Sunday 31 May 2009

Slow train a comin'

Watching a train trundle past at a level crossing today I was briefly spurred to anger by the sight of first class carriages. This and the arrival of blisteringly hot summer days brought back memories of being cooped up standing in standard while there would be seats in first class. Sometimes I'd go in and sit down and occasionally get turfed out by the guard. This is possibly the most blood boiling thing that can happen on a commute but faced with a fine I'd meekly slope back into standard. I am, after all, English. According to a few news stories I've read over the years train fares in the UK are pretty much the highest in the world and by quite some margin. For this I don't think it's too much to expect a seat, or failing that to have space to stand without four people squashed right into me. When this has been achieved maybe then the rail companies might be allowed to dedicate carriage space to the type of people who need to travel first class. Bah!

2 comments:

  1. Social injustice!

    Strange that I recognize this problem with the Uppsala-Stockholm train, considering the fact that Sweden has around 9 million inhabitants, compared to UK's 50-70 (?) million... I imagine it is worse in London, though.

    There are always about four people sitting in the first class carriage, pretending not to see the injustice or perhaps they just do not see it.

    /Jenny

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  2. It's always been my plan to opt out and do the journey by bicycle. But it's not very safe and it's one thing cycling in in the morning, quite another to cycle 12 miles again to get home at the end of the day.

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