SEARCH CLINIC

As flights in and out of Europe are grounded for the week, smart phones and social media websites are becoming an essential method for stranded passengers searching for ways of getting home.

As travel information websites crashed under the pressure of online inquiries, tens of thousands of stranded travellers turned to Twitter and Facebook.

Television presenter Dan Snow created a Calais Rescue service which he organised via Twitter  to bring home foot passengers from France in a small boat.  Unfortunately french jobsworths closed this service down as it “posed a threat” to their nationalised ferry service. And this was after Brits had struggled to get to Calais during a french train strike.

Twitter users found succour by searching on themes, or “hash tags”.

The most popular were #getmehome, #stranded and, for those who had given up the struggle, #putmeup.

This allowed people to reach potential liftsharers and others in the same boat (or train or car).

Typical of the messages left on #getmehome was this from @LexiProud are “I’ve started a group for #stranded people who need HELP to #getmehome by car sharing etc PLS RT”

US television reported that Jen Stoltenberg, the Norwegian prime minister, was using an Apple iPad mobile device and wireless hotspot in an airport executive lounge to run his country from New York.

Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, sent tweets about his adventures in trying to get from London to Valencia for the Festival of Media conference, and set off on a 24-hour bus journey.