On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 10:53:11 +0100, Rob wrote:
Does anyone know what a British eurostar driver does on a shift? Do they
british ones go all over the eurostar network? Pick up at Waterloo and then
to Paris, then a spot of lunch under the effiel tower. then waterloo and
back to asford?

Also do they need a passport??

A national ID card will do. Or doesn't that exist in the UK?

Regards,

Rian

--
Rian van der Borgt, Leuven, Belgium.
e-mail: www: http://www.xs4all.be/~rvdborgt/
Fix Outlook Express: http://flash.to/oe-quotefix/
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Rian van der Borgt wrote:

A national ID card will do. Or doesn't that exist in the UK?

No, it doesn't.

In article , Rian van der Borgt
writes
A national ID card will do. Or doesn't that exist in the UK?

Not yet, although there are attempts in the pipeline to make people
think it would be acceptable. We remember the War, and "papers please"
and don't want to go back to that.
--
"It used to be that what a writer did was type a bit and then stare out of the
window a bit, type a bit, stare out of the window a bit. Networked computers
make these two activities converge, because now the thing you type on and the
window you stare out of are the same thing" - Douglas Adams 28/1/99.

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 15:13:34 -0400, Roland Perry wrote:
In article , Rian van der Borgt
writes
A national ID card will do. Or doesn't that exist in the UK?

Not yet, although there are attempts in the pipeline to make people
think it would be acceptable. We remember the War, and "papers please"
and don't want to go back to that.

The existence of a national ID card doesn't necessarily mean that it
would be obligatory to carry one or even to posess one.
You could see it as a cheap passport for travelling within the EU.

Regards,

Rian

--
Rian van der Borgt, Leuven, Belgium.
e-mail: www: http://www.xs4all.be/~rvdborgt/
Fix Outlook Express: http://flash.to/oe-quotefix/
Fix Outlook: http://flash.to/outlook-quotefix/

In article , Rian van der Borgt
writes
The existence of a national ID card doesn't necessarily mean that it
would be obligatory to carry one or even to posess one.

Indeed. The previous government said they'd make the Driving Licence
into a "voluntary ID Card". After all, it's not compulsory for people to
be able to drive cars.

The current scheme would make it voluntary for anyone who wanted state
benefits, including all healthcare. And maybe if you wanted to be
employed. So remove the employed, and those claiming unemployment
benefit, and who do you have left?

As for not having to carry it, every analysis of ID cards post-9/11
suggests that for them to have the effect that is "advertised" they need
to "leave a trail wherever the suspect goes". Which means it has to be
compulsory to carry it, and there need to be plenty of triggers
requiring the holder to present it.

To get back onto topic for uk.transport.london, the Oyster Card fulfils
many of these obligations, because it records everywhere you've been.

You could see it as a cheap passport for travelling within the EU.

The proposed cost to citizens isn't much less than a passport.
--
"It used to be that what a writer did was type a bit and then stare out of the
window a bit, type a bit, stare out of the window a bit. Networked computers
make these two activities converge, because now the thing you type on and the
window you stare out of are the same thing" - Douglas Adams 28/1/99.

(Rian van der Borgt) wrote:

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 15:13:34 -0400, Roland Perry wrote:
In article , Rian van der Borgt
writes
A national ID card will do. Or doesn't that exist in the UK?

Not yet, although there are attempts in the pipeline to make people
think it would be acceptable. We remember the War, and "papers please"
and don't want to go back to that.

The existence of a national ID card doesn't necessarily mean that it
would be obligatory to carry one or even to posess one.
You could see it as a cheap passport for travelling within the EU.

With our goverment, the one thing it certainly won't be is cheap.

--
James Farrar |
London SE 13 |

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 15:49:19 -0400, Roland Perry wrote:
To get back onto topic for uk.transport.london, the Oyster Card fulfils
many of these obligations, because it records everywhere you've been.

No more so than the mobile phone most people carry already.

David

In message
(Rian van der Borgt) wrote:

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 10:53:11 +0100, Rob wrote:
Does anyone know what a British eurostar driver does on a shift? Do they
british ones go all over the eurostar network? Pick up at Waterloo and
then to Paris, then a spot of lunch under the effiel tower. then waterloo
and back to asford?

Also do they need a passport??

A national ID card will do. Or doesn't that exist in the UK?


No it doesn't, that is one of the problems we have with the Schengen
agreement. Unfortunately we have a history of the misuse of such things by
authority so there is not much chance of them being introduced. However a
long line of fascist Home secretaries of both parties have been all in favour
of them for all the wrong reasons.

--
Graeme Wall
This address is not read, substitute trains for rail.
Transport Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html

Roland Perry wrote:

Not yet, although there are attempts in the pipeline to make people
think it would be acceptable. We remember the War, and "papers please"
and don't want to go back to that.

That's an increasingly small part of the population. For myself, I'd
welcome one, both for domestic and EU travel. I don't have a driving
license, and having to carry the passport around for UK air travel is
annoying- a credit card sized ID card in the wallet would be better- all
the better for EU travel too. Providing it wasn't obligatory to carry it
around, or to actually _have_ one (just like you do't have to have a
passport)- I don't think most sane people would be bothered.

David

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.co.uk
davidhorne (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 10:29:19 +0100 David Horne wrote:
} Roland Perry wrote:
}
} Not yet, although there are attempts in the pipeline to make people
} think it would be acceptable. We remember the War, and "papers please"
} and don't want to go back to that.
}
} That's an increasingly small part of the population. For myself, I'd
} welcome one, both for domestic and EU travel. I don't have a driving
} license, and having to carry the passport around for UK air travel is
} annoying- a credit card sized ID card in the wallet would be better- all
} the better for EU travel too. Providing it wasn't obligatory to carry it
} around, or to actually _have_ one (just like you do't have to have a
} passport)- I don't think most sane people would be bothered.

Even when such things are "not obligatory" there might well be a creep
of things you "need" it for that effectively make it so.

In France one isn't obliged to carry ID but so many things get akward -
especially with the police and driving matters - if you don't that most
will habitually carry their identity card wherever they go.

Matthew
--
Záhid sharáb píné dé, masjid mein baith kar
ya woh jagah batá dé jahán Khudá na ho.
http://www.calmeilles.co.uk/