Old 05-07-08, 01:41 PM
  #8  
EvilV
Bicycling Gnome
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: 55.0N 1.59W
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Originally Posted by Simple Simon
Spot On EvilV ......
As a frequent 'cattle-truck into London' user, I find 99.9% of people are amazingly tolerant, its all about give and take, courtesy and empathy ..... It is satisfying to exchange knowing nod's with fellow passengers ... in shared knowledge that the problem is the train company [great late western]... As you say, trust the media to make it into a conflict situation ...even the BBC seems to be populated by folk pushing the latest 'gosh' 'shock' horror-stories - to get more viewers, listeners .... truth and balance .. nah, thats for wimps ....
One of my sons has just started a job in London. He works for Cap Gemini in Woking and his current assignment means that he travels from Woking to Croydon by train every day to do Technology Consulting for the local authority. He came up to visit us the other day on the Bank Holiday weekend and when I asked him if he can work on the train on his laptop (the journey takes about an hour) he said there isn't even a seat in either direction. Considering that his company pays hundreds of pounds a month in fares, this is disgusting service.

We Brits still act like we were in the midst of WW2 - keep quiet, stiffen your back and put up with the privations because the nation is in dire peril. The reality is that inept and greedy companies, charge a fortune for disgusting service. I flew from Newcastle to Barcelona in April for £50 ( about 900 miles). A return rail ticket from Newcastle to London (275 miles each way) would cost about £140 - and It is quite possible that there would be no seat and I'd have to stand all the way. How can it be that an economy airline company can fly me about 900 miles in two hours and charge a lot less than a national rail carrier can trundle me by rail for 275?
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