Friday 15 February 2013

Free Train Rides

I am sure the people of Droylsden will be elated that the Metrolink is up and running - at long last! To herald the opening of the line to Droylsden residents were given three days free travel on Metrolink trams. But guess what? Northern Rail appear to be giving free train rides too. Today I caught the train from Gatley to Stockport via Manchester Piccadilly. The ticket office at Gatley was closed so I boarded the train expecting to pay whilst on the train, but no, nobody was interested in taking my money, so I eventually bought a ticket at Piccadilly anyway. I then boarded the train to Stockport and it was the same story; nobody checking the tickets either on the train or as you exit the station.

I am not a very frequent user of the trains, but if my journey today was anything like typical it might be tempting for some to always travel for free as it seems that nobody is interested in taking your money in return for a ticket. The abandonment of manned stations could very well be a false economy as there were at least fifty other people who got on and off the trains I used today and if many of them did not pay, it would have resulted in a significant revenue loss. If the railways are losing money - they ought to get their affairs in order by reopening ticket offices at all stations.

14 comments:

i like trains said...

You can get on the train at Staly to Huddersfield for free as well.

Another one bites the dust said...

That's a 323 electric built by Hunslet. Another British manufacturer left to die by the traitors in Westminster. We now buy most of our trains from Germany and Japan while British people can't find work.

A DANGER TO DEMOCRACY said...

Have you read the latest article by Curmudgeon? It is powerful, he wants to be aware of the Labour boot boys. These elected and unelected thugs have a habit of creating problems for free thinkers and critics.

The state of things said...

"Have you ever thrown up your arms in anger and wondered at the sheer lack of common sense of your fellow man?"

Would that be the same fellow man who has the vote? I don't know if cermuddy refers to the occasional retard or just the boneheaded masses in general. But we really don't need to start concocting convoluted conspiracy theories to explain away the stranglehold on politics democracy allows for the powers that be.

Mr average never instigated a revolution, and modern democracy is power via the perpetual feedback mechanism of indoctrination > vote. Those who have the ear of mr average can keep it that way almost indefinitely, hence our two party state for about 80 years (pre 21st century 'coalition government'). Only a serious jolt like that in Greece will make them more receptive to what others might have to say. Either that or a major demographic shift which may see Labour competing against sharia4Britain. Demanding more democracy (rather than less) is also the kind of thing to make you throw your arms up, and why otherwise intelligent observers descend to such inanities fails me.

Why can't some people simply face the fact that the party they don't like is supported by the majority in the area who don't think like they do? Is it out of blind reverence and loyalty for the masses who can't be labelled as just plain stupid? Whilst the Tories have at times garnered considerable votes across Tameside, its distribution is such that it can never translate into any serious challenge without a major restructuring of the boundary lines and of the voting system in general. And the Tories are the only lamentable 'opposition' in the country and are in terminal decline everywhere.

Of course, curmudgeon is a moderate and of the mainstream, which explains everything. The more wise amongst us though are simply waiting for the impending collapse, which can't come soon enough.

Bill said...

I often travel to far away walking destinations by rail and have always had my ticket checked.

Perhaps it's just a local failure but whatever the reason it needs looking in to.

Perhaps the rail companies are happy just to increase prices to compensate for lost revenue.

Bill
http://www.walksintameside.co.uk

Hit and run leaves man with catastrophic injuries said...

Watch the vid and aee if you can identify this animal. Truly horrific.

Dumb and Numbers said...

The combination of mass dumbing down of the indigenous population and the deliberate importation of vast numbers of vote eligible foreigners, whose votes, usually as a community bloc, can be bought 'one way or another', means democracy itself could be the agent which destroys Britain.
Moderates see what they want to see until forced to confront the truth.

Lewis Hamilton said...

Why stop for the dirty filthy kuffar enjoying one of their degenerate unislamic nights out?

This particular minority group seem to have a reputation for reckless behaviour at the wheel. Here's some food for thought....

Asian (ie - Pakistani etc) driving test pass rate in the UK between 2007 and 2012 = 35%

Black UK pass rate = 35%

Chinese pass rate = 38%

White UK pass rate = 50%

In other words half of white candidates pass, about a third of black and Asian candidates pass.

F**k off said...

A few years back in Bradford the uninsured drivers rate had reached 61%. Even the 'community' worshipping yellow bastards in West Yorkshire Police realised they'd let it go too far. So they had a 'crackdown' and got the rate down to...50%. Comforting if you're one of the law abiding drivers of Bradford.

Woman suffers disturbing sexual assault said...

Yes, you guessed it.

White British said...

Saw Bradford City and Oldham Athletic several times on TV over the past few weeks thanks to their cup runs. Not too many members of the 'community' in the crowds.

Colonisation Nation said...

There's a marked disparity in behaviour from young men from 'the community' dependent on relative population numbers.
In areas where there aren't many, it's the 'Uriah Heep': "Oh I'm ever so humble."
When the area's been taken over however it's the 'Full Travolta Strut': "We own diss f***in' area so f**k yooz innit."

Anonymous said...

213retchatcscTVie700301olowsoiNot sure I understand this posting from a danger to democracy?
"Why can't some people simply face the fact that the party they don't like is supported by the majority in the area who don't think like they do?"

Tameside MBC rulers have never had a majority number of voters based on the few who vote in May.

Tameside Citizen said...

Yes Bill, that is possible or the subsidies from GMPTE might be that great that they view loss of income from fare paying passengers as less of a drain than paying for staff at manned stations.