Fare’s Fair
“INCREASED journey times on our railways don’t have to be a bad thing – it’s all a matter of perspective,” writes a Times reader.
“Five years ago my daily commute from Reading to London was costing me approximately 25 pence per minute. Now, despite the price of my season ticket having increased by around 20 per cent, it only costs 22 per cent per minute.”
The writer ends with a challenge: “Who says First Great Western doesn’t provide value for money?”
Life aboard the trains looks even more delightful when the Times focuses on the entertainment on offer.
Yesterday, passengers at Bath Spa station were handed 2,500 fake tickets. They were invited to hand these jumbo-sized tickets to regulation-sized inspectors. Issued by “Worst Late Western”, the tickets guaranteed the bearer to a berth in “cattle class” on the journey to “Hell and back”.
This is passenger power. This is the consumer in action. This is Britain, and the protestors took their novelty tickets and queued up to buy a smaller more expensive one at the ticket window.
Cometh the revolution, the British will be looking to the heavens for signs of rain and hoping it will all be over by tea time.
Sharon Williams, a office worker, sums up the sentiment when she tells the paper: “I want to make a statement but I’ve still got to get to work.”
The Telegraph says that not everyone bought a ticket. About 20 passengers refused. The paper says that First Great Western has decided against prosecuting these rebels – who faced fines of up to £1,000 – “to avoid unnecessary confrontation”.
It really is not so very bad. And in “Trains where you travel in the toilet”, the Telegraph tells of the services where passengers stand in the toilet.
One passenger tells the paper: “Two weeks ago, I had to travel from Bath to Bristol in the toilet, with two other people.”
Whether these two others were known to the passenger before he boarded or not, it is clear that trains offer a unique mingling service.
And with property prices rising by the day, our trains might be small but when priced per square foot, they offer accommodation at a reasonable rate.
Posted: 23rd, January 2007 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
