Mezeron & Steam Packet Master Thread

[charlie]

talking about rumours anyone heard manx inde are up for sale???

[manxman8180]

YOU ARE ONE!! Read his post Goverment Car Parking 28th January 01:02pm.

Oh my, are you my internet stalker?

 

You mean this post..

 

No, really they do. And have done for years.

 

Being a 'supervisor' doesn't afford you any privileges, bar about 50p an hour more.......

 

And as much as it seems to excite you, I do not work for the SP.

[Andy730]

The price rise allowed for this year has already happened.

 

Not wanting to divert the thread from IOMSPCo, if i'm right, i believe there is a price rise in Electricity due in April.

 

Although i will hold my hands up if i'm wrong on that... something like if i was being told "Stand & Deliver" which is what it's like each time the bill arrives..

[Max1]

YOU ARE ONE!! Read his post Goverment Car Parking 28th January 01:02pm.

Oh my, are you my internet stalker? I would like to apologise to manxman8180, I'm so sorry for pre-judging You, and yes i got it wrong. I only joined MF when this thread started ( I have a lot to learn). NO I'm not your Internet stalker , ,however I have read a lot of your posts, I liked the one where you helped the kid out?. Sorry for making spiteful comments towards you.

 

You mean this post..

 

No, really they do. And have done for years.

 

Being a 'supervisor' doesn't afford you any privileges, bar about 50p an hour more.......

 

And as much as it seems to excite you, I do not work for the SP.

[thesultanofsheight]

talking about rumours anyone heard manx inde are up for sale???

 

No first time poster, pray tell as that is why you registered in the first place. To spread a rumour.

[Sean South]

talking about rumours anyone heard manx inde are up for sale???

 

No first time poster, pray tell as that is why you registered in the first place. To spread a rumour.

I remember asking a well known businessman that has much property on the island and elsewhere, if one of his businesses was for sale and he told me that everything is for sale if someone makes the right offer!

[fatshaft]

You have to wonder why so many people seem intent on posting on this site although they no longer live in the IoM. Have they got nothing better to do or no interests or friends in the communities they now live?

Now sit down before you read this, but the Steam Packet don't just take people off the island and back again, sometimes people get on at the other end, come to the island, and then go back across. Yes, the steam packet atually allow comeovers to comeover, and if the price of that can be reduced, there would be more doing so, which actually helps the island out. Difficult to grasp I know, but there you have it.

[Sean South]

You have to wonder why so many people seem intent on posting on this site although they no longer live in the IoM. Have they got nothing better to do or no interests or friends in the communities they now live?

Now sit down before you read this, but the Steam Packet don't just take people off the island and back again, sometimes people get on at the other end, come to the island, and then go back across. Yes, the steam packet atually allow comeovers to comeover, and if the price of that can be reduced, there would be more doing so, which actually helps the island out. Difficult to grasp I know, but there you have it.

I wouldn't bother Fatshaft. He wants his little gene pool all to himself. No comeovers, stopovers or leftovers and any of us who have dared leave the island to broaden our horizons are definitely persona non grata. He's a sad lad.

[Lost Login]

You have to wonder why so many people seem intent on posting on this site although they no longer live in the IoM. Have they got nothing better to do or no interests or friends in the communities they now live?

Now sit down before you read this, but the Steam Packet don't just take people off the island and back again, sometimes people get on at the other end, come to the island, and then go back across. Yes, the steam packet atually allow comeovers to comeover, and if the price of that can be reduced, there would be more doing so, which actually helps the island out. Difficult to grasp I know, but there you have it.

Fair enough if we debating a topic that affected such posters but they also tend to post on a very local topics. They also seem to post opinions in the main in a way which in my opinion is detremental to the IoM. If we look at the SP thread those off Island seem mainly concerned with bringing costs for passengers down and in some cases getting rid of the SP as they would appear to have issues with. There seems to be little concern about frequency and reliability of service especially in respect of goods. Much of the current issues in respect of the SP have related to freight which has little impact on occasional travellers from across.

[Lost Login]

I wouldn't bother Fatshaft. He wants his little gene pool all to himself. No comeovers, stopovers or leftovers and any of us who have dared leave the island to broaden our horizons are definitely persona non grata. He's a sad lad.

 

I may be a sad person, but as for the rest of your comments you are way off the mark as usual. What I fail to understand is why some posters who for whatever reason who have moved away from the Island seem to retain far more time and interest and involvement for somewhere they have left rather than where they are. It may not apply to you but it seems that some are almost clinging to an old life as they are unable to make a new life and friends where they have moved through.

 

I do not expect if people who move away from where they were brought up or lived a long time to have no interest in those places, I still look out for the news etc from such places of my own, but I feel no need to comment or try and get involved in such places that really no longer concern me directly.

[Sean South]

I wouldn't bother Fatshaft. He wants his little gene pool all to himself. No comeovers, stopovers or leftovers and any of us who have dared leave the island to broaden our horizons are definitely persona non grata. He's a sad lad.

