I had a friend in my university days who liked to go on European motoring holidays, but although the outward trip would be quite an adventure, the return journey would be a bit of a drag, but he worked out an alternative. Having taken out a European 5-star-get-you-home-in-any-eventual insurance policy on his clapped out car, when he wanted to travel home in style he would drive it up the neareast alp whereupon the engine would over heat and the clutch would wear out and he would call up the relay service and get shipped home.
Nowadays it seems that one of the benefits of British citizenship is that, at least according to the BBC, the government is supposed to extricate you froma ny revolution anywhere in the world. I have eery sympathy for people stuck in Libya, but I have to say that it has long been a risky place to go, more so in the last few weeks.
The government has done well to get people out, but it is ridiculous to expect them to be able to whistle up a charter plane at a moment's notice (even if other countries have done the same). With the situation changing fast and Libyan Air Force fighters flying armede missions in Libyan airspace, only a fool of an owner would let their $50 million plane fly into the middle of a revolution, and the same would be expected of their lenders and insurers.
So if anybody wants to complain that they weren't fished out fast enough I would say, put up your own $50 million money first and then you might have a point. If you can't do that, then don't go to dangerous countries.
As for my friend, he is now a lawyer acting for insurance companies fighting fraud cases.
3 comments:
Hear hear! Now can you criticise William Hague for proposing we send the marines in, totally inappropriately.
Surely an opportunity to test the Typhoon here.
LM market the F16 as 'combat proven' don't they?
@Bill. Sorry I have been out of the loop for the last few days but I can't see any references to Hague suggesting sending in the troops, clandestinely or otherwise.
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