Sm,—Your correspondence on the subject of bogusly reserved seats on
Midland Regional trains was last week extended to. boat trains. May I conduct it on board the cross-channel steamer? Here a similar practice is applied to the distribution of deckehairs which arc withheld by members of the crew until some carefully calculated point has been reached in the mounting irritation of the passengers. When they recognise boiling point, the crew suddenly remove the cord binding the stack of chairs and release them one by one in return for a consideration.
Returning to England on the Dieppe-New- haven route this summer, the French crew were execting a toll of 100 francs (2s.) per chair and even per camp stool from a milling crowd (it was Sunday) of holiday makers, students, nuns and children, to whom this was the final indignity on a grossly overcrowded ship setting out on what was clearly going to be a rough crossing.
Halfway across I asked a passing officer whether, in fact, the deckchairs were not available to passengers without charge. For answer he introduced me to the captain who at once invited me to his cabin where he insisted on returning to me the money I had spent on acquiring four chairs for our party. He was indignant, assured me that the men responsible would be punished and that this was a practice which the company and officers were always trying to stop. I said I thought it was a pretty lucrative one considering the crowded state of the boat. 'Don't worry,' he said, 'I know how many chairs and stools there arc.'
Readers of the Spectator will at least not fall for this one again. Alternately they can pay up, to be sure of a, chair, and then see the captain I—Yours faithfully,
fleidgate, Worth, Sussex ,
RONALD POLITZER
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