Motorway Services

[TW]Fox;14987107 said:
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We've already had one person in this thread who says he'll do regular 5-6 hour trips WITHOUT A BREAK because he hates getting ripped off at MSA's.
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I think that it is just possible that he was joking; 380 miles in six hours really would be quite an achievement ;)

I always carry a couple of cans of Red Bull in the car, Red Bull does wonders on a two hour, 200 mile drive :D
 
Lum said:
1. Or by business travellers (who may or may not be able to claim it back on expenses)

2. Or by people on a tight timescale.

3. Oh and don't forget that other scam that services run, free meals for coach drivers, to make the coach driver stop there and dump 40 or 50 people into a service station for half an hour, all of whom have to pay and have no say in where they stop.
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1. Prepare, take lunch with you

2. Prepare, take lunch with you

3. Prepare, take lunch with you

All you have done is list a load of different types of people who failed to plan!
 
rypt said:
Isn't all this paid for by tax payers money for the MSA?
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No, some of the motorway services used to be government owned but a large portion of it was sold off and the majority of them are privately owned.

Wiki said:
Pricing and regulations
Food sold at motorway services is notoriously expensive. This is often attributed to the fact that many regulations apply to the areas, which would not be viable to run while charging cheaper prices. Another factor may be that, unlike in other countries, the companies must pay the full cost of constructing the entry and exit slip roads and all other required features for safe access to motorway services, as well as the motorway services facility itself. In other countries, the authority responsible for the highway tends to subsidise these costs on the grounds that these areas are partly a public service to drivers. The leases provide that motorway services must operate 24 hours a day, and the costs of providing utilities and services are high. With very few customers in the early morning, they need to earn the money in other ways.

Under the terms of the lease, motorway services must provide free short-term parking, toilet facilities and adequate provision for the sale of food and fuel 24 hours a day.

Services are prohibited from selling alcohol as this might encourage drink driving.[citation needed] However many now have video game areas and gambling areas with fruit machines and other electronic devices.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorway_service_area
 
Dr Who said:
1. Prepare, take lunch with you

2. Prepare, take lunch with you

3. Prepare, take lunch with you

All you have done is list a load of different types of people who failed to plan!
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1) Business travellers can often be on the road for weeks at a time. There is a limit to the practicality of packed lunches you know.

2) If you're on a tight timescale then the extra time needed to gather the ingredients for a packed lunch and then make it and wrap it can easily push you over. I did forget to mention the short notice aspect that comes with a tight timescale (or alternatively, like in the case of my job where you have X amount of sites to visit and fix crap by the end of the week or you'll have customers screaming and moaning)

3) What about the return journey the following day/week/whatever.
 
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To be fair I won't sacrifice on eating or drinking over a long journey just to save a few quid or prove a point, but there's no denying it's a bit of a rip :p
 
In all fairness M&S as services and train stations are fairly priced in that they are the same price as the high street.

Sandwich and a drink for less than a fiver.
 
Lum said:
1) Business travellers can often be on the road for weeks at a time. There is a limit to the practicality of packed lunches you know.

2) If you're on a tight timescale then the extra time needed to gather the ingredients for a packed lunch and then make it and wrap it can easily push you over. I did forget to mention the short notice aspect that comes with a tight timescale (or alternatively, like in the case of my job where you have X amount of sites to visit and fix crap by the end of the week or you'll have customers screaming and moaning)

3) What about the return journey the following day/week/whatever.
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1. they dont spend all that time on the m'way, there is plenty of time to get lunch elsewhere IF they are not too stupid to only realise once their stomach complains.

2. You are still talking about someone failing to prepare, what about the night before? You are just making excuses for peoples stupidity, they deserve to pay higher prices.

3. So, where have they travelled from? there is no supermarket or other food outlet cheaper than m'way services there?

All you are doing is proving my point, it's like when people are late for an appointment they blame traffic, trains whatever, but simple fact is, had they left early enough, got out of bed early enough to allow contingency time, they would not be late.
 
Dr Who said:
1. they dont spend all that time on the m'way, there is plenty of time to get lunch elsewhere IF they are not too stupid to only realise once their stomach complains.

2. You are still talking about someone failing to prepare, what about the night before? You are just making excuses for peoples stupidity, they deserve to pay higher prices.

3. So, where have they travelled from? there is no supermarket or other food outlet cheaper than m'way services there?

All you are doing is proving my point, it's like when people are late for an appointment they blame traffic, trains whatever, but simple fact is, had they left early enough, got out of bed early enough to allow contingency time, they would not be late.
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It almost sounds like you are defending the stupid prices? Would it not be fair to expect a vital service like a service station to have reasonable prices so people don't have to spend £10 on a crap coffee and a stale tuna roll?
 
What if I don't want to pack my own lunch, why should I be ripped off by service stations compared to the same outlets elsewhere?
 
rypt said:
They are located there because they are trying to attract my custom, while I travel on the MWay - it is NOT a prime location otherwise really.
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There seems to the a logic failure somewhere here. The fact that it's on the motorway junction makes it a prime location.
 
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