Easy Surcharges

[norrahe]

Stayed in a Best Western near JFK the night before I flew home. Bed had plastic sheets and the reception desk had bullet proof glass.

Scary place

[LondonManc]

Stayed in a Best Western near JFK the night before I flew home. Bed had plastic sheets and the reception desk had bullet proof glass.

Scary place

[seanraaron]

Stayed in a Best Western near JFK the night before I flew home. Bed had plastic sheets and the reception desk had bullet proof glass.

Scary place

I had a job in Manchester (Sale, actually) and booked my own hotel; sadly without having researched the area and ended up just over the bridge from town centre at a French hotel chain.

Several things tipped me off that I was in a sketchy area: a giant chain link fence which separates the hotel from the main road which you'd think would mean there's a driving range in the car park. Barriers down the centre of the road running past the hotel. An electronic gate to enter the hotel car park and lastly, something I've never seen in the worst neighbourhoods in an American city: the car park at the MacDonalds/bingo hall across the street had a two-stage barrier that rose out of the pavement to surround your car before you reached the exit gate. I think I was in Salford, if I remember correctly.

[Troll]

Stayed in a Best Western near JFK the night before I flew home. Bed had plastic sheets

You sure Suity hadn't been staying there?

[LondonManc]

I had a job in Manchester (Sale, actually) and booked my own hotel; sadly without having researched the area and ended up just over the bridge from town centre at a French hotel chain.

Several things tipped me off that I was in a sketchy area: a giant chain link fence which separates the hotel from the main road which you'd think would mean there's a driving range in the car park. Barriers down the centre of the road running past the hotel. An electronic gate to enter the hotel car park and lastly, something I've never seen in the worst neighbourhoods in an American city: the car park at the MacDonalds/bingo hall across the street had a two-stage barrier that rose out of the pavement to surround your car before you reached the exit gate. I think I was in Salford, if I remember correctly.

Sounds like the Campanile on Ordsall Lane. Ordsall is the roughest estate in Salford, where a lot of the local faces grew up, including the late Paul Massey. The Campanile is just over the road from it.

The barriers across the road aren't an issue. They are there because it's one of the main roads in and out of Manchester, linking the city centre with the M602; it de-risks one side stopping flowing because of an accident on the other side.

The rest of it is standard stuff for a hotel that near to a rough part of town. Stick to the main roads and you're generally fine.

[seanraaron]

Sounds like the Campanile on Ordsall Lane. Ordsall is the roughest estate in Salford, where a lot of the local faces grew up, including the late Paul Massey. The Campanile is just over the road from it.

The barriers across the road aren't an issue. They are there because it's one of the main roads in and out of Manchester, linking the city centre with the M602; it de-risks one side stopping flowing because of an accident on the other side.

The rest of it is standard stuff for a hotel that near to a rough part of town. Stick to the main roads and you're generally fine.

That was it! Are you saying cars would make u-turns over the divide otherwise? I had thought it was rampant jaywalkers.

Subsequently I stayed at a self-catered flat in The Atrium which was fab: not far from the train station and next to Chinatown. I haven't been to Manchester in years; should probably do so again now that the tram line is finished (I hope).

[LondonManc]

That was it! Are you saying cars would make u-turns over the divide otherwise? I had thought it was rampant jaywalkers.

Subsequently I stayed at a self-catered flat in The Atrium which was fab: not far from the train station and next to Chinatown. I haven't been to Manchester in years; should probably do so again now that the tram line is finished (I hope).

There are certain places where barriers are used to prevent u-turns and also right-turns across traffic. For example( new KFC up the road from Manchester was opened recently; part of the stipulation for their approval was a barrier across the road to prevent access to and from the southbound side of the road to maintain traffic flow.

The Metrolink project is on-going. New lines proposed, a second city centre crossing being built right now and so on. It's okay; the trains are often overcrowded/full and not frequent enough to be a viable alternative to driving to work. Another problem is that public transport is more expensive in Manchester than London; I'm paying £3.40 for a return journey in London that I'd pay over £5 for in Manchester.

[seanraaron]

There are certain places where barriers are used to prevent u-turns and also right-turns across traffic. For example( new KFC up the road from Manchester was opened recently; part of the stipulation for their approval was a barrier across the road to prevent access to and from the southbound side of the road to maintain traffic flow.

The Metrolink project is on-going. New lines proposed, a second city centre crossing being built right now and so on. It's okay; the trains are often overcrowded/full and not frequent enough to be a viable alternative to driving to work. Another problem is that public transport is more expensive in Manchester than London; I'm paying £3.40 for a return journey in London that I'd pay over £5 for in Manchester.

Wow and here's me feeling hard done by because the Glasgow underground went from £1 for a single to £1.40 in the last decade...