please empty your brain below
Getting there from schools within the London area would not be expensive as children get free travel on London buses.
Might boost weekend passenger numbers later if the children enjoy the ride, tell their parents and convince them to go along for a ride.

John | 21.05.13 - 7:24 a.m. | #

Either an incredibly intricate April fool (delayed by inclement weather and a person under the cable at Emirates Millennium Dome/O2 Centre/North Greenwich/Meillennium Village) or sheer (if cynical) marketing genius.

Still, if it comes off (and that may be some "if") the dangleway being full of schoolkids is definitely another reason to give it a miss!

I do look forward to seeing the impact on the all-vital stats, however. I wonder if anyone is taking bets on when Ryanair succeed Emirates as the sponsors, with associated changes in the "customer experience"... (and lots of extra, fiddly, fees)

Dominic H | 21.05.13 - 7:38 a.m. | #

Kids under 11 (KS1 & KS2) get free travel on trains, trams and buses. Kids under 16 (KS3 & KS4) get free travel on trams and buses and half price on trains.

Rotherhithe | 21.05.13 - 7:45 a.m. | #

Shucks! We used to get Primary school day trips to London, but that was sooooooo long ago. Wouldn't have minded a quick 'dangle' as well.

Bronchitikat | 21.05.13 - 7:52 a.m. | #

20 mins is a bit short for a school trip. Ideally it would be part of a visit to something at either end. Um...

Well, the Docklands branch of the Museum of London would be ideal but it is hardly walking distance for a school party. Not too far away by Jubilee or DLR though. A transport extravaganza.

Andrew | 21.05.13 - 8:14 a.m. | #

The Crystal (for appropriate age group) is adjacent to the Airline

NLW | 21.05.13 - 9:24 a.m. | #

"Hey kids, we're planning our school trip! Now we have two choices this year. Number one is Chessington World of Adventures. Number two is the Arabfly Dangleway! Now everyone, hands up for number one... Now hands up for number two? Anyone? Anyone?"

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 21.05.13 - 9:26 a.m. | #

Sounds like they're really desperate for customers!

Rogmi | 21.05.13 - 9:54 a.m. | #

I still remember when we could go on school trips without risk assessments, back in the days when it was a couple of teachers and a couple of parents (usually Mums) and we all got on the bus and sang 'the wheels on the bus go round and round' and 'we're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo" and 'Ten green bottles" ... with many enquiries of 'Are we there yet' and 'can we stop the Bus, Andrew's going to be sick'. ... And if someone got eaten by a tiger that was all part of life.

Antipodean | 21.05.13 - 10:44 a.m. | #

Could link it up with this http://www.thecrystal.org/_html/education/school-visits.html Can quite see if its any use to primary schools though.

Roger Stocker | 21.05.13 - 10:48 a.m. | #

Would I too cynical in considering the Crystal a Siemens advertorial? Is it really worth a special trip?

They seem to be aiming for Key Stage 3 (11+) and higher - http://www.thecrystal.org/_html/education/education-resources.html

There is the British Music Experience at the O2 on the other side as well. But most of the other suitable visitor attractions (Mudchute, say, or Cutty Sark, or Thames Barrier, or Greenwich) are a bit further away.

Andrew | 21.05.13 - 11:09 a.m. | #

This is an airline isn't it. Will they let the kids board with that highly dangerous object - a bottle of water? :-)

Dave | 21.05.13 - 12:33 p.m. | #

Next they'll be introducing customs at either end...

Rotherhithe | 21.05.13 - 5:31 p.m. | #

Still wouldn't mind a go on it. Never been on the Wheel though either (too expensive!)

Matt | 21.05.13 - 6:17 p.m. | #

As a teacher in South East London I...

...will not be taking my students on this. Not much of a trip for them, not much of a trip for me (I hate heights).

It remains a rotten waste of money!

Harry | 21.05.13 - 7:12 p.m. | #

And if people continue to complain about the cable car and boycott it just because it was put in place by Boris Johnson then its demise will be assured.

It will then be a needless waste of everyone's money which can't even be used except some will be pleased at the perception of feeling that they were right.

It's there so it's probably time to move on. Use it if you want or need to. But don't make a massive point of deliberately avoiding it.

BethPH | 21.05.13 - 9:35 p.m. | #

Not sure why people with Vertigo would find it uncomfortable. I'm sure people with Acrophobia would though.

Christopher Griffin | 21.05.13 - 10:36 p.m. | #

As no one else has said it:- All other public transport in London, except for the river services, are free to organised school groups, as long as you have a suitable destination at the end of the trip.
So if you're studying Urban Regeneration in the Docklands you can either pay for the Dangleway from nowhere to nowhere, or take the free DLR from Beckton to the Docklands museum and back and travel through it. (No credit to anyone who thinks that Beckton is "nowhere")

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14311.aspx

But at least the Dangleway provides "resilience" should the DLR stop working.

Bob | 22.05.13 - 1:46 a.m. | #

This was eye-watering funny, thanks DG. It's just a shame it's real rather than fictional satire.

Jim | 22.05.13 - 2:06 a.m. | #

"One of London's transporting triumphs" - I hope the PR twonk had a momentary shudder of shame when they penned those pearls of BJ wisdom. Dangleway - right up there with Crossrail, Heathrow T5 and the King's Cross refurb.

Waterhouse | 22.05.13 - 6:44 a.m. | #

It's a shame that anything involving the cable car inevitably provokes such a Pavlovian reaction. As a teacher I that know pretty much every organisation has similar teaching resources so it seems harsh to criticise those involved for doing the same thing that everyone else is doing.

Whiff | 22.05.13 - 7:14 a.m. | #











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