Isle of Wight festival

[Jaded]

Anyone stuck in a car?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-18539315

Anyone take a punt on cancellation? The weather doesn't look any better today.

[Pancho]

Taking a car to the IOW? For the festival? Mental.

Both the organisers and attendees are insane to plan this event around mass arrival by car. It's on an island with the world's most expensive car ferries as the only connection. I hadn't realised that so many people took cars - it's not as if festival special buses from the ferry port aren't laid on!

[Zipperhead]

From the beeb -

David Jones, from Plymouth, said he had been stuck in his car for ten hours.

He said: "We have not been offered any food, water or accommodation whatsoever. A complete shambles. I am tired, hungry and in need of a toilet."

Poor little diddums.

[LEE]

From the beeb -


He said: "We have not been offered any food, water or accommodation whatsoever. A complete shambles. I am tired, hungry and in need of a toilet." [/url]

Sounds like Audax

[jogler]

Taking a car to the IOW? For the festival? Mental

+1

even sheep would display more initiative
 

[Jaded]

Dh! Of course it cannot be cancelled it is being broadcast live by Sky.

[mattc]

I suspect if they'd made the arrangements for pedestrians a bit more clear, people would be more confident to leave the car at home. But being realistic, some people just love their cars, and wouldn't contemplate a weekend away without one (in the UK, anyway!).
So personally I'd have tried to do the trip without a car, but if the ferry company has sold you a ticket, it seems reasonable to travel that way. I have a lot of sympathy for people like this:

From the beeb -

David Jones, from Plymouth, said he had been stuck in his car for ten hours.

He said: "We have not been offered any food, water or accommodation whatsoever. A complete shambles. I am tired, hungry and in need of a toilet."

I don't see anyone taking the piss out of people stranded at airports in bad weather. 

[Pancho]

I've just looked at their website. I see what you mean; the first item on the travel page is all about how to get there by car.

Barking. Particularly as it's not a bad place to get to by public transport; trains run into Soton and Pompey from London and all over. The bus service on the IOW is pretty good even without festival shuttles. And then there's all the festival special boat services; rapid RIB transfer direct to the festival from Pompey, Soton and the Bursledon rail station etc.

If the weather wasn't so grim, I'd run you over there myself!

[PaulF]

Just heard on the radio that the organisers are now advising people not to travel by car

[Woofage]

Just heard on the radio that the organisers are now advising people not to travel by car

One is reminded of a proverb involving a horse and a gate...

Saw this on FB:



source

[Deano]

The End of the Road Festival highlights the public transport options (and has a carshare scheme), and I doubt the public transport options in Dorset are as good as those to the IoW:

http://www.endoftheroadfestival.com/information/directions/

Didn't do me any good when I asked for a discount cos I cycled there, mind

[andyoxon]

AFAIA one can use Tesco deals tokens for IofW ferries with car - so this would have been quite popular I'd have thought.  Seems like it's only a 1hr 20 min walk from Fishbourne to Newport, so would definitely beat the traffic on foot.

[Zipperhead]

I don't see anyone taking the piss out of people stranded at airports in bad weather. 

If I set out for some event by car (or bicycle), then until I'm there, the responsibility to care for myself and my family if problems arise is mine.

If I'm travelling by air, then I have an agreement with an airline and have paid for a service, if bad weather hits and I'm at the airport then I have some expectations of them, if it hits on the way to the airport then the responsibility is mine.

If he'd got to the festival, and then because of bad weather was trapped in there and couldn't leave then I would expect the festival organisers to stump up for food and drink (and toilet paper)

[Notsototalnewbie]

Some people take an astonishing amount of Stuffs to festivals, which they then drag from the car park with some difficulty. They often have little carts for the purpose. Or, even more amusingly, wheely suitcases. Hence they ‘need’ their cars.

For our last festival, it was far preferable to get a coach with backpacks; the coaches had access to roads that the cars did not and there was no queuing. There was quite a jovial atmosphere on the coach, too. We had a great time telling this to the people who were complaining about queuing for ages and then having to drag their stuff miles from the car park. Not that we were smug, or anything…

I feel sorry for them about the mud, mind. Camping in that must be miserable.

[Pancho]

Camping is a grim occupation at the best of times. I really wouldn't want to be camping at the IOW festival just now.

Last time I was there, I found that the Island Harbour marina wanted £300 for a berth for the weekend. Looks like a bargain compared to camping - if you manage to get there!

[andyoxon]

Camping is a grim occupation at the best of times. I really wouldn't want to be camping at the IOW festival just now.

Last time I was there, I found that the Island Harbour marina wanted £300 for a berth for the weekend. Looks like a bargain compared to camping - if you manage to get there!

With the bonus of having your own on-yacht pool/lounge/bar?