Rail service? What rail service?

[MilnerR]

On the radio this morning there was a report from the rail companies that if more people started using the rail network they would be unable to cope....

The answer to stop this impending disaster? Close rarely used stations, limit services and introduce congestion charges at peak times......

Let me get this straight, we aren't allowed to use our cars because they are evil and we aren't allowed to use public transport because it can't cope....


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4112360.stm

>> Edited by MilnerR on Tuesday 21st June 08:48

[stumartin]

MilnerR said:

Let me get this straight, we aren't allowed to use our cars because they are evil and we aren't allowed to use public transport because it can't cope....

Don't tell me you didn't see this coming?!

It's a laugh or cry moment. Best thing to do is give up work, shurely that's the only message to get from this?

You pay through the nose to get to work, you struggle within a mountain of unnecessary and unduly restrictive regulation while you're at work, you lose nearly half of your salary when you're paid - which disappears into the ether creating neither better public services nor a more stable economy - you are punished for buying anything by taxation via numerous different means, you're told what you can and can't do, say, smoke meanwhile the grubbier sections of society live outside the remit of all but the incarcerating punishments of 'law and order' and are handed out their generous living expenses from the State pot.

Clearly the Government is trying to send out a message - working is bad for you. Please stop.

[Tuna]

Fantastic. The government should be hit hard over the head with this one. Until they can join the dots on a proper transport policy they shouldn't be screwing around trying to artifically limit car use. Whether or not privatisation of the railways was the right thing to do, it has been handled disasterously and left us with an embarassing, out of date and massively underfunded system.

Grrr..

[alexkp]

In all seriousness, many more of us should work from home and the working week should be redced to four longer days - same hours but over four days.

This would reduce congestion on the roads on any working day by 20% at a stroke, strengthen families, reduce stress and depression and the burden on the NHS, and lost working days.

Or is that too much like common sense?

[stumartin]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Same hours in less days = lower productivity. I'd put a tenner on it.

And why would it reduce congestion? Or indeed strengthen families if they see even less of each other for four days of the week? Reduced stress when you've got the same deadlines but less flexibility? NHS? Lost working day? Sorry Alex, I'm not sure that does make sense?

[MilnerR]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

The thing that gets me is that the government ministers seem to think that we struggle through the rush hour every morning just to be awkward. It's as though we're just being wilfull by choosing to travel into work everyday

Some of us can't work from home (unless someone can build me a state of the art biochemistry lab), but those that can, should. A mate of mine does a 40 mile each way commute to sit in an office and do web design and maintenance for a local council. He could do it anywhere but they insist he works in the office....... The same council who refuse to spend money on maintaining the roads or providing public transport... you couldn't make it up!

[TeamD]

We're all forgetting something here...

There already is congestion charging on trains.

Peak rate tickets cost more than off-peak, hence it already exists. these people really do think we're absolutely stupid, but then again, some of us are.

[stumartin]

TeamD said:

We're all forgetting something here... There already is congestion charging on trains. Peak rate tickets cost more than off-peak, hence it already exists. these people really do think we're absolutely stupid, but then again, some of us are.

I think this is something slightly different / additionally increasing the cost of peak-time commuter travel. I would always expect to pay less to travel on Saturday afternoon than Monday morning, but hiking up the cost of getting to/from work when pubic transport is supposed to be the realistic 'save the world' alternative to driving in is just smacking everyone in the mouth. This is the fault of the train companies, but more so it is the responsibility of the Government to get off their f**king arses and do something about it.

[TeamD]

But the prices vary on weekdays aswell, dependent upon what time it is, not just saturday afternoons/sundays etc, so effectively it is a peak rate congestion charge, just like hotels are more expensive during the week, it's all about raping the folk that have no choice!

[tinman0]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I've been working from home for 3 years now along with the rest my staff. We all work from our homes now.

The landlord flooded our office with 9000 gallons of water and promptly said it wasn't his fault, so after drying out what was left of the office we decided as a company to work from home in the short term. That short term has now become long term.

Strange thing is, none of us really want to get an office again.

The main issue is discipline, however as we've all been together for years its prety obvious if any of us slack off. Plus cuffing their hands to the desks first thing in the morning ensures they don't go far.

There are some issues with human contact problems, eg you don't see anyone all day long so when someone turns up at the doorstep you aren't inclined to go back to your desk, however that seems to be tempered by the fact that you work relatively undisturbed and tend to work much faster.

[puggit]

Perhaps it's just the train companies seeing the incoming influx of passengers and thinking... $$$

[MilnerR]

puggit said:

Perhaps it's just the train companies seeing the incoming influx of passengers and thinking... $$$

Either that or they're panhandling to the government for more subsidies..