RAILWAY ROBBERY

In past ages it was the bandits who held up trains to get the cash.

Nowadays it's the train companies who are doing the robbing. Bastards.

In UK like in many other countries enlightened lazy politicians have sold off state owned assets to private enterprise in the belief (that is beggared) that this will be better for the consumer and the public purse. Railway is clearly a case where the exercise is a bloody rort. After having laid off thousands of workers who now are a burden on the taxpayer the private enterprise train companies cut back on services, jack up the price of travel and stick their hands out for government rebates. Bastards (did I say that already?)

Virgin Train (part of that fancy billionaires empire) is one of them, now making lots of dosh for shareholder, dosh that could and should be going to the most important shareholders - the public.

On the recent long weekend we went to Oxford where I was helping out at a wine and food festival. This was a bit of a washout as it was cold and rained for 2 of the 3 days - our first taste of an 'English Summer'.
I made the bookings on-line, down to Oxford Saturday morning at 7.30 and back from Oxford on Monday evening at 6.30. I must have had a 'senior moment' as I didn't notice the 24 hour time they use. When we arrived at Oxford station on Monday we were told that we'd missed the train as it left at 6.30 AM.
Bastards!
They wouldn't let us board the train that was there (even though it had empty seats) and we had to buy more tickets. 196 pounds worth of extra tickets. This is roughly 440 NZD.
Bastards!

Makes me want to take up train robbing.