Commuting

monquixote

My office is shortly to move into Cambridge city centre which is going to mean switching from driving to getting the train.

Not looking forward to it. 

ESBlonde

30 minuets down winding country lanes. Not much overtaking but then pushing saves you maybe 2 mins and stresses the start of the day so is largely pointless.

fields5069

All M4 for me, South Wales to J20. Fridays can be an absolute nightmare so I work from home whenever I can.

Nitefly

ESBlonde said:

30 minuets down winding country lanes. Not much overtaking but then pushing saves you maybe 2 mins and stresses the start of the day so is largely pointless.

What, you dance to work?  Lovely start to the day!

Drew_TNBD

crunchman said:

lloyd said:

It's mostly the kids that are annoying, I could probably get used to it apart from them-they should have their own buses.

In London kids over 13 shouldn't get it for free.  They can walk to school.  If anyone in London is going to a school that they can't walk to in 40 minutes it's because of their (or their parents) choice.  Let them choose to make unnecessary journeys if they want but don't clog up the roads and don't make me subsidise it.

Kids are more important than you. You're just a walking tax generator. Deal with it.

impmann

Car for me... it was an hour and three quarters to two hours each way. Now we've moved its just over an hour.

I used to commute from Sidcup in Kent to Potters Bar in Herts every day by train-tube-train. That sucked satans chod.

Commuting stinks. One day I will escape it.

Panama_Jack666

My commute is a  2 mile walk in whatever the weather and a 45 minute train journey each way. Usually followed by rehearsals. The latest of which are 100 mile round trip. 

xSkarloey

crunchman said:

Skarloey said:

crunchman said:

lloyd said:

It's mostly the kids that are annoying, I could probably get used to it apart from them-they should have their own buses.

In London kids over 13 shouldn't get it for free.  They can walk to school.  If anyone in London is going to a school that they can't walk to in 40 minutes it's because of their (or their parents) choice.  Let them choose to make unnecessary journeys if they want but don't clog up the roads and don't make me subsidise it.

Cheer up, pal. It's fucking Friday for Christ's sake.

I say that to anyone who will listen (and to those who don't listen) whenever London buses come up whatever day of the week it is.

They are also getting fat and unfit because the only exercise they do is waddling to the bus stop.

Where I used to live the traffic was horrendous in the mornings.  In stationary traffic you would see school kids waiting for a bus to go one or two stops that they could walk in 5 minutes.  There was no bus in sight (on a long straight piece of road), and the way the traffic was, there wouldn't be a bus for at least 5 minutes, and then it would take another 8 minutes to get them to their school.  There is no way those kids should have been using the bus.  For their own good they should be made to do some exercise.

@crunchman ;;Again old chap, and this time more respectfully, I'd ask you to calm it down and be more objective about this. 


To make a blanket assertion about denying free bus travel to London ALL schoolkids, based on your own observations of what from your description seems like odd behaviour of SOME kids, it cuts no ice with me. 


Firstly, not all kids are  exercise-averse either. Neither do they waddle as a general rule. 


I'd just like to remind you of what you said about parental choice earlier. 
It takes many forms. For instance children at grammar schools and faith schools often travel further because they or their parents want that kind of school. Similarly the privately educated often travel the furthest of the lot in London. Do we deny them free travel? Admittedly, some might gleefully do so. 

What about children in special schools, which being fewer in number often see pupils travelling miles (and at greater expense) to get there? Of course some of these children need a paid chaperone to get safely to these schools. Some take taxis which adds to congestion further. I think at least  we can agree that in a humane world  we shouldn't axe the special  buses which take severely disabled boys and girls to school. 



I know of parents who 'choose' to send their kids to a school further away than they'd like because the local school is a faith school and they either can't get in, not being religious, or they don't want that kind of education for their child. There are also parents who choose (or should we look at it another way and say 'feel compelled'?)  to send their children to schools further away because they perceive the local school to not be good enough. Sometimes these fears are backed up by OFSTED judgements. I sympathise with the 'support your local school' brigade, but parents think with the heart as well as the head. As a parent if your local school was rated 'failing' but a place was available at one further away that's 'outstanding'- yes even over this 40 minutes away rule- what would you do? 

Then there are parents I know whose children have special educational needs and who can be educated in the mainstream. But nonetheless those parents have to choose carefully the right setting for their child. Sometimes the nearest schools won't do.  So the parents of the lad I know with Aspergers, who were bowled over by the can do attitude of the Free School more than 40 mins away, and where he seems content and thriving: should he be denied free travel? They chose the school admittedly, but they didn't choose to be in the position of having to cast about to find the school that's the right fit for him. I'm sure in an ideal world they'd have loved him to go to the school just up the road, but if it doesn't inspire confidence in them why should we criticise them? 


I could go on. It may still annoy you greatly to have to subsidise the travel of any or all of the children in these few categories I've described for all I know. However there are many, many reasons why a lot of London kids have longish 'commutes' of their own,  most of which are, on balance, I suspect valid. 

There will always be naughty and lazy children. They are a minority, however. It is worth putting up with a few herberts, in order to ensure that the majority can use the bus if they so choose, especially in the winter months.  I'd say that's a price worth paying. And at any rate the cost to the individual tax payer really is pennies. 

Have a good weekend. 

Peace. 

crunchman

We need to encourage them into good habits.  By default, most able bodied secondary school age kids should be walking or cycling to school.  If they have special needs then by all means give them a pass, or whatever is necessary.  For at least 95% of the population it's not necessary though.

Off the top of my head I can think of at least 9 state secondary schools within 3 miles of where I live in London - including faith schools if you want those or want to avoid them.  There are probably a more schools that I'm not aware of.  There is plenty of choice there without needing to send kinds further away than that.  3 miles is walkable for an able bodied kid of 13 plus.

