An example of why we don¡¦t want to use public transport
Discussion
Based on recent events, I thought I would share a couple of examples of why we (and I've no doubt many other people) try our best not to use the UK's public transport system. However firstly I will caveat this by stating that I think it's actually very good in London, just not outside of the capital.
For the last few years the wife and I have been living in Austria. We regularly used public transport as a means of getting about the city in which we lived. Public transport is not seen as the poor mans method of transportation. It is merely a well set up system to serve the public.
Our method of getting into the city would be through a combination of bus and then tram. I cannot remember a time when the bus was ever more than 5 minutes late, usually arriving within a minute of its scheduled time. The bus would then trundle to its end station whereby a tram would be ready and waiting to take the bus passengers the rest of the journey. It was a coordinated system that worked extremely well. On top of this it was costed according to a zone system. If you stayed in Zone 1, then you only needed one ticket for any means of transport within that zone.
Finally, every bus/tram stop has an up-to-date timetable and electronic tracking of the bus/trams to give an indication of how long before the next one at that particular stop.
Now we're back in the UK, things are very different. Until my new car arrives, we're a one-car family therefore the wife is using public transport. The first encounter of this was at our local bus stop, no timetable to be seen and a bus that finally turns up 20 minutes late. When mentioned to the bus driver, he just shrugs. Not a good start.
Then today it's really gone to pot. My wife had an appointment in a neighbouring town at 11:30. Now if she had a car, she could leave the house at 11:00 and guarantee being there in ample time. Instead she planned to get a bus to the train station, then a train to the neighbouring town. The train was at 10:15 and to ensure she caught it, and in light of her last bus not turning up on time experience, coupled with today's lovely weather, she got a taxi to the train station. It was the only reliable means.
Of course this is not the end of the story. Once at the train station they announced that the train would be, wait for it, 1 hour late. This means wifey will miss her appointment. A quick check with a taxi driver as to the cost to get there, but it's too much. She's also already got her train ticket and doesn¡¦t want to waste yet more money. So she perseveres and calls ahead to her appointment that she'll be late. Eventually the train turns up but then announces that it will not be completing the journey, instead stopping after less than 5 minutes of travel time at a station in the middle of the sticks. Apparently all onboard will then be ferried to their final destination by bus.
Everyone including the wife jumps off into the driving rain and waits for the bus. And they wait. And wait. And wait. In the end, and bearing in mind there are approximately 40 people here waiting for this phantom bus, they all form groups of 4 and club together to order taxis to their final destination, finally arriving late, stressed, rather lighter in their pockets than planned and wet through. What a complete and utter joke. And guess who'll be copping an ear full tonight
No wonder people prefer to use their cars. Just these 2 experiences are enough to put a person off ever relying on public transport as a reliable means of transportation.
Oh, and anyone who replies that this is a pathetic rant that only deserves 0/10 for lack of swearing can f
k OFF YOU fkING
For the last few years the wife and I have been living in Austria. We regularly used public transport as a means of getting about the city in which we lived. Public transport is not seen as the poor mans method of transportation. It is merely a well set up system to serve the public.
Our method of getting into the city would be through a combination of bus and then tram. I cannot remember a time when the bus was ever more than 5 minutes late, usually arriving within a minute of its scheduled time. The bus would then trundle to its end station whereby a tram would be ready and waiting to take the bus passengers the rest of the journey. It was a coordinated system that worked extremely well. On top of this it was costed according to a zone system. If you stayed in Zone 1, then you only needed one ticket for any means of transport within that zone.
Finally, every bus/tram stop has an up-to-date timetable and electronic tracking of the bus/trams to give an indication of how long before the next one at that particular stop.
Now we're back in the UK, things are very different. Until my new car arrives, we're a one-car family therefore the wife is using public transport. The first encounter of this was at our local bus stop, no timetable to be seen and a bus that finally turns up 20 minutes late. When mentioned to the bus driver, he just shrugs. Not a good start.
Then today it's really gone to pot. My wife had an appointment in a neighbouring town at 11:30. Now if she had a car, she could leave the house at 11:00 and guarantee being there in ample time. Instead she planned to get a bus to the train station, then a train to the neighbouring town. The train was at 10:15 and to ensure she caught it, and in light of her last bus not turning up on time experience, coupled with today's lovely weather, she got a taxi to the train station. It was the only reliable means.
Of course this is not the end of the story. Once at the train station they announced that the train would be, wait for it, 1 hour late. This means wifey will miss her appointment. A quick check with a taxi driver as to the cost to get there, but it's too much. She's also already got her train ticket and doesn¡¦t want to waste yet more money. So she perseveres and calls ahead to her appointment that she'll be late. Eventually the train turns up but then announces that it will not be completing the journey, instead stopping after less than 5 minutes of travel time at a station in the middle of the sticks. Apparently all onboard will then be ferried to their final destination by bus.
Everyone including the wife jumps off into the driving rain and waits for the bus. And they wait. And wait. And wait. In the end, and bearing in mind there are approximately 40 people here waiting for this phantom bus, they all form groups of 4 and club together to order taxis to their final destination, finally arriving late, stressed, rather lighter in their pockets than planned and wet through. What a complete and utter joke. And guess who'll be copping an ear full tonight
No wonder people prefer to use their cars. Just these 2 experiences are enough to put a person off ever relying on public transport as a reliable means of transportation.
Oh, and anyone who replies that this is a pathetic rant that only deserves 0/10 for lack of swearing can f
k OFF YOU fkING 
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