Car v. Public transport.

[Archie_tect]

No brainer, really, isn't it?

There's lovely! Good example Doc about being in the right location and travelling between centres of population where the economies of the operation makes it viable. Compare that to the OP's experience.

Before Beeching it would have been possible [subject to delays for onward connections] to get virtually anywhere you wanted by main line, branch and perhaps a short taxi ride but rural journeys now rely on 1 or maybe 2 buses per day.

 

[Fnaar]

[smug git] I've walked/cycled or used bus/train to get to work my whole working life. Got a lift a few times, but never habitually driven to work [/smug git]

 

[Coco]

Is this another "I want all the benefits of living in a big city, whilst enjoying a rural lifestyle" thread?






We can discuss tomorrow at PFS.  Not sure if I'll use the bus, train, underground or will just cycle to get there though

 

[hackbike 666]

Early in my working life I decided never to work anywhere I couldn't cycle commute to. Must have saved thousands over 3 decades.

+1 billion although I have been slightly lucky.

 

[Arch]

There's lovely! Good example Doc about being in the right location and travelling between centres of population where the economies of the operation makes it viable. Compare that to the OP's experience.

Indeed. I'm lucky that I live in a city with a major station, on a mainline. I can be in Leicester in just over two hours, or Winchester in 4 and a half - both comparable with driving. Both, annoyingly, require a change of trains though - ok, but a constant source of worry to me about missing connections (I'm a fretter).

As for the comparison of cost, I dunno. £66 to Winchester, £28 to Leicester, assuming I can get the cheap advance singles. Probably not so far off the cost of driving, if you factor in the running costs. But if I were to need to travel spontaneously, the cost goes up.

Of course, I don't have the choice, being car free - which I can do because I live where I live.

On the other hand, last weekend I needed to get to a village 13 miles from York, to do some work, and be there by 9am. I had to cycle, unless I wanted to get to a neighbouring village at 7.30 and walk two miles.... Not so good.

 

[Halfmanhalfbike]

As a proud Largonian (currently living in Auld Reekie) I can testify that Largs is a pain in the a*se to get to/from if you've not got a car. Public transport service is just ridiculously useless

Even with a bike you've still got the haylie brae to contend with

 

[wafflycat]

Before Beeching it would have been possible [subject to delays for onward connections] to get virtually anywhere you wanted by main line, branch and perhaps a short taxi ride but rural journeys now rely on 1 or maybe 2 buses per day.

Indeed. Even the village I'm in used to have a working train station. Indeed Norfolk was incredibly well served by a myriad of rural train stations and then Beeching came along.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Yep - the railways weren't invested in but roads were. I still don't understand the economics of one man, one engine and one container for, say, Felixstowe - Edinburgh vs one man, one engine and 100+ containers. The difference is in the investment in infrastructure. Our Politicians sowed this problem well before the 60's. Now it's cultural......

 

[dellzeqq]

Example #3. Commuting to work. A 25 mile...... journey, door to door....

why?

 

[John the Monkey]

Used to commute every day by train along the Manchester Airport - Manchester Piccadilly Line - punctual & clean iirc.

Now commute using the Crewe line (with bike) and again, it's fine. I could probably drive, but we'd need another car then, and I'd have to do the M6 (fairly sure I'd have experienced more delays there than Ihave on the train).

 

[Brandane]

why?

Because I live 25 miles from work! There is little or no work in the area where I live, and I am not willing to relocate for a job which is insecure in the current climate, and pays peanuts in any case.

 

[jonesy]

I have tried, honestly I have tried! Who are they kidding when they try to convince us to give up our cars and use public transport?
...

Just out of interest, who are the 'they' who are trying to convince you of this?

 

[Brandane]

Just out of interest, who are the 'they' who are trying to convince you of this?

I do not wish to turn this into a political thread, so will name no names, but we all know who "they" are.
All you have to do is read the signs on overhead gantries on the motorway, which tell us to "Think bus or train".

 

[jonesy]

I do not wish to turn this into a political thread, so will name no names, but we all know who "they" are.

Er, no...

 

[al78]

Early in my working life I decided never to work anywhere I couldn't cycle commute to. Must have saved thousands over 3 decades.

I am doing this at the moment. It's easy if you are single, not necessarily so easy if you have a partner (especially if the partner does not share your philosophy).