Motorway "Rip-off" stations...

Mr_Proctalgia

I was told many years ago that one of the rules under which MSA's worked it that they have to accomodate travellers wishing to consume their own food! That is why I have never ever seen one of the usual signs which state something on the lines of "We cannot accommodate persons who wish to eat their own food in this resuarant" Because they have too - even down the supplying the plates and eating irons. Does anyone know anymore about this?

Poppycat

I have heard of that before about able to consume food on the premises but I am not sure if its a fact or a myth. I have to look this one up.

Poppycat

Poor service
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/812932.stm
http://www.which.net/media/pr/aug00/which/services.html

5 minutes away
http://www.5minutesaway.co.uk/

Chuckman

Ah, the joys of having a captive audience. :mad:

Of course they chage exorbitant amounts for the "food" they serve because they know the customer has little say in the matter and very few are unaware of sites such as "5mins away".

It would be interesting to read the reaction of the staff if one of the board members took in their own food and drink.

Poppycat

Good point. I bet they get minimum wage, hoping I am wrong and get more.

Chuckman wrote:

It would be interesting to read the reaction of the staff if one of the board members took in their own food and drink.

surfcat

trisontana wrote:

Don't the supermarkets also have to pay for the land , either as a rent or outright purchase ?. I would have thought the land-prices would be higher in the sort of places supermarkets are built compared to the out-of-the-way locations of service areas.

Yes but (generally) no-one goes to the supermarket to sip coffee out of their own flask and then fall asleep in their car. You go to a supermarket to buy products. Part of the cost of the food is to pay for the building, staff, carparking facilities. And supermarkets will have a much higher profit than service stations.

Most people who go to service stations sit in the car for a bit and visit the loo. Thus anyone who does use the shop or 'restaurant' will have to pay more to provide and maintain clean toilets, food at all hours etc.

sooz

kattybtm wrote:

I Have to leap to the defence of at least one of the service stations - when my hubby and i travel from glasgow south we always stop at the MOTO service stations, although they are probably as expensive as the rest they seem to offer better choice & quality and their facilities for families (We have a 2yr old and an 11mth old) Are superb (always get the free baby food and presterilised bottles and save them for future use). What do others think of MOTO?

have to say I like ---in as much as you can like a large lump of plastic at the side of a larger lump of tarmac---MOTO service stations.

i don't eat there..OH sometimes gets a coffee, but if you have children they have great outside play areas, picnic tables for you to eat your own food, clean loos, family changing rooms/toddler sized loos, free nappies, free wipes, free baby food, free disposable sterilised bottles, bottle warmers, fenced off toddler play areas with cartoons, crayons and paper, balloons, free dog food and water - works for cats too - ask for smaller bowls.

maybe these are just the ones on the way up north, but i've always found them to be a great place to stop with children and animals. also last week on m1 they were offering massage chairs, 5 mins for 1 pound, in aid of a local charity.

maybe if i had to stop there every day and eat i'd feel differently

trisontana

surfcat wrote:

Yes but (generally) no-one goes to the supermarket to sip coffee out of their own flask and then fall asleep in their car. You go to a supermarket to buy products. Part of the cost of the food is to pay for the building, staff, carparking facilities. And supermarkets will have a much higher profit than service stations.

Most people who go to service stations sit in the car for a bit and visit the loo. Thus anyone who does use the shop or 'restaurant' will have to pay more to provide and maintain clean toilets, food at all hours etc.

But if they lowered their prices and offered eatable food then more people would use the restaurants and café's and not jut sit in the car-park eating their own sandwiches.

Squiffy

In defence of Motorway service stations, it is not widely known that they have to pay quite horrendous rental fees to the government for their sites. This partially explains their higher prices. Of course there is no doubt that they are charging a bit extra due to the relative lack of choice, but nobody is forced to eat there.

xtreem_2

No more rip-off prices for us. We've just bought The Great Motorway Secret from https://www.thegreatmotorwaysecret.com . We saved more than the cost of the book the first time we used it. It lists about 100 big superstores which are close to motorways. It showed us a great big Sainsbury's right next to the M4 at Reading which had a big cafe, clean toilets, nice food. The whole store seemed pretty new to us. Much better and cheaper than the MOTO at Reading.

The second time we used it we stopped at a massive Tesco at Solihull just off the M42. Again, bargain price food and petrol and as with Reading it was right next to the motorway. We also managed to pick up some low priced Tesco printer cartridges but that's another story.