I'd still give them a discounted rate but it shouldn't be free.

vasselmeyer

My commute is 15 seconds from my kitchen to my home office. Unless I'm visiting customers, then I drive to the airport. 

xSkarloey

crunchman said:

We need to encourage them into good habits.  By default, most able bodied secondary school age kids should be walking or cycling to school.  If they have special needs then by all means give them a pass, or whatever is necessary.  For at least 95% of the population it's not necessary though.

Off the top of my head I can think of at least 9 state secondary schools within 3 miles of where I live in London - including faith schools if you want those or want to avoid them.  There are probably a more schools that I'm not aware of.  There is plenty of choice there without needing to send kinds further away than that.  3 miles is walkable for an able bodied kid of 13 plus.

I'd still give them a discounted rate but it shouldn't be free.

So sayeth the Lord. 

Anything else you'd care to add?

Compulsory wearing of shorts in the winter? 

Baggy hopsack trousers? 

Caster oil with every meal? 

A good caning for minor indiscretions? 

Luckily we live in the real world, and plenty of kids enjoy free bus travel at your expense. 


Toodleoo old bean. 

Drew_TNBD

@crunchman - Did you receive anything free in your youth? University perhaps?

strumjoughlamps

motorbike for me, leave at 0630 get to work 0645, bit longer on the way home finish at 1430 get home 20-25 mins later.

crunchman

Drew_TNBD said:

@crunchman - Did you receive anything free in your youth? University perhaps?

I'm all for for sending kids to university for free.  We'd be better spending money on that.

It's just that we have a massive air pollution and obesity crisis and 50% of car journeys (or something like that) are under 3 miles and most of them really should be walked or cycled.  At the moment our kids are getting the idea that it is normal to use motorised transport for short journeys.

fields5069

We live 2.9 miles away from our daughter's school, a distance which the council reckon is walkable, i.e. just under 3 miles. Not safe, as they expect an adult to walk with them. Obviously we pay for the bus, thankfully for the general public these are exclusively for our little darlings. My daughter hates it as most of the kids are idiots as you would expect kids to be.

Moss

In before @octatonic posts that picture of the corridor between his house and workshop

TTony

monquixote said:

My office is shortly to move into Cambridge city centre which is going to mean switching from driving to getting the train.

Not looking forward to it. 

Those trains are OK @monquixote.  Most of them are reasonably modern, quiet & comfortable.

I'd avoid the school run times though - those can be a bit noisy for us old'uns.  

And of course you're stuffed when they break down.  Or there's a stuck level crossing.  Or a broken down freight train.  Or the conductor has forgotten to turn up.  Or the driver forgets.  Or the incoming train has arrived late, so everyone from the previous train is also on your train and it's standing room only.  Or the aircon has failed (that only happens in the summer).  Or the heating has failed (you can guess what time of the year that happens).  Or there's a signalling failure.  Or a tree blown onto the line.  Or a truck has hit a bridge.  Or it's too hot so there are speed restrictions meaning the timetable is completely screwed.  Or someone was taken ill on the train - you know "ill" - check your seat carefully before sitting down.



On the upside, you generally only get problems like that on the way home.  The journeys into work are fine.

monquixote

I can't wait... 

dchwhite

TTony said:

monquixote said:

My office is shortly to move into Cambridge city centre which is going to mean switching from driving to getting the train.

Not looking forward to it. 

Those trains are OK @monquixote.  Most of them are reasonably modern, quiet & comfortable.

I'd avoid the school run times though - those can be a bit noisy for us old'uns.  

And of course you're stuffed when they break down.  Or there's a stuck level crossing.  Or a broken down freight train.  Or the conductor has forgotten to turn up.  Or the driver forgets.  Or the incoming train has arrived late, so everyone from the previous train is also on your train and it's standing room only.  Or the aircon has failed (that only happens in the summer).  Or the heating has failed (you can guess what time of the year that happens).  Or there's a signalling failure.  Or a tree blown onto the line.  Or a truck has hit a bridge.  Or it's too hot so there are speed restrictions meaning the timetable is completely screwed.  Or someone was taken ill on the train - you know "ill" - check your seat carefully before sitting down.



On the upside, you generally only get problems like that on the way home.  The journeys into work are fine.

You forgot about when the power lines split in the middle of Cambridge station - that was today's

equalsql

fields5069 said:

equalsql said:

My commiserations old fruit, I know where you are coming from.

I used to work a ten minute cycle ride from home. It was great, I could go home at lunchtimes. The (secondary) campus I worked on was beautiful, as was the surrounding country side.

Then 'they' decided to close the campus and move everyone up to the primary site in the worst, most run-down part of Stoke On Trent.  

The place is a car-fumed choking shyte-hole that smells of sour-milk and dog excrement.. and now I have to cycle and catch the cattle-truck, so my working day is now much longer and I am worse off cos of the rail fairs. I can only manage it because I persuaded my employer to reduce my contract to 3 days a week.  It now means my work/life balance is in my favour.

If I had to do it for five days a week they would be carting me off site in a straight-jacket.

Were you in Stafford by any chance? I spent 2 years in the secondary secondary campus, in the ex-engine facility in the arse end of nowhere. They didn't let us MSC types mingle with undergrads. :-(

Indeed @fields5069. The old Stafford campus was lovely compared to the the current location. It was the only reason I took the job in the first place. They've gone and sold the jewel in the crown and now wonder why there are fewer students. If I was a parent putting their child through uni, the last place I would want them to be is in scum-hole-on-trent. A student was murdered in that area last year.  I despair.