South West trains doesn't want cyclists as 'customers'...

On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 15:25:32 +0100 someone who may be TheMole
wrote this:-

A pram can not be left at the station

Oh, yes it can.

and is *needed* if you have a baby.

One can carry babies.

Totally different to a cycle.

Correct. A cycle is more necessary for those that use them.

But full non-foldable bikes are a tad inconsiderate, don't you think?

Nice try.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 19:13:33 +0100 someone who may be Helen Deborah
Vecht wrote this:-

My original contribution to this thread seems to have disappeared.

I saw it.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 12:11:43 GMT someone who may be "Richard"
wrote this:-

Only because of the **** poor design of the new trains. **** poor
design is not compulsory and it is possible to design trains with
suitable facilities.

No, even at the design stage the conflict exists. Guard's cage or 12 extra
seats?

Neither. Both are examples of **** poor design.

Something like the Class 170s flexible space shows what is possible
with high quality design. That flexible space is far from perfect,
but it does point the way.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

In ,
Dr Curious typed:
"Ian Smith" wrote in message
...
snip

It seems your killfile's still faulty.

A

Paul Weaver wrote:

Ricardo wrote in message ...

Why not? Gedankenexperiment: those 3% of journeys suddenly becomes, say,
70%. The ££££ ploughed into subsidising motor cars can be diverted onto
the renationalised railways


LOL!

I think you've got that the wrong way round. If 50% of the drivers out
there suddenly stopped driving, the country would have a £20bn a year
tax hole that would need to be filled from somewhere else. Even if
road maintenece was halved it would only save £3bn a year.

ITYF that motor vehicles are a net drain on the economy. There might be
be £20bn pa less income (let's assume your figures are correct, I'm not
going to check them at 1am ;-), but there would also be considerably
less outgoing in terms of congestion costs, accident costs, pollution
costs, health costs, etc, etc, which would more than make up for it.

Paul Weaver opined the following...
LOL!
=20
I think you've got that the wrong way round. If 50% of the drivers out
there suddenly stopped driving, the country would have a =A320bn a year
tax hole that would need to be filled from somewhere else. Even if
road maintenece was halved it would only save =A33bn a year.

Much as I hate to say it: Cite! Other posters have claimed in the past=20
that road tax + fuel tax do not cover the costs of road maintenance, yet=20
you suggest that road maintenance costs less than 10% of the money made.

Face it, motorists subsidise the railways for you and I, and if they
all came on the 8:22 to London Bridge, we'd have to travel on the
roof.

Or alternatively the 8:22 to London Bridge could take on some extra=20
carriages to cater for the extra passengers. Since the train would be=20
considerably busier with regular passengers the extra costs could be=20
covered.

All things being equal increased demand will lead to an increase in=20
supply. Except in the British rail industry where it will lead to an=20
increase in discomfort.

Jon

Helen Deborah Vecht opined the following...
My original contribution to this thread seems to have disappeared.

I travelled on the Waterloo-Weymouth line last week using 4 trains in
all. On only one of those was the catering car in use for the whole
journey (the buffet closed at Brockenhurst on our outward
Waterloo-Weymouth journey). I don't see why SWT waste huge amounts of
space for catering and fail to provide for potentially loyal cyclists.

Simple. When the catering carriage is open they are able to sell
refreshments at vastly inflated prices. If they just had bike storage
there they wouldn't be able to do this!

Jon

In ,
Jon Senior jon_AT_restlesslemon_DOTco_DOT_uk typed:
Helen Deborah Vecht opined the following...
My original contribution to this thread seems to have disappeared.

I travelled on the Waterloo-Weymouth line last week using 4 trains in
all. On only one of those was the catering car in use for the whole
journey (the buffet closed at Brockenhurst on our outward
Waterloo-Weymouth journey). I don't see why SWT waste huge amounts of
space for catering and fail to provide for potentially loyal
cyclists.

Simple. When the catering carriage is open they are able to sell
refreshments at vastly inflated prices. If they just had bike storage
there they wouldn't be able to do this!

But they could sell bike spaces at some kind of inflated prices. Maybe even
have card or ticket operated stands to fix them to, so as to automate the
process.

A

Ambrose Nankivell opined the following...
But they could sell bike spaces at some kind of inflated prices. Maybe even
have card or ticket operated stands to fix them to, so as to automate the
process.

Would you buy bike time in stations or minutes? It would a good
incentive for the train companies to run delays since they would earn
money on the "top-ups" necessary to keep your bike there.

Jon

Jon Senior jon_AT_restlesslemon_DOTco_DOT_uktyped


Helen Deborah Vecht opined the following...
My original contribution to this thread seems to have disappeared.

I travelled on the Waterloo-Weymouth line last week using 4 trains in
all. On only one of those was the catering car in use for the whole
journey (the buffet closed at Brockenhurst on our outward
Waterloo-Weymouth journey). I don't see why SWT waste huge amounts of
space for catering and fail to provide for potentially loyal cyclists.

Simple. When the catering carriage is open they are able to sell
refreshments at vastly inflated prices. If they just had bike storage
there they wouldn't be able to do this!

Jon

Wouldn't they? On two of the trains I took, there was a trolley plying
wares while the buffet car was closed. On only one, was there no
catering.
The catering car was a waste of space for much of my trip though, much
more than decent bike space would have been.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.