h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

And I have discovered something very interesting about car ferries.

When you arrive at the dock and the bloke in the yellow jacket sends you to lane 7 or 3 or whatever they are setting up lines of similarly sized vehicles.

The first to board are the big lorries - this may be because lorry drivers are tough and scare the bloke in the yellow jacket. This is so the lorry driver can fart in the restaurant and make a mess of the loos before you get on board.

The next to board are the caravans and posh boats on trailers (and sad camping folk with trailers) - in fact and vehicle which is towing something. This is so these hippies can put ruck sacks in all the gangways and trip you up on your way to the bar and generally take up space before you get comfortable.

Then the big people carriers with 8 kids and bike racks and boots loaded so there is no room for duty free. This is so the kids can puke everywhere before you get on board and there is a smell of dirty nappies to add to the puke and the hippies hash and the lorry drivers farts.

Then it is your turn. Now the boat is filthy you are allowed on board. Why woulf you want the boat to be clean anyway? You have only paid 150 quid to travel anyway. The people with trailers paid more than you so it is only fair that they should enjoy the boat at its best and lorry drivers enjoy the finer things in life.

Now - what these minor discoveries lead to is the fact that when you arrive in France every trailer is in front of you, every caravan is in front of the trailers and every lorry is in front of the caravans.

Do you suppose they do it that way for fun?