The bus is just as bad

tbf it’s not just buses and trains it’s getting around by any means, flying is grim, both at the airport and on the plane, and driving is no fun either…

basically, getting around the country is best avoided by any motorised means, it’s just stress and expense whatever mode of transport.

except on a bike, for the most part 😬

I love trains

Said no commuter ever, or anyone who caught the last train home on a friday or saturday night!

As for as all the unused reserved seats… when I was travelling by train more frequently,. Typically to/from London from the mid-shires, our ‘open return’ tickets often came with an automatic reservation.  Even if the chance of using the reservation was probably no better than  20%
The reason for the open return rather than a fixed return was precisely because I’d be unsure whether I’d be returning at 3pm or 7pm

Arrives me that what is needed is some syncing between ticket barrier gates and the train. If you’ve not passed through the ticket barrier eg at a London terminal then the reservation on the train is deleted when the train departs  (can’t do that everywhere as some stations aren’t gated. But it would hit a good chunk.

Have you thought you’re maybe a bit of a sensitive soul? While that’s a bit grim, I cannot imagine that ever putting me off eating food (not sure a Twix counts as food though).

Really? Maybe I’m a ‘sensitive soul’, but the stench of some entitled ****wit’s crotch-goblin’s shit two feet away from where I’m sitting would, in all likelihood, result in me vomiting everywhere. That sort of behaviour is totally unacceptable, and I don’t care what you think.

I love trains
Said no commuter ever, or anyone who caught the last train home on a friday or saturday night!

No? I sodding well did, as I got onto the 23.32 out of Paddington, four minutes before it left! Missing it would have meant spending seven hours waiting for the next train, and spending another £100 on a single ticket.
The next time I went to London for a gig I drove up, but that means a two hour drive home. Personally, I’d love to catch a train to London, or Bristol for a gig on my own, but as most gigs finish around 11.00pm, and it’s roughly 25-30 minute tube ride from the nearest underground station to Paddington, and in Bristol the last train home is 10.32pm, and again, gigs mostly finish around 11.00pm, with at best a 20-30 minute walk to Temple Meads.

Public transport makes no concessions to convenience for the travelling public when it comes to recreation – I see no reason why there can’t be a last train at midnight, which would be wonderful, a nice, quiet comfortable journey home, instead of an hour back from Bristol in the car, which admittedly isn’t too bad, or a late night drive getting home around 2am.

The GWR trains are lovely, quiet and comfy, perfect after a long day in London. Certainly preferable to the coaches.

I regularly catch the bus to local destinations, and really enjoy it, they’re free for me, I don’t have to piss around with expensive car parking, and if I go down to Bath, I can have a pie and mash and a couple of beers in The Raven! What’s not to like?

I never reserve a seat because I can’t guarantee it’ll be next to the bike carriage. I never realised it provoked such strong feelings in others to have to ask me to move!

I’ve never noticed; do trains tend to have baby changing facilities in the toilets? Perhaps they had no choice, however unhygienic (protest nappy change anyone?)

I never realised it provoked such strong feelings in others to have to ask me to move!

I wouldn’t say it provokes strong feelings in me. Infant I don’t really care in a THTS my seat kind of a way. But I have played the game of “I’ll find somewhere else” then you can’t so you sit in a reserved seat until someone says “that’s mine” then you are stuck either looking again or kicking the person out of yours. It’s just hassle. But equally I just don’t understand why you don’t put your bike in and leave it and find your seat.

The GWR trains are lovely, quiet and comfy, perfect after a long day in London.

They’re sodding useless for bikes!

I hate them too… the only time I tolerate them is when they get me out to town for meeting friends for a few drinks and food… as you say, it’s not the train it’s the people that use them

I never reserve a seat because I can’t guarantee it’ll be next to the bike carriage.

If you book on most operators sites you actually can.

Could I ask what would put you off eating food? Is someone else’s toenail in your drink and the sight and smell of baby shit not enough? 😜

Are you Rambo? 🤣

I wouldn’t drink the coffee, I would say to the person who’s toenail it was what had just happened. Most people are actually quite nice and reasonable and chances was they’d want to make amense and with luck I’d get a replacement coffee.

As for the nappy, I’m a parent myself and quite understanding to the horrible situations that parents find themselves in. I’m not eating the baby’s sh*t. My hands are nowhere near it. I’d be quite happy to eat after witnessing a baby being changed. A normal part of human life is raising young.

I enjoy trains because of the human interaction. I’d say it’s the roads which I find far more uncivilized.

Trains are great. Sometimes. 

I commuted against the flow – into Dunblane and loved it.  Almost my own private carriage after Edinburgh Park. Read 0f just gawp at the Ochils.  Only problem -£££££

Scotrail have banned alcohol on trains since the pandemic. It is, without a doubt, the most ignored rule in Scotland. There are always people drinking. Conductors don’t care or challenge it. Even trains in the morning seem to have a drinker. Saturday morning trains usually have groups of women going out for the “girls day” in Edinburgh, complete with cans of M&S G&T.

A few years ago, pre pandemic, there was a really rowdy groups of lads being seriously abusive. Lots of young kids on the train including ours. Conductor refused to do anything about it or even contact BTP. My wife ended up challenging the conductor quite robustly and he did phone the police, to report her for being abusive!  It was like a bad comedy sketch.

The removal of peak fares is a bit of a treat though, off peak rate travel any time of the day

Wish we could go back to bikes stored in the “guards carriage” being the norm, rather than the exception. So often the bike area on standard carriages is cluttered with baggage and even people standing, other times there are more than two two bikes or simply another bike there needing a lot more width than a road bike.

Only once over the last ~4 years have I been able to put my best spec bike in the guards carriage for the second leg of my journey up to Prestatyn, locked to a decent stand… It made the trip far less stressful, while allowing me to go for nice rides including the big Denbigh climb, knowing the odds of my bike taking a knock on the train was vastly reduced.

Not been able to do the journey for the last ~14 months because of long covid, but I hope the process of reserving a bike spot on trains has become easier, was suck a ball-ache to book a seat online and then have to book a bike spot via a manned train station.

I will stick to my own personal policy of avoiding public transport whenever practicable 

I love trains. I love travelling by train. I love standing at the station waiting for the train. I love reading about trains and watching trains on my dog-walk.

But what I absolutely detest is the general public who, like the OP, think trains are some form of moving bin. I think theres an unwritten rule that every other person on a train apart from myself has to have 15th century levels of personal hygiene.

There should definitely be a social awareness test before boarding!

My favourites are:

– Sticking your massive suitcase into the aisle because you don’t understand luggage racks

– Locking your bike up (it’s a moving train – who’s nicking your bike?).

– Leaving the toilet door wide open after using it. Thanks for that.

– Screaming at your kids/dog/husband

– Video calling

Just sit down, shut up and enjoy the scenery. Maybe have a polite conversation or read a book.