 

I may be a sad person, but as for the rest of your comments you are way off the mark as usual. What I fail to understand is why some posters who for whatever reason who have moved away from the Island seem to retain far more time and interest and involvement for somewhere they have left rather than where they are. It may not apply to you but it seems that some are almost clinging to an old life as they are unable to make a new life and friends where they have moved through.

 

I do not expect if people who move away from where they were brought up or lived a long time to have no interest in those places, I still look out for the news etc from such places of my own, but I feel no need to comment or try and get involved in such places that really no longer concern me directly.

But that's just what I don't understand. Surely you must agree that the more opinion that is thrown into the pot then the more likelihood of finding a universally acceptable and, most importantly, viable solution for everyone?

 

And, I've said this many many times, I have no beef with the SPCo per sé. What I do have an issue with is them being controlled by a bunch of faceless businessmen on the other side of the planet many of whom have probably never even been to the Isle of Man. The SPCo prior to the sell out would have had ample cash reserves to see off any competitor comfortably. They were a cash rich company. They have, effectively, been raped and left impotent. If it wasn't Mezeron that sunk them someone else will because now any potential competitor knows that to secure, say 30% of their business would drive them under very fast. Now, do you really honestly believe that makes for a secure long term ferry company for the Island? Do you think the Aussies will pump back in loads of cash to prop it up against strong competition?

 

I know this is hard for you to believe but I absolutely want a strong secure ferry company for the Isle of Man but it must be able to stand on it's own two feet. As it is, it is extremely vulnerable to outside competition, Union action etc etc. and is in no way secure and cannot guarantee what both you and I strive for.

[Pragmatopian]

What I fail to understand is why some posters who for whatever reason who have moved away from the Island seem to retain far more time and interest and involvement for somewhere they have left rather than where they are. It may not apply to you but it seems that some are almost clinging to an old life as they are unable to make a new life and friends where they have moved through.

 

I do not expect if people who move away from where they were brought up or lived a long time to have no interest in those places, I still look out for the news etc from such places of my own, but I feel no need to comment or try and get involved in such places that really no longer concern me directly.

 

Speaking personally the reason I maintain an interest in what happens on the IoM is because most of my family still live there and perhaps at some stage in my life I'll return. I don't believe its particularly objectionable for the diaspora of any country to continue to maintain an interest in (or express views on) things happening in their homeland.

[Lost Login]

What I do have an issue with is them being controlled by a bunch of faceless businessmen on the other side of the planet many of whom have probably never even been to the Isle of Man. The SPCo prior to the sell out would have had ample cash reserves to see off any competitor comfortably. They were a cash rich company.

 

But that is modern business, it is in fact enshiren in company law as directors have a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders. If as a company you sit on cash the shareholders especially corporate investors either expect it to be put to good use within the company so it provides a return or if not they expect itto be distibuted to the shareholders as just sitting there it is "dead" money. It also makes a company ripe for take over and acquisition if it sits on assets etc as we have seen. Whether we like it or not reasonable levels of gearing is the common business model of today.

 

Often on these posts people believe a change of owner or operator will bring a change for the better in attitude or operation, I do not accept that as in my view whoever came in would be in it just to maximise return unless some sort of control mechanism is put in place such as the user agreement.

 

Public service and maximising profits are often opposite bedfellows and whilst I may do you a disservice your posts have always given the impression to me that you believe open competition and no restrictions would result in a much better ferry service to the IoM. In my view the opposite would happen.

[Sean South]

Public service and maximising profits are often opposite bedfellows and whilst I may do you a disservice your posts have always given the impression to me that you believe open competition and no restrictions would result in a much better ferry service to the IoM. In my view the opposite would happen.

Yes. I accept your assertions re the financial position and the need to redistribute cash, however, the situation for most companies is that they can redeem cash from other branches as and when required to stave off any threats. I do not believe this to be the case with the SPCo/McQuarrie.

 

I think I stated somewhere way back in this thread that I don't quite agree with "open competition" on any of the transport providers/routes. What I proposed was a form of licencing or franchise whereby Government would licence the sea routes similarly to how the air routes are licenced. Therefore, say, the Steampacket could retain their current routes if they wished and the licencing body agreed, but a new operator could apply to run an alternative between, say, Douglas and Fleetwood for example. Therefore control is maintained BUT underperformers or poorly capitalised operators risk losing their licence. Let's face it, nobody believes that there isn't a substantial profit to be made on the IoM Irish sea routes. Do they? But security of service must be maintained for the islanders and potential visitors and traders. This is enhanced, in my opinion, by not restricting provision of that service to just one, potentially shaky, operator.

[John Wright]

Problem is that by capitalising the value of the user agreement and then guaranteeing the borrowings of the owners in purchasing at an inflated price, the potential gearing is not reasonable, but if the purchasers default is probably at 1,000% of actual realisable assets or true value.

 

All they own is the right to run the service and the two vessels.

 

If they stop the service because they cannot keep going as a commercial concern due to fare increase restrictions under the user agreement they lose the right to run the service, because they breach the user agreement

 

Allowing shareholders to use company assets to finance their purchase of the shares should never have been legalised and should be phased out. Also any public service contractor or monopoly operator should be made to make full accounts disclosure in the interests of transparency.