Dive Show - Parking costs take the train!

Got my ticket for the dive show and notice that it says "unlimited parking"
but doesnt mention a fee so most people would guess it was free (or at least
comparable to a Pay&Display for a few hours) particulary as they are
spending £9.50 to get in!

Living reasonably close to the NEC I know that car parking costs depend on
the events, some charge other do not. The dive show is once again charging
for parking, however I note that the cost is now £6.00 per car, so the cost
of a day out to the dive show for one person with car is now £15.50 (paying
on the door!).

For what its worth I travel in by train for a cost of £3.65 return, getting
back on the train with kit may be cumbersome, but the same can be said about
getting the bus to the carparks!

> For what its worth I travel in by train for a cost of £3.65 return,
getting
> back on the train with kit may be cumbersome, but the same can be said
about
> getting the bus to the carparks!

Which train station do you get on at, and how much is the car parking at
that station?

Matt.

"John" <john@telenetel.co.uk> wrote...

> Living reasonably close to the NEC I know that car parking
> costs depend on the events, some charge other do not. The
> dive show is once again charging for parking, however I note
> that the cost is now £6.00 per car, so the cost of a day out
> to the dive show for one person with car is now £15.50 (paying
> on the door!).

LIDS at Excel is even more of a rip-off, it was £8 to park this year! I
think that you will find it's the venues being greedy, most of the shows at
the NEC etc. are business related so people on expense accounts don't
matter, they just don't see these charges and the venues get away with it.

That's why I always say check out the LDS first, at £15+ quid, plus your
petrol, plus rip-off refreshment prices, you've got to spend one hell of a
lot to make it worthwhile with "dive show savings". I've been feeling that
over the years the shows aren't attracting as many divers as they used to,
that could just be my perception though.

But it's got to be reaching the stage where people don't just go because
it's there and everyone else seems to, I feel that the "overheads" to divers
visiting shows is already eating into the very market that the shows are
trying to attract.

I'll be near Birmingham anyway this weekend visiting relatives, I'm also "on
duty" Saturday at least and I get an exhibitors pass. But would I go just
for me as an individual diver? I don't think so - it baulks a bit paying
£15+ to visit a shop.

Dive show organisers take note - how much do you expect the ordinary diver
to pay to visit a shop? How many people on here couldn't be bothered because
of the prices?

Keith L

On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 15:48:28 -0000, dixit "Imorital" <me@privacy.net>:

>Which train station do you get on at, and how much is the car parking at
>that station?

Heh. I'd have to fork out petrol money to get me to the nearest train
station (10 miles away), then park, then buy my ticket.

And I wouldn't have to sit opposite some yoof with an attitude problem
in the car...

--
ferret "He leads me beside quiet waters ICQ 163264
He restores my soul" - Ps 23:2
"Follow, lead or get off the shotline"
Make spammers pay... use CruelMail

"Keith Lawrence" <false@nospam.com> wrote in message news:3fb110b5$0$52884>
> Dive show organisers take note - how much do you expect the ordinary diver
> to pay to visit a shop? How many people on here couldn't be bothered
because
> of the prices?
>
Big Snip
>
> Keith L
>
I have a short shopping list but will certainly try the LDS first because I
don't mind spending good money for good value, but I *HATE* getting ripped
off. I turned up on the motorcycle last year and so didn't have to pay.
Cheers
Graham

> > to the dive show for one person with car is now £15.50 (paying
> > on the door!).

<snip>

> LIDS at Excel is even more of a rip-off, it was £8 to park this year! I

<snip>

> That's why I always say check out the LDS first, at £15+ quid, plus your
> petrol, plus rip-off refreshment prices, you've got to spend one hell of a

<snip>

> for me as an individual diver? I don't think so - it baulks a bit paying
> £15+ to visit a shop.

<snip>

> Dive show organisers take note - how much do you expect the ordinary diver
> to pay to visit a shop? How many people on here couldn't be bothered
because
> of the prices?

Price isn't everything for everyone. Personally if a day out cost less than
£50 then it's a cheap day out. I rarely buy anything of substance from a
show.

However, I go to all of the shows. Why? Perhaps it's to do with meet up
with friends, chatting to people on stands etc? Or perhaps it's to
check-out new dive destinations & new kit? Or may be to look at some nice
pictures/slides etc? May be it's to pick the brains of people on stands
with more experience than me? There's loads of reasons - mostly not related
to saving money.

Cheers
Matt.

