SIR,—In Coming Events in Britain, issued by the British Travel
Association, and elsewhere, there are innumerable advertisements urging foreign visitors to hire a car in Britain. Do they get one?
While running a summer school for Finns in Dur- ham this summer, 1 contacted a number of car hire firms on their behalf and was told: We do not hire out cars to foreigners, who are unacceptable insur- ance risks. The Newcastle firm of Ellis, 115 New Bridge Street, showed me the following instructions, issued by the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society Ltd:
HIRER DRIVING INSURANCES Unacceptable Risks Novice drivers i.e. less than 12 months satis- factory experience.
Drivers under 21.
Drivers over 65 with less than 5 years recent continuous satisfactory driving experience. Drivers who have passed their 75th birthday. Proposals from Jockeys, Dealers and Street Market Traders, Dance Band Musicians,Trainers and Bookmakers, Undergraduates and Students, Variety Artists. Actors and Actresses (Stage or Film). US personnel—in uniform or not, Foreign Nationals.
I am afraid our foreign visitors will not be com- forted by finding themselves in such colourful company. At least they should not be led up the garden path by ads whose promises cannot be ful- filled. One is tempted to add that this is just one more example of the 'I'm afraid we can't' attitude that pervades present-day Britain.
PHILIP EINHAM
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