TT PSA

Coverage starts tonight with a preview show at 9pm on ITV 4. For the
other progs, click '10 other episodes' on
http://www.itv.com/TVGuide/Search/default.html?intcmp=NAV_TVGUIDE3&tvgPa
geNumber=1&tvgSearchPhrase=TT%202010

 

A colleague popped up earlier on IM to tell me that the first TT race is
on Saturday and will be on ITV4.

I won't repeat what he called me when I said "I know, I'll be on a ferry
to the island on Saturday morning".

 

Premium lounge seating for me.

 

That's the best deal you'll ever get out of the Steam Packet. Wolf the
freebies, try not to step too hard on the sprawling floorproles when
you step out for a wee.

 

"Premium"

Falls off chair laughing.

 

I think they mean in context of price rather than quality.

Though "premium" vs "none" also works in its favour.

 

Likewise. It'd be rude not to.

 

15 quid for a guaranteed seat and not having to sit in the canteen?
Fucking bargain.

 

I'll be sitting in my chair having the obligatory beer on the way over
even though we're sailing at a horribly early hour on Saturday
morning.

It'll be worth it to get to see the Superbikes on Saturday morning.

 

Guess who didn't bother with that as the thought never crossed my mind
at booking time.

I'll be the one outside attempting to sleep on the floor like a tramp.

 

*ding*

 

15 quid each way, even with daytime sailings it seems a no-brainer.

 

Oh well, I'll bet it's full now anyway, at least it's only 3 hours of
roughing it I have to cope with. Not the end of the world.

 

When I went across courtesy of WUN (bless him, his VMax and his little
cotton bandages) he'd done the Premium thing. It was a revelation to
me, and I swore I'd never do the Steam Packet prole class.

On the return trip, I was travelling on somebody else's ticket due to
Chris lobbing it and it was just cattle class - not only that, they'd
had an engine failure(1,2) so they squashed two ferries worth of
passengers onto one ferry.



1. Like that never happens.

2. I'd arrived at midnight for an ostensible 1:30 (or thereabouts)
sailing and we all just sat on the dock, waiting. In the dark, in the
(blessedly light) rain. Another ferry came and went off the other side
of teh dock, and we just watched. Then another ferryload of bikes
arrived and lined up on the other side ... and I spotted Black Mike
lolling against his Gixer.

At about 03:00 a ferry finally showed up and 40 minutes later they
allowed both lots of passengers aboard. We got on fairly early and I
made a shameless dash for the Premium Lounge, to be rebuffed "Not until
we sail". I bagged a couple of the highbacked aircraft-type seats and
waited for Mike to turn up. The scrum was incredible, much pushing and
shoving going on, much bagging of seats and lying across bench seats.

I though there was going to be a proper fight next to me, where a lanky
yoof haid laid across four seats and refused to move for a couple of
solid-looking old boys who wanted to sit down. Yoof saw sense just
before he was dragged off, I reckon.

Mike turned up just as somebody was grumbling about me saving the seat
next to me ... then we found he couldn't fit in the seat anyway, not
without his legs in teh aisle, anyway. I went back to the lounge and
wheedled, and as soon as the boat was under way wheedled agin, as I
could see there was a free table. Eventually folding gear changed
hands and we were admitted. Thankfully.

The boat was so full, there was hardly any carpet visible when I went
out for a smoke. It was horrendously overcrowded.

If you want lounge space, go and wheedle, mate. It works and is a
fucksight more human than travelling on the floor, being stepped on by
Lounge Lizards.

 

Fortunately the pivot pin for my front brake has arrived and been
fitted along with a cable tie as added security because no pin = no
brakes and that isn't something I want as I go hoofing into Windy
Corner faster than I should do.

I suppose I need to get panniers out of the roof then think about
packing.