Graham Bowers wrote:
> "Keith Lawrence" <false@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:3fb110b5$0$52884>
>> Dive show organisers take note - how much do you expect the ordinary
>> diver to pay to visit a shop? How many people on here couldn't be
>> bothered because of the prices?
>>
> Big Snip
>>
>> Keith L
>>
> I have a short shopping list but will certainly try the LDS first
> because I don't mind spending good money for good value, but I *HATE*
> getting ripped off. I turned up on the motorcycle last year and so
> didn't have to pay. Cheers
> Graham

prolly won't be able to do that this year as the bike shows on the same
time ;o)

For what its worth I always take the train for the dive or bike shows as
it saves the hassles


--
Steve Parry

http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk

http://wrexhamseals.tripod.com

"Imorital" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:bor6fu$1h7724$1@ID-203763.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > > to the dive show for one person with car is now £15.50 (paying
> > > on the door!).
>
> However, I go to all of the shows. Why? Perhaps it's to do with meet up
> with friends, chatting to people on stands etc? Or perhaps it's to
> check-out new dive destinations & new kit? Or may be to look at some nice
> pictures/slides etc? May be it's to pick the brains of people on stands
> with more experience than me? There's loads of reasons - mostly not
related
> to saving money.

Exactly. Personally I treat the dive show as a day out and nothing more.
Sure, I might buy a few bits 'n' bobs whilst I'm there and often take a
shopping list along but it's the whole experience I go for, not just the
cheap kit (which, let's face it, isn't *that* cheap anyway!). What I like
most about the dive show, though, is bumping into people that you haven't
seen for years! There's nothing quite like bumping into someone you dived
with out in the Maldives, the Red Sea or some other exotic location and
sharing those experiences all over again!

"Bardo" <anon@anon.com> wrote in message
news:borfuu$1h7q92$1@ID-115313.news.uni-berlin.de...
>
> "Imorital" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:bor6fu$1h7724$1@ID-203763.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > > > to the dive show for one person with car is now £15.50 (paying
> > > > on the door!).
> >
> > However, I go to all of the shows. Why? Perhaps it's to do with meet
up
> > with friends, chatting to people on stands etc? Or perhaps it's to
> > check-out new dive destinations & new kit? Or may be to look at some
nice
> > pictures/slides etc? May be it's to pick the brains of people on stands
> > with more experience than me? There's loads of reasons - mostly not
> related
> > to saving money.
>
> Exactly. Personally I treat the dive show as a day out and nothing more.
> Sure, I might buy a few bits 'n' bobs whilst I'm there and often take a
> shopping list along but it's the whole experience I go for, not just the
> cheap kit (which, let's face it, isn't *that* cheap anyway!). What I like
> most about the dive show, though, is bumping into people that you haven't
> seen for years! There's nothing quite like bumping into someone you dived
> with out in the Maldives, the Red Sea or some other exotic location and
> sharing those experiences all over again!
>
>

Not for me, a bloody rip off, £15.50 without food, to walk round a load of
shops selling the same gear.
Id rather go diving.

>
> LIDS at Excel is even more of a rip-off, it was £8 to park this year! I
> think that you will find it's the venues being greedy, most of the shows
at
> the NEC etc. are business related so people on expense accounts don't
> matter, they just don't see these charges and the venues get away with it.
>
> That's why I always say check out the LDS first, at £15+ quid, plus your
> petrol, plus rip-off refreshment prices, you've got to spend one hell of a
> lot to make it worthwhile with "dive show savings". I've been feeling that
> over the years the shows aren't attracting as many divers as they used to,
> that could just be my perception though.
>
> But it's got to be reaching the stage where people don't just go because
> it's there and everyone else seems to, I feel that the "overheads" to
divers
> visiting shows is already eating into the very market that the shows are
> trying to attract.
>
> I'll be near Birmingham anyway this weekend visiting relatives, I'm also
"on
> duty" Saturday at least and I get an exhibitors pass. But would I go just
> for me as an individual diver? I don't think so - it baulks a bit paying
> £15+ to visit a shop.
>
> Dive show organisers take note - how much do you expect the ordinary diver
> to pay to visit a shop? How many people on here couldn't be bothered
because
> of the prices?
>
> Keith L
>

Come on Keith,

If you go down the pub you spend a tenner. Go to town and my wallet
looks a lot thinner after a days shopping. Cinema/Restaurant etc. it all
costs.
The dive show is a Dive SHOW. Perhaps if you saw it as an opportunity
to have a look round, talk to mates, see a lecture etc.etc. in fact a bloody
good day out for say £20 instead of a bigger discount LDS.

It's a SHOW not a LDS. You get bargains yes, but that's part, not all of
the attractions.

TerryH