Conor wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 12 Jan 2005:

In article , Mrs Redboots says...

Why is it a logical fallacy to say that my husband finds taking the
train to work both faster and less stressy than driving?

He doesn't find it less stressful. What he does do however is to
conveniently forget to tell you about:
The daily fight to get a seat

He takes a bicycle, so always stands beside it.

The fact he has a daily broadsheet delivered so he can bury his head in
it to save having to talk to other people on the train.

He reads Metro, if anything.

The daily crush that is the platform experience.

As he doesn't normally arrive at the station until the train is actually
pulling in (and occasionally, if he times it wrong, pulling out!), that
does not apply.

The stress of wondering if your train is actually going to be running
and then if it is, if it'll arrive on time.

This is what the National Rail Live Departure Boards are designed to
address, particularly for his evening journey, since he works within a
couple of minutes' cycle ride of Redhill station. Even I have learnt to
check them now so know whether or not he'll be late (r than usual!).
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 2 January 2005

On 12 Jan 2005 18:02:05 GMT, (Huge) wrote:

Mrs Redboots writes:
Conor wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 12 Jan 2005:

In article , Mrs Redboots says...

Why is it a logical fallacy to say that my husband finds taking the
train to work both faster and less stressy than driving?

He doesn't find it less stressful. What he does do however is to
conveniently forget to tell you about:
The daily fight to get a seat

He takes a bicycle, so always stands beside it.

Occupying the space of three people while paying for one.

What if we all did it. Tovarich? ;-)

DG

On 12 Jan 2005 18:18:25 GMT, (Huge) wrote:



He takes a bicycle, so always stands beside it.

Occupying the space of three people while paying for one.

What if we all did it. Tovarich? ;-)

Did you have a point? What was it?

It was the sort of remonstration that used to be administered by the
local commissar/block soviet when a comrade had made the minor
infraction of taking more than his share of a communal resource despite
the fact that it was not necessarily 100% utilised.

All right then. The thought of *all* the passengers on a train into
Waterloo (say) taking a bicycle on the train with them amused me.

DG

Huge wrote:
Mike Bristow writes:
wrote:
Another ivory tower commentator. I have never known anybody who does
long commutes by choice.

They all do.

The fact that long distance commuters consider the alternatives
unpalatable does not negate the fact that they made a choice not
to move closer to work, get a job closer to home or work in the
first place.

I suppose if the point of this debate is pedantic hair-splitting,

The point of my comment was that you are the master of your own
destiny. Blaming your long distance commute on anyone other than
yourself seems to be an attempt to blame "them" for things that
only you can control.

then you're right. Meanwhile, in the real world, I think you'll
find that most long-distance commuters are between a rock and
a hard place.

Yes. But it's up to you to pick the rock ;-)

--
Mike Bristow - really a very good driver

In message , Huge
writes
I find cyclists on trains less than amusing.

How do you regard those of us who take folding bikes, such as the
Brompton?

(See http://www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk if you're unsure of what I'm on
about.)

--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

Huge wrote:
Ian Jelf writes:
In message , Huge

writes
I find cyclists on trains less than amusing.

How do you regard those of us who take folding bikes, such as the
Brompton?

As long as it's in it's bag, why not?

What I object to is those who are permitted to take something on the
train that is sharp and dirty and takes up the room of two people for
free, merely because it happens to be a bicycle.

Typical! This unashamed 4x4 user is now cycle bashing.

--
UK Radical Campaigns
www.zing.icom43.net
"Democracy is just another way of controlling and exploiting people".

wrote:
Typical! This unashamed 4x4 user is now cycle bashing.

Don't tell me, Duhg: you're one of those obnoxious idiots who feel they
have the right to block the doors and walkways on trains for the rest
of us with your bloody bike?

Trains are designed to carry people, not arrogant, self-centered
cyclists.

Mark

In message , Huge
writes
Ian Jelf writes:
In message , Huge
writes
I find cyclists on trains less than amusing.

How do you regard those of us who take folding bikes, such as the
Brompton?

As long as it's in it's bag, why not?
Yes, I always keep mine in the bag, if only to avoid questions about it!
:-)

That said, I've never actually taken mine on a deep-level tube, only on
the sub surface lines. Plenty of other people do though (usually
without bags, although the Brompton folds so well that projecting "sharp
bits" aren't as much of a problem as you might think).
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

Huge wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 12 Jan 2005:

In reply to me:
He takes a bicycle, so always stands beside it.

Occupying the space of three people while paying for one.


No, using the space provided by the TOC for that purpose.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 2 January 2005

Derek * wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 12 Jan 2005:

All right then. The thought of *all* the passengers on a train into
Waterloo (say) taking a bicycle on the train with them amused me.

Which is why you aren't allowed to take bikes on London-bound trains in
the morning peak, nor on country-bound trains in the evening one. Off
peak, or reverse commuting, there's no problem.

Anyway, if more than the 3 or so people who do take bikes on the train
did so regularly, I expect the TOCs would provide space for more than
about 3 bikes.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 2 January 2005