Paddywagon Attacked Again

[ziggysego]

For the love of God guys, give it a break. Can we call it null and void and be friends again? Hands across the barricades and all that.

[his holiness nb]

I have already said that I'm happy to apologise for that, but you still won't tell me what posts you were talking about.

What posts, there were no bigoted posts, I have said that several times.
If you are referring to which posts referred to the stupidity of parking there and the insurance fraud stuff, here goes. Altough you already know all this having read the thread.

thestraw
I wonder how long an aptly named 'Brit Wagon' would last in other certain areas of Belfast?  

At least we know the victim is trying to claim the full value of the £65k bus  so he shouldnt be too much out of pocket....  

Fermanagh Ports

This was a stupid thing to happen, and I feel truly sorry for the backpakers. (NOTE HE DIDNT FEEL SORRY FOR THE COMPANY)  However, what do you expect when you park your vans about 700 yards from the top end of Sandy Row, and 500 yards from Tates Avenue? What a senseless place to park vans with Tri-Colour markings

Jonny
Very good points. A bit of local knowledge wouldn't have gone amiss there, what a silly place to park it

fhtb
  thought the same thing myself (THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A LAUGHING FACE)
Big Rab
When I'm heading into work every morning the first thing I usually see parked on Great Victoria Street outside the Europa is that bloody bus with the slogan "to be sure, to be sure" on it.

In Northern Ireland, if you drive a bus round festooned with what some see as overt political symbolism, you're playing a dangerous game. That might not sound nice, but it's undoubtedly true. The fact that Paddywhack Tours have now, without any real evidence, decided to blame the people of one community for this act of senseless vandalism hardly does them any favours in the long run

mac
QUOTE (Panda @ Jan 26 2008, 11:12 AM)
Why is it only being reported on the other side of the world?

Would McPhilemy have got away with blaming (without corroborating evidence) those "pro-British loyalist extremists" in the local media?

And while we're on the subject of Paddywagons, a wee look at the company's recruitment policy by one of our Fair Employment quangoists probably wouldn't go amiss


This appeared in the Irish News the other day:

A TOURIST bus decorated with leprechauns has been badly damaged in a petrol-bomb attack in south Belfast.

Dozens of mainly Australian and New Zealand tourists were unable to visit the Giant's Causeway yesterday because another coach could not be found. Police last night said they were pursuing all lines of inquiry following the attack at Fitzwilliam Street on Tuesday night.

It is believed a window on the bus was broken and petrol poured in before being set alight. Coaches from 'Paddywagon' tours were fire-bombed twice in Belfast in 2000.

A neighbour alerted the manager of a Fitzwilliam Street hostel where the bus was parked.

Stephen McPhellamy of Paddywagon, said he would find it "saddening" if it proved to be a sectarian attack.

"Half of our work-force in Northern Ireland are from a unionist background," he said. Paddywagon, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, describes itself as "a backpacker's friend and an aid to tourism in Ireland - nothing more".

Notice the "if it was a sectarian attack". Somewhat different to the story given to the Aussie paper eh?  

Also notice the bullsh*t about their workforce in Northern Ireland.

I think their recruitment policy was highlighted on OWC after the allegations made by McPhellamy against Northern Ireland fans.

You could be excused for thinking that McPhellamy is a bigoted c**t.

Jonny
?  

Imagine if there was a red white and blue bus called the Proddywagon? That would create so much controversy!! Also on their website the 'History of Ireland' section doesn't even mention Partition or the whole IRA bombing campaign on British towns and cities

Jonny

QUOTE (Winnie @ Jan 26 2008, 05:25 PM)
Wouldn't care where!!

I was thinking about a "proddywagon" myself earlier on.
I wonder if there is business in it, after all For Cod and Ulster took off.
Anyone want to go halfers with me on a £63K minibus?

