boating is that I can get away from all that.

I suspect I'm not the only Luddite on the system.

 

I suspect that one of our mods may easily out-Luddite you!