To ask how long it been since you've used public transport?

[BoysofMelody]

After a thread on here over change from bus fares got very heated, a couple of people said they'd not used buses (and possibly other forms of public transport) for over 10 years.

I find it fairly incredible that you can go so long without going on a bus or use other forms - okay I get that it may be months if you commute by car/bike or walk, but surely most people will make an occasional trip by bus or train across the course of a year for a night out or on a day trip or whatever?

I'm on a bus now! I use it everyday to take and collect ds from school. They pass every 