So glad I have free bus pass!

[Pro Tour Punditry]

One of these days I am going to start a thread moaning about how much it would have cost me to receive medical treatment had it not been for the NHS.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I bet the savings are immense. As it is you've probably blown the lot on deep-fried Mars Bars.

Your Southern poncery is shining through, money spent on deep-fried food is never "blown"

 

[toffee]

If only car drivers paid the full cost of their journeys.

What in the same way bus companies do?

Derek

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

What about Tennant's Super slush puppies, does the freezing ruin the delicate flavour?

That also sounds a bit Southern to me - pseudo tramps on the streets of Kensington slurping on their hipster drinks

 

[toffee]

No, bus companies provide public transport.

So pollution is ok as long as it is perceived to be in the public good?

Derek

 

[bigjim]

I use my bus pass quite a lot. I love the bus. After driving since I was 17 and drove both, trucks, black cabs and motorcycles for a living at various times in my life I find it a luxury to sit back and gaze out of the window while somebody else deals with the stressful modern driving experience. Every time they scan my pass the bus company is paid for my journey. So they are happy. I still pay direct and indirect tax so I'm contributing. Pity more don't use the bus. I chat to people at the bus stop and on the bus. It's social, more than the car and the bike. I also take myself and the bike on the train using my free pass. Small joys. Lovely.

 

[rich p]

I'm too young to qualify for a bus pass, but |I guess all knew that already.

 

[Chromatic]

Funnily enough, this has just sparked a discussion in the Drago household. Excluding depreciation, but including fuel, maintenance , repayments, tax, insurance and fuel, daughter number 3's Nissan Puke costs her 81p a mile to run.

Not sure how we'd work the depreciation into that, but even without the depreciation Gavro's bus is still much cheaper.

It would probably be closer to 45p if she didn't pay twice for fuel.

 

[slowmotion]

I use my bus pass quite a lot. I love the bus. After driving since I was 17 and drove both, trucks, black cabs and motorcycles for a living at various times in my life I find it a luxury to sit back and gaze out of the window while somebody else deals with the stressful modern driving experience. Every time they scan my pass the bus company is paid for my journey. So they are happy. I still pay direct and indirect tax so I'm contributing. Pity more don't use the bus. I chat to people at the bus stop and on the bus. It's social, more than the car and the bike. I also take myself and the bike on the train using my free pass. Small joys. Lovely.

The added bonus with double-deckers is that you can admire peoples' gardens.

 

[slowmotion]

There is a story about how an enterprising chap organised open top bus tours from Brighton to see Rudyard Kipling's house in Rottingdean, much to the annoyance of the man himself when surprised in his garden.

Was he a naturist?

 

[slowmotion]

[QUOTE 4560914, member: 9609"]I know a couple of old folk who regularly have a day out on the bus, they go up to Edinburgh and back, away about 4 hours, they take a flask and sandwiches and just sit blethering away looking out of the window, don't think they even get off the bus at edinburgh, just sit and wait for the next driver to come back home. A free day out[/QUOTE]
That's pretty smart really. Buses are usually well heated too, so you save on the fuel bills at home, as well as peering into people's gardens. There's something rather "jolly" about a bus ride.

 

[Sandra6]

I think buses are ridiculously expensive.
When I was at school it was 20p for any journey within greater manchester. I could go about 15 miles in any direction - but not across "the border" with Yorkshire. If you did that, you had to buy a new ticket half way!!
When I was sending my eldest two to school by bus - an 8mile journey - it cost £6 a day!!!
A "half" fare is actually 2/3 of the adult fare.
There are a couple of local cheap day tickets - £3 for an adult and £2 for a child, but you can't go outside of a 3 mile radius.
I don't agree with giving free bus passes to everyone over a certain age either. If less money was spent subsidising bus travel for people who don't need it then the fares could be lowered across the board.

 

[bigjim]

But the bus companies are paid by the government for each bus pass user. If you take away the pass the companies would earn less money and have to make more cuts or raise prices. The free bus pass is subsidising the fare paying public. So I don't see your point

 

[bigjim]

Don't you? Oh dear.

Yea, really bothered. Won't sleep tonight. Oh wait.........

 

[Crackle]

[QUOTE 4560914, member: 9609"]I know a couple of old folk who regularly have a day out on the bus, they go up to Edinburgh and back, away about 4 hours, they take a flask and sandwiches and just sit blethering away looking out of the window, don't think they even get off the bus at edinburgh, just sit and wait for the next driver to come back home. A free day out[/QUOTE]
I bet the flasks are because they're bladders won't hold out for 8 hours.