The soldier and the hotel story

[00dave]

BBC NEWS | Wales | Apology for soldier refusal

I'm guessing theres more to this story than we're being told but I can only think of 2 reasons why this might have happened.

1. Military personel have trashed the hotel previously, as can happen quite often and the hotel don't want a repeat. However damages are usually covered and people punished once the top brass on base find out.

2. The receptionist wasn't a big fan of British soldiers for religious/political reasons and made up this "policy" on the spot.

It is shit how armed forces get treated in this country. I used to love walking around in uniform because I was proud of myself, but the amount of times I got comments like "fancy dress tonight hahaha" from tossers with pathetic jobs pissed me off, and one of my mates got verbally abused by a muslim in Stamford. The only positive attention I got was from a german girl in a service station once.

 

[SilverHood]

Yeah, it's bad. It's Woking though, and they're used to large amounts of chavs. If he'd present his passport though, I'm sure he'd be fine. Personally, I'd take the hotel to court

 

[throdgrain]

Actually I think it was because they have a lot of trouble with squadies getting pissed and that, and didnt realise this one wasnt from the local camp. That at least is how I understand it, much as I'd like to think it was a sand-lovers conspiracy

 

[DaGaffer]

Actually I think it was because they have a lot of trouble with squadies getting pissed and that, and didnt realise this one wasnt from the local camp. That at least is how I understand it, much as I'd like to think it was a sand-lovers conspiracy

That's what I heard on the radio. Even if true though, I'm not a big fan of blanket bans of that type; innocent until proven guilty and all that.

 

[Will]

The local camp is apparently a centre for injured soldiers, who don't get out much. The hotel has said the receptionist got the policy wrong, but I smell a dramatic about turn form the hotel and some covering tactics.

 

[soze]

There are places in the UK were solders are not allowed to leave base in uniform because of abuse. But nothing surprise me in a country where kids start fires to call out the fire brigade just to throw bricks at them.

 

[Sparx]

One thing i would love to have done when i was serving was walk down the street in uniform but we werent allowed due to IRA attacks.

Most fun i had was working in Tower of London and after being on stag going for a walk in full tunic and forage cap. Couldnt walk 5 metres

Love it

 

[Uara]

I live in Warminster, which is one of the last garrison towns in the country (also where REME is based-they've changed their names now) used to have lots of army folk in uniform during the day but thats seem to have died down now. Altho still have Military police outside the late-nite pubs on a friday and saturday night. Only military uniform u'll see during the day now is the black uniform of the tankies!

 

[Raven]

I am not sure where people get the impression that squadies are always out to cause trouble, I used to live about 300 metres from the para's base in Aldershot. when i first moved there and started drinking in the army pubs you would see a big group of them shit faced and think, here we go. Generally though they would not push in at the bar be polite and were good lads.

Its these cunting middle class people that seem to have a problem with them so they make a problem back.

 

[Sparx]

I am not sure where people get the impression that squadies are always out to cause trouble, I used to live about 300 metres from the para's base in Aldershot. when i first moved there and started drinking in the army pubs you would see a big group of them shit faced and think, here we go. Generally though they would not push in at the bar be polite and were good lads.

Its these cunting middle class people that seem to have a problem with them so they make a problem back.

I know we caused our fare share of trouble down Old Kent Road many times

Some would see that as doing a service tbh

 

[nath]

Not that I necessarily agree with their stance but surely they should be allowed to turn away whoever they like?

That news report was total shit, making a big deal out of what appeared to be an isolated incident. Just an excuse for some army-mum to say "I think it's disgraceful that our soldiers can't walk down the street blah blah etc". This sort of shit belongs in the Daily Mail.

 

[DaGaffer]

Not that I necessarily agree with their stance but surely they should be allowed to turn away whoever they like?

Not as a policy. At an individual level they always have the right to refuse to deal with someone, but you can't discriminate against a whole group of people en masse.

 

[Draylor]

This sort of shit belongs in the Daily Mail.

Exactly.

The story claimed he had to sleep in his car after this. Why? Wasnt there another hotel within driving distance?

Most likely the guy was too wasted to drive, which would also explain why the hotel didnt want anything to do with him.

 

[rynnor]

Not as a policy. At an individual level they always have the right to refuse to deal with someone, but you can't discriminate against a whole group of people en masse.

I wonder if they didnt like the look of him and just used this as an excuse?

Oh and while we are talking servicemen read on the beeb this week that 10% of the prison population are ex servicemen.

 

[Draylor]

Reason for that is really simple rynnor: its generally a short career, doesnt generally pay brilliantly, and it doesnt leave them with great prospects for other work.

 

[rynnor]

Reason for that is really simple rynnor: its generally a short career, doesnt generally pay brilliantly, and it doesnt leave them with great prospects for other work.

I guess your right - I could only find figures for serving numbers so no idea what percentage leave each year - only 180,000 servicemen now.

 

[Dudds]

Reason for that is really simple rynnor: its generally a short career, doesnt generally pay brilliantly, and it doesnt leave them with great prospects for other work.

The first two points i can agree with but my cousin earns a pretty good wage now as an electrician because of the training he received in the army so it can't be all bad.

 

[nath]

I hate to pop up with a completely unresearched and possibly contentious point but it strikes me that rather than the army generating filthy crims, it's that filthy crims would be attracted to the army.

 

[Raven]

Not really, though it does attract its fair share of people that if it wasn't for the army would go straight to prison. A lot of people who join the army turn their lives around and leave with a decent trade to live off when they leave. Again its the daily mail crewe making something of nothing. I wonder how many ex-builders or ex-bus drivers are in prison? I think the reason that there are so many ex-army people in prison is because the army don't do enough for people when they do leave, they get so used to the army life style they can't function properly when they leave. Or at least thats what happened with my dad, after 25 years service it was "there is civvie street, have fun, bye" he has pretty much gone proper mental now, not seen him in five years.

 

[Aada]

There are places in the UK were solders are not allowed to leave base in uniform because of abuse. But nothing surprise me in a country where kids start fires to call out the fire brigade just to throw bricks at them.

That is most placed in England mate when i was in the Army you weren't allowed off camp full stop in any Army uniform because if you did and you weren't in a big group well you would be beaten just for it.

Life after the Army is a hard adjustment nothing seems organised how you would like it for starters, public transport late etc etc being late in the Army is a big no no and when you leave anything that has a time table and IS late is horrible

If you are single and in the Army you don't pay much for the accomodation and you get 3 meals a day even if you haven't a penny in your bank at all when you leave all that changes and suddenly those 3 meals a day need to be paid for with money from your bank and it costs a lot more.

 

[00dave]

Although the food is a lot better quality in civie street

I know what you're saying though, when I was going through the clearance proceedure one of the things I needed to do was have an interview with the resettlement advisor. Their job is to make sure you can resettle into civillian life, but I couldn't help feel it was a box ticking exercise to cover their own backs. Lucky for me I had planned everything well in advance and only employment was a problem for me once I was out because I suddenly realised I couldn't stand the job I was qualified to do.

 

[Sparx]

I didnt really have many problems leaving, i was very lucky to have many civvy mates i met out clubbing around London and they helped me fit in quite nicely

 

[Heath]

If you are single and in the Army you don't pay much for the accomodation and you get 3 meals a day even if you haven't a penny in your bank at all when you leave all that changes and suddenly those 3 meals a day need to be paid for with money from your bank and it costs a lot more.

The whole 3 meals a day has changed now. Gone are the guaranteed meals. It is now a PAYD (Pay As You Dine) method. You have to pay for what meals you eat.

So, if you piss all your money up the wall by the 2nd of the month, you are going to go hungry for the following 28 days.

Still, that hotel was out of order to do that to him. And, to the person who said he was probably drunk...read the story. He was injured on tour, and was going to the hospital to see another injured m8.

It is no surprise sometimes to see soldiers getting pissed off with civvies, when the civvies treat us like filth. American soldiers are bloody heroes. We, on the other hand, well, check out the press and decide for yourself. Not many papers get behind us....thank god for the ones that do.

 

[Draylor]

And, to the person who said he was probably drunk...read the story. He was injured on tour, and was going to the hospital to see another injured m8.

Yes, he was back in the UK while he recovered, however theres not many other plausible answers to why he was "forced to sleep in his car" rather than drive to another hotel.

 

[Milkshake]

Maybe he was tired?

 

[TdC]

American soldiers are bloody heroes.

you think? that's only what you get to see mate.

 

[Scouse]

It is no surprise sometimes to see soldiers getting pissed off with civvies, when the civvies treat us like filth. American soldiers are fucking murderers.

There. Fixed.

Seems to me like the debate in this thread is somewhat muffled.

It may look like I'm being harsh but as long as government policy is what it is then those that enforce that policy will always get a pasting.

Not saying it's right, but it's hardly surprising.

 

[Heath]

Heh, i didn't mean that i think the American soldiers are heroes.

I meant that is the reception they get when they get home from zones. Whereas, we get spit on, shouted at or just generally told to bog off.

I do agree with the bit about "It may look like I'm being harsh but as long as government policy is what it is then those that enforce that policy will always get a pasting.

Not saying it's right, but it's hardly surprising. "

That is pretty much it.

Anyway....look after your squaddies. :england:

We need love and affection too ((o:

 

[00dave]

Americans get treated as heroes only if they act patriotically in war ie. shooting anything that moves, waving flags, singing anthems and then making up stories about what they got up to.

I experienced that pay as you dine thing at RAF Leuchars once and the food was terrible. Add that to the terrible JPA system that robs you of your expense claims, ever increasing cost of accomodation (I turned a SLAM block down at one point), below inflation pay rises, increasing tours and tour lengths, increased fitness requirements, and now lack of respect from the general public and it's really not a good time to be serving your country.

 

[Milkshake]

Amen Dave.

Oh, and I agree with Heath. I was in Loveland, Colorado over the summer for work and one of the men in the town died - he was in the 101st Airborne in Afghanistan.

During the procession, THOUSANDS of people lined the streets. Genuinely, the entire town was in mourning. Can you imagine that even coming close to happening in the UK?

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20080520/NEWS/705896835