All cultures in Northern Irish society should be promoted to tourists. If tourists want to down pints of Guinness in the back of a green Paddy Wagon singing A Soldiers Song, then there would be a need to also have a Proddywagon with red white and blue and a horse of King Billy draggin it through the streets with a Sash and union flegs, where the tourists can appreciate the reasons and opinions of both sides.

Somehow such ventures in our part of the world seem to be slated as 'sectarian' too often, when most of it is merely a part of the divided cultures and ways of life, not to mention the religious and troubled history which makes Belfast and Northern Ireland the way it is.


...and after spending £63k on the bus, we could park it on the Bogside to keep it safe at night  

Winnie

QUOTE (Jonny @ Jan 26 2008, 07:39 PM)
...and after spending £63k on the bus, we could park it on the Bogside to keep it safe at night

Or we could go the Paddy wagon route of buying it for £30K, insure it for £63K, park it on the bogside to be burnt out and then buy two more.
We could be millionaires by the end of the year

Mousy
 I can't believe some of the stuff i read on here. I thought most of you had more sense. A tourist bus carrying tourists in Belfast, where they are undoubtly spending their money, yet all some of you can do is verbally attack the company running the bus. Would you feel any better if he said i won't be bringing anymore tourists back to Belfast? And as for it having 'Tri-colour markings', so you think if you don't like a colour of a van, it's alright for attacking?  
   

beatnik69
  I think Winnie was taking the piss a bit there Mousy. Someone has already said that they feel sorry for the tourists. As for attacking a van because of its colour, no I doubt if there are too many here who think that is right. It is not hard to realise however that there are people at large in our society who do think it is right. If I were to park a nice new Mini Cooper, one of the ones with the Union Jack on its roof, on the Falls Road only to come back and find it wrecked or burnt out, would you deplore the attacking of the car simply because of its colours or would you say I was stupid for leaving it there. Personally I'd be calling myself all the thick bastards of the day.

Winnie
 SammyG
 Good to see your sense of humour bypass was a complete success. No-one has said it's ok to attack the bus (or indeed any buses, cars, people etc) .

Mousy
 No, no one said, just made excuses for what happened.

   

thestraw
  QUOTE (Fermanagh Ports @ Jan 25 2008, 02:29 PM)
What a senseless place to park vans with Tri-Colour markings

You would nearly think they were waiting for something like this to happen and had these markings deliberately....

   

BigJake
 Have to agree with mousy on this. The comments are rather cynical, more than joking, in tone. Perhaps it's best that this is a resticted website!
Still, the Proddywagon does sound like a good idea!  
   

Marty
 
Cynical in the fact this tube has 'form' with NI fans?  
   

Mousy
 Thank you Jake.  
   

SammyG
This is the same company that made up lies about NI supporters attacking one of their buses. Of course people are going to be cynical, that is not the same thing as saying that it's ok to attack the bus or disrupt tourists or whatever.

flashy vc
 
But leaving the welfare of the innocent tourists aside,we're not going to gurn too hard about if it happens.

Mousy
 QUOTE (flashy vc @ Jan 28 2008, 04:30 PM)
But leaving the welfare of the innocent tourists aside,we're not going to gurn too hard about if it happens.


That's obvious. But some on here almost give the impression that they deserved it. ie the Paddywagon.  
   

Kyle
  QUOTE (Mousy @ Jan 28 2008, 08:56 PM)
That's obvious. But some on here almost give the impression that they deserved it. ie the Paddywagon.


As has already been pointed out, there's a very fine line between deserving it and inviting it to happen.  
   

Mousy
 QUOTE (Kyle @ Jan 28 2008, 07:07 PM)
As has already been pointed out, there's a very fine line between deserving it and inviting it to happen.



You think?  
   

Kyle
 I do, and so incidently do insurance companies. Which is why our friend Mr Paddywagon would do well to choose his publicly stated words very carefully (assuming of course the publicity isn't his priority here  ).

If I leave my keys in the ignition while I nip in to a petrol station to pay, and somebody takes my car, did I:

(1) Deserve it?
(2) Invite it?
(3) Both?

