# Hull - Rotterdam - Breathalyser



## thegamwellsmythes (Jul 29, 2008)

We recently took the Hull to Rotterdam ferry.

When we got off the ferry at Rotterdam the local Dutch police were breathalysing every driver or motorbike rider at passport control.

As this was quite early it may have caught a few people out as many of us (including me) like a drink on the ferry.

We were OK but I haven't seen this before.

Just a bit of a heads up warning really.


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## crusader (Jul 5, 2012)

this has happened to ME ( not a friend of a friend or someone told me :lol: ) it was back in 1996 on our way to a car rally in ypress ( may not be the correct spelling ) i was driving the support van with trailor , luckily i was a bit ruff from the night before the night we sailed so was the designated driver  , jim


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*wonder*

THANKS.

I wonder what the outcome is if you are over the limit?.

As I assume you are still under the port control, not the Dutch Highway.

I have heard the Dutch Police do have these checks from time-to-time. They were not there when we travelled this May.

TM


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## thegamwellsmythes (Jul 29, 2008)

I'm not sure as it was still inside the port.

They may have just told people to pull over and wait.

I don't remember seeing anyone stopped so I couldn't really comment any further on how they deal with it.

It could wreck a holiday though.


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Remember that the signs throughout the Port of Dover state that full traffic laws apply.

Probably similar in furrin ports too.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

When you see the number of people who seem to spend the whole crossing in the bar - why not?

You should see the drinking on ferries across the Baltic on Friday and Saturday nights.

On Fridays the Swedes sail to Finland and get blotto whilst the Finns sail the other way. They sleep it off in a cabin on Saturday and then each start again on the return journey. Given the difference in price between on board "duty free" and the state controlled "Alco" shops you can see why.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Slightly off tack.
A very long time ago when I was trucking, I arrived by ferry to Caen and got fined even before I had gone through the custom control at the port. The reason was it was only my third trip and I had not completed the journey permit correctly. A genuine mistake through inexperience and it cost me 900 Franks 
 
No excuses at all!
Incidentally, I have been breathalysed, while driving my truck at a spot check at the LeMans peage.


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## camallison (Jul 15, 2009)

When I lived in Germany in the 80s, I used the Rotterdam to Hull ferry to get to the UK for a Christmas break with the family. I was driving a German registered car and was stopped just as we exited the docks by a policeman wanting to breathalyse me. When he heard my accent (ie, not German), he just waived me on and wished me a good journey!

Colin


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

camallison said:


> When I lived in Germany in the 80s, I used the Rotterdam to Hull ferry to get to the UK for a Christmas break with the family. I was driving a German registered car and was stopped just as we exited the docks by a policeman wanting to breathalyse me. When he heard my accent (ie, not German), he just waived me on and wished me a good journey!
> Colin


And you didn't even have to mention the war Colin! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

I personally feel that this should be the norm at EVERY ferry port. I have little doubt that there would be a fair few who would fail a test, even on the Calais-Dover crossing.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Mrplodd said:


> I personally feel that this should be the norm at EVERY ferry port. I have little doubt that there would be a fair few who would fail a test, even on the Calais-Dover crossing.


Agreed 100% Mr Plodd.

On occasions we have observed the hugely excessive amount of alcohol consumed by many passengers during a crossing . . . and some of those were obviously drivers! We have sometimes pulled in as soon as we could after disembarkation to let the obvious pi$$-artists get well out of the way. 8O

The first few miles either abroad or returning home can be a bit dodgy anyway, with some "first time abroad" drivers feeling very hesitant and under-confident. Add in a few drunk drivers and I would rather wait five minutes and have a clear road.

Dave


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Mrplodd said:


> I personally feel that this should be the norm at EVERY ferry port. I have little doubt that there would be a fair few who would fail a test, even on the Calais-Dover crossing.


Same as every foreign truck should be checked for missing beam deflectors and DVD playing laptops on the dash. :roll:


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Stanner said:


> Same as every foreign truck should be checked for missing beam deflectors and DVD playing laptops on the dash. :roll:


Certainly the latter, and the plate of food held under a thumb on the steering wheel. We have actually seen that - and the driver was eating with a fork in the other hand!! 8O 8O

Beam deflectors? - I think foreign vehicles dip vertically so dazzling would not be a problem if that's correct.

Dave


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Zebedee said:


> Beam deflectors? - I think foreign vehicles dip vertically so dazzling would not be a problem if that's correct.
> 
> Dave


*IF* that is the case how come when driving back up the M20 I can always predict which truck is going to dazzle me in my mirrors as I pass it, from the number plate on the trailer?

I think it's an urban myth - it certainly ain't 100% true.

Either that or 90% of foreign trucks have wrongly adjusted headlights.

PS
If there are such wonder lights available and they are legal on either side of the road why aren't ALL vehicles fitted with them?


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## goldi (Feb 4, 2009)

Stanner said:


> Mrplodd said:
> 
> 
> > I personally feel that this should be the norm at EVERY ferry port. I have little doubt that there would be a fair few who would fail a test, even on the Calais-Dover crossing.
> ...


 And spray suppression, and the correct size under run protection.

norm


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

goldi said:


> Stanner said:
> 
> 
> > Mrplodd said:
> ...


How about just being legal? :roll:


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Stanner said:


> How about just being legal? :roll:


Spoilsport!! :roll:


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## goldi (Feb 4, 2009)

Afternoon all,

We too have ben on the Hull -Rotterdam ferry, it must have been late eighties or early nineties, it took over 1.5 hours to unload.



norm


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

Stanner just because the rear no plate says one thing, the one for the unit could say its from another country

joe


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

English friends were stopped as they drove home from a long Sunday lunch near their home in France.

M. flic junior was insisting on breathalysing while Madame was refusing, causing M junior flic to get quite irate. For the sake of peace, Madame breathed into the device, which showed a hectic over the limit result, much to M Flic Jnr's excitement. 

In the meantime Monsieur and M Flic Senior were wetting themselves with laughter. 

The embarrassment of the young man had to be seen to be believed when his superior asked him to point out the steering wheel.

Luckily for Monsieur they didn't stop to breathalyse him.


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## Topefisher (Apr 20, 2011)

We were all breathalised as a group of 16 motorcycles at Rotterdam 4 weeks ago on our way down to Rome. They did all bikes and random cars.

All our riders were clear.

About 3 years ago we had the same ferry trip where one biker failed. The way it worked at the time was as follows:

The guy was given the opportunity of his agreed timescale for a retest.
At the time he elected for a 3 hour wait.
After that time he was then retested, passed and was allowed to proceed.

He was told that if after the the 3 hours he still failed he would have been heavily fined and returned on the ferry without being allowed off the site, then deemed "privately owned land",

Think it still works like this but but don,t know of any more recent incidents where it's been tested


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

And I still cannot get my RHD MH registered in Poland because it is not 'safe', so presumably it is not legal, so not a vehicle.

Maybe if I am drunk they will recognise it a a legal vehicle  

Geoff


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

joedenise said:


> Stanner just because the rear no plate says one thing, the one for the unit could say its from another country
> 
> joe


For that to be the case both will be foreign and from countries that have separate registration for trailers.

A UK tractor unit should have the same number on the rear of the trailer - we do not have separate registration of trailers.


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## duxdeluxe (Sep 2, 2007)

I've been breathalysed a couple of times getting off the Harwich Hook ferry in Rotterdam - a team of them were checking everyone; including (I hope) the Dutch truckers who were noisily propping up the bar all night.........


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

About 4 years ago we left a site in Holland to go to the bulb fields, at about 7am. First roundabout we were stopped behind another car by the police. The driver of the car in front was breathalysed, as was I. The car driver was marched away, so I guess he failed.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

goldi said:


> Afternoon all,
> 
> We too have ben on the Hull -Rotterdam ferry, it must have been late eighties or early nineties, it took over 1.5 hours to unload.
> 
> norm


Blimey, How drunk were you all?

On a serious note. Many of us like a drink, especially when on holiday(s).

But it is wise to beware of how much you drink, in particular if you are not eating correctly too. Coupled with the fact that many of the Ferries dock early on the Continent.

Harwich-Hook of Holland from around 6:30-7:45 am
Hull-Rotterdam 8:15 to 9am

We can all make jokes about it.

But, in reality, it just ain't funny.

TM


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## Topefisher (Apr 20, 2011)

As the permissible levels have crept down to practically zero tolerance I believe the old saying:

8 hours bottle to throttle

Has now been revised to

12 hours bottle to throttle

Which would mean on Hull - Rotterdam only an early pre-sailing drink.
Have a look on board and see how many are late drinking.

Some maybe foot passengers but a lot are not.

Can be very risky, not worth it.


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