condor ferries: let’s all breathe thick exhaust fumes

Today is sunny, so it’s hot in people’s cars.

Checkin, for the voyage Condor yesterday brought forward by two hours, was supposed to have closed 20 minutes ago, but there is a big vehicle queue for checkin, and I'm still in it.

What’s the best way for everyone to deal with this?

(a) switch engines off when stationary; get out of vehicle and wait; or

(b) everyone run their engines, most of them diesel, including the motor home guys, so that they can breathe nice air-conditioned air thick with exhaust fumes

In some ways it’s a typical tragedy-of-the-commons situation, but with immediate, and obvious consequences.  You can feel how unhealthy it is when you breathe it in.  And it has an obvious and easy solution. Humans, eh.

Then I spotted two cyclists. In the same lane as the motor vehicles with all their engines running. I spoke to them, and found out they had come from Poole. Going to St Malo. Not stopping off to see Guernsey, just had to disembark to change boat. I said people should not run their engines. They said yes, they are not enjoying this, at all. They said there should be a separate queue for cyclists, not in with the cars anyway.  They are right.

How is this not negligence on the part of Condor, including negligence by the directors of Condor? Have any of them used their own service?

A member of Condor staff said it’s the responsibility of Ports until checkin, then it’s Condor. Maybe. 

The staff member then asked what boat I was on.  What, there's more than one boat lining up?

At one point, then, I was told I wouldn't be allowed on my boat, and I must have got there after the last time for checkin, 1 hour before departure.  So at least one hour of breathing the traffic fumes is mandatory.

In the end they let me catch it, just.  At least I was first off.

Can someone who cares about clean air get Ports and Condor together and talk about this?  Does Guernsey have any rule to switch engines off when stationary in general, like, say, Switzerland?

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