Jon Snow's train experience

[Mrs Pingu]

Snowblog -   Train companies impose an anti-bike culture

[her_welshness]

Myself and some others had experience of anti-bike from the ticket inspector on South Eastern trains, which I am happy to say is probably the only time I have encountered it from that train company.

A great bit of design from their new trains are the areas designed for bike storage as there is now a safety belt which can be strung and locked around them. When we boarded at Polegate there were already 2 on there but we managed to fit 3 bikes on there (plus attaching some bunjees to keep them together) without impeding the corridor. Cue ticket person saying 'theres too many bikes  on there' and we replied rather forthrightly that there was not. Then an elderly couple next door to the bikes started saying 'bikes are dangerous' to which Jane (from this parish) turned around and assertively asked them 'these bikes are perfectly safe' or something similar.

FFS - its the week-end, the weather is good and people want to cycle around the countryside. You would have thought that logically there will be cyclists wanting to get out of London and then make the return trip, therefore make for provision for it instead of criticising them when they board the train!

[Jurek]

Jane (from this parish) turned around and assertively asked them 'these bikes are perfectly safe' or something similar.

I knew it!

You're all a bunch of Lycra-clad trouble makers. 

[pcolbeck]

It always amazes me that the stations ion London have so little bike parking space. York station has a huge number of shefield stands right on the platform, hundreds and they are expanding the area. If it's OK in York why is it frowned upon at Kings Cross ? No consistent thinking by the railway companies.

[Jurek]

The last time I passed through Paddington Staton it appeared to have loads of space - mostly occupied by bikes which had been there since around the time of the industrial revolution......

[rower40]

It always amazes me that the stations ion London have so little bike parking space. York station has a huge number of shefield stands right on the platform, hundreds and they are expanding the area. If it's OK in York why is it frowned upon at Kings Cross ? No consistent thinking by the railway companies.

York, Oxford and Cambridge put all the other stations into the shade when it comes to bike parking.

In THIS country.  They would be rated as "Small" in the Netherlands. 

[nuttycyclist]

... If it's OK in York why is it frowned upon at Kings Cross ? No consistent thinking by the railway companies.

Nothing to do with the troubles and the London bombings?  Was York ever a target?

[Jaded]

FFS - its the week-end, the weather is good and people want to cycle around the countryside. You would have thought that logically there will be cyclists wanting to get out of London and then make the return trip, therefore make for provision for it instead of criticising them when they board the train!

300 cyclists decide to do that...

Then what do you do?

There's going to be a point, sooner or later, when the powers that be realise that a bike takes up the same space as a person. That's when it gets charged for at the same price as a person.

Until then, I guess I'll have to go with your type of logic.

[nuttycyclist]

...
There's going to be a point, sooner or later, when the powers that be realise that a bike takes up the same space as a person. That's when it gets charged for at the same price as a person.
...

More than one person!

When I get on the train to go to London for the FNRttC the only sensible place I can put the bike (unless I stand and hold it the whole way) is leant against the seats, where it prevents six people using them.

At 23:00 this isn't much of a problem.




I wouldn't want to pay for seven train tickets (me plus 6 for the bike) which would come to £70.  It's bad enough paying £10 (or £20 something in sensible hours) for 30 miles.