Either way my insurance company are going to tell me to start walking, literally. They will do anything in their power to try to prove that the insured was somehow culpable.

So there's no such thing as bad publicity? I wonder if he'd still say that if he's on the front of the Tele moaning that the insurance didn't pay out.

Its a sad fact of life that if you leave your keys in the car there's a good chance someone's going to nick it, and its a sad fact of life that if you park your Oirish-themed bus on the Donegall Road that there's a good chance someone's going to vandalise it.

It's sad, but true. And pointing this out in no way condones it.  
   
EalingGreen
 How is having to turn tourists away, as reported as far afield as Sydney, likely to be good publicity for the firm? "Jeez, Shiela, I've booked the family on a tour of Belfast, to see what it was really like in the Troubles. If we're really lucky, they might even burn our van for us - though I don't know whether that costs extra, or is included..."  

It all seems simple enough to me, namely, there is no shortage of spides who need no more excuse to burn a van than a "fenian name" like Paddywagon and a "provocative" company colour scheme.

Similarly, should it happen to occur on a match day, there's no shortage of detractors who will pile in to blame NI football fans, even in the absence of any evidence whatever.
flashy vc
  And as they're a company with a history of making 'dubious' claims about attacks on their buses , its only natural if we cynically raise an eyebrow over these latest claims.

Ever heard of 'The Boy who cried Wolf'?

mac
 Seems to me that Mr McPhilemy is quick to blame the Prods when he has absolutely no evidence to back his claims up with.

Kyle
 And since most insurance companies clearly state in their policy that they will not pay out in the event of damaged by "Acts of terrorism, or civil disturbance", if he had half a brain he wouldn't be bandying about terms like "pro-British loyalist extremists".

I don't know if the same insurance company that handles his vehicle insurance also handles his employee and public liability insurances, but if I was them I would have a few interesting questions for him.  
   

The Omnipotent T...
are said acts not covered by the government?


Kyle
 Very, very slowly - and they wouldn't have to compensate for loss of earnings in the meantime. Particularly if the government disagrees with the insurance company's assessment.

I'm not saying it would or should come to that, but he's hardly treating the situation with tact or guile - more milking it for ill-advised soundbites.


   

allez_auxerre
  QUOTE (SammyG @ Jan 26 2008, 03:47 PM)
item 3 on the Paddywhack employment criteria  

3. are an IRISH citizen


I imagine that would be an illegal stipulation, under EU employment law?  
   

Jonny
  QUOTE (allez_auxerre @ Jan 29 2008, 01:54 PM)
I imagine that would be an illegal stipulation, under EU employment law?


Im not even sure you need to be an IRISH citizen to play World Cup 'Soccer' for the Republic. I think Tony Cascarino wasn't very Irish. They need to stop stealing our players.

I am of course upset this van/wagon has been burnt, but I do not park my car with an AFC Bournemouth sticker outside the gates of Elland Road, so as some people have said the silly idea to park this van in this location made them a target.

herbie53ni
 QUOTE (Jonny @ Jan 29 2008, 02:15 PM)
Im not even sure you need to be an IRISH citizen to play World Cup 'Soccer' for the Republic. I think Tony Cascarino wasn't very Irish. They need to stop stealing our players.

I am of course upset this van/wagon has been burnt, but I do not park my car with an AFC Bournemouth sticker outside the gates of Elland Road, so as some people have said the silly idea to park this van in this location made them a target.


Not surprised, i`d be embarrassed also if my car had an AFC Bournemouth sticker on it  


OJM
 QUOTE (Jonny @ Jan 29 2008, 02:15 PM)
Im not even sure you need to be an IRISH citizen to play World Cup 'Soccer' for the Republic. I think Tony Cascarino wasn't very Irish. They need to stop stealing our players.

I am of course upset this van/wagon has been burnt, but I do not park my car with an AFC Bournemouth sticker outside the gates of Elland Road, so as some people have said the silly idea to park this van in this location made them a target.


I'd actually break in to burn the sticker not the car just to help you out...  
Jonny
Not under EU law it isn't, but still an interesting point in terms of domestic UK law (which since Paddywagon is registered and operates out of the UK is the applicable one on the case).
If you're entitled to work within the Uk, then then the employer surely can't make his decision on whether or not to employ you on the basis of what passport you carry?

If I have the knowledge and a steady supply of the "oul craic" to carry out the job, then why is my "citizenship" so important?  
   

markinbelfast
 McPhelemy quoted in the press report of the first attack:

"The bus is a write-off at a cost to us of £65,000 ($74,000) and young Australian backpackers travelling with us have had to undergo the hassle and discomfort of seeing their bus burning outside our backpacker hostel."

And from this report:

"The company said the two attacks had cost them more than £60,000."
"Every attack costs us £30,000 because the insurance company doesn't cover the full cost of the bus," he added"



   

mikeclingan

Regardless of the press statements by the director of this company, this was a disgraceful act and I would like to see the mindless thugs who done this brought to justice.  
   
The Dowie
 Absolutely

Nothing justifies or excuses this vandalism (or worse if it is sectarian in purpose)

Scummy f**kers  
   

Panda
 But an interesting coincidence nonetheless that the (sectarian?) thugs decide to pounce on the two quietest months, tourist wise, of the year.
Has there ever been a Paddywagon burnt out in June, July, August or the period around St Patrick's Day?  
   

mac
 McPhelemy seems to be back tracking on whom he believes is responsible for these attacks on his property.  


McPants
 Are you implying that the Paddywagon people torched their buses themselves? Because even if they were to receive full compensation from their insurance company, I very much doubt that it would be good for business to signal to potential customers that your services are not to be counted on and that using them might even be dangerous.  
   

Winnie
  Had to laugh last night in the BBC report when the reporter stated that "this dutch visitor couldn't believe it...(or words to that effect.)"
Then cut to the said dutch girl Peitra who in deepest t**ker starts, "Oi jus can't tink woy people would do tis"


-----------------------------------

So pretty long winded, but the only way to shut Sammy up imo.
Not quite the "every single OWC poster condemned the attack" as Sammy falsely said.
Another interesting point is many people said they felt sorry for the tourists, while being careful not to express sympathy for the company.

The funniest thing I found is that SammyG is a mod on there, and its well know that several OWC posters have been coming here to read my posts to try to get "ammo" against me. Only after I made the original post did people come out and outrightly condemn the attacks, and even then, just a small few, despite the thread being there since Jan 25th.

[Jim_Murphy_74]

The best bit is when SammyG comments "Of course people are going to be cynical" in response to the contributors Big Jake and Mousy who had the same concerns as His Holiness.  Then he is over here claiming not to know what aspect of the thread he is on about it!!!!!

You couldn't make it up.

/Jim.

[SammyG]

So pretty long winded, but the only way to shut Sammy up imo.
Not quite the "every single OWC poster condemned the attack" as Sammy falsely said.
Another interesting point is many people said they felt sorry for the tourists, while being careful not to express sympathy for the company.

OK I give up, you've posted most of (if not the whole) thread but haven't shown a single post that backs up your view. But yet somehow I'm still in the wrong!!! As far as sympathy for the company, it's unlikely there'd be much on an NI supporters forum,  given the fact that the MD has spent the last year and a bit, lying about NI supporters.

The funniest thing I found is that SammyG is a mod on there,

Hardly a secret it says 'admin' in red letters under my name

and its well know that several OWC posters have been coming here to read my posts to try to get "ammo" against me. Only after I made the original post did people come out and outrightly condemn the attacks, and even then, just a small few, despite the thread being there since Jan 25th.

I have no idea what that means, are you saying that people have been having a go at you personally?

[SammyG]

The best bit is when SammyG comments "Of course people are going to be cynical" in response to the contributors Big Jake and Mousy who had the same concerns as His Holiness.  Then he is over here claiming not to know what aspect of the thread he is on about it!!!!!

You couldn't make it up.

/Jim.

There is a hell of a difference from people being cynical about Paddywagon and the actions and lies of their MD, to saying that those people support the attacks on the bus.

[his holiness nb]

The best bit is when SammyG comments "Of course people are going to be cynical" in response to the contributors Big Jake and Mousy who had the same concerns as His Holiness.  Then he is over here claiming not to know what aspect of the thread he is on about it!!!!!

You couldn't make it up.

/Jim.

I found it funny that Sammy said "every single OWC poster condemned the attack" when it turns out he didnt even condemn it himself  

Unless by saying "No-one has said it's ok to attack the bus" or "that is not the same thing as saying that it's ok to attack the bus or disrupt tourists or whatever" is meant to be condemnation  
A bit more covering you own ass than outright condemnation me thinks  

[SammyG]

The best bit is when SammyG comments "Of course people are going to be cynical" in response to the contributors Big Jake and Mousy who had the same concerns as His Holiness.  Then he is over here claiming not to know what aspect of the thread he is on about it!!!!!

You couldn't make it up.

/Jim.

I found it funny that Sammy said "every single OWC poster condemned the attack" when it turns out he didnt even condemn it himself  

Unless by saying "No-one has said it's ok to attack the bus" or "that is not the same thing as saying that it's ok to attack the bus or disrupt tourists or whatever" is meant to be condemnation  
A bit more covering you own ass than outright condemnation me thinks  

I have condemned the attack (you even quote my posts FFS) and am more than happy to do it again.

[his holiness nb]

OK I give up, you've posted most of (if not the whole) thread but haven't shown a single post that backs up your view.

Back up my views? what in the hell are you on about, this entirely backs up my orginal post.

The funniest thing I found is that SammyG is a mod on there,

Hardly a secret it says 'admin' in red letters under my name

Who said it was a secret??  

[his holiness nb]

There is a hell of a difference from people being cynical about Paddywagon and the actions and lies of their MD, to saying that those people support the attacks on the bus.

I certainly didnt for one second suggest they supported the attack.

[SammyG]

Back up my views? what in the hell are you on about, this entirely backs up my orginal post.

OK you win, I admit that all NI supporters are sectarian bigots, who like to eat Catholic babies to give us the energy to go out and attack foreign tourists and 'darkies'.

The funniest thing I found is that SammyG is a mod on there,

Hardly a secret it says 'admin' in red letters under my name

Who said it was a secret??  

[/quote]
It was the way you said you'd found out, as if it was something that you weren't meant to know.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Methinks that HH will soon be a casualty of OWC censorship!
Will SammyG guarantee that HH won't be banned from the OWC board for this incident??

[his holiness nb]

OK you win, I admit that all NI supporters are sectarian bigots, who like to eat Catholic babies to give us the energy to go out and attack foreign tourists and 'darkies'.

Sammy, you have lost the plot. I have been very clear all along that I am not suggesting anyone made a single bigoted post over there.
Not did I suggest NI football fans had anything to do with this attack.
You messed up and were caught out telling lies. Stop trying to suggest otherwise.

It was the way you said you'd found out, as if it was something that you weren't meant to know.

The way I said it indeed  

[his holiness nb]

I have condemned the attack (you even quote my posts FFS) and am more than happy to do it again.

Pants on fire Sammy, you were careful to point out that you werent approving of the attack, while being equally careful not to condemn it.

[SammyG]

Methinks that HH will soon be a casualty of OWC censorship!
Will SammyG guarantee that HH won't be banned from the OWC board for this incident??

He hasn't been barred but he's had a warning (not from me) for personal abuse, when he told people to 'go f**k themselves'.

[SammyG]

I have condemned the attack (you even quote my posts FFS) and am more than happy to do it again.

Pants on fire Sammy, you were careful to point out that you werent approving of the attack, while being equally careful not to condemn it.

Sorry but you're clearly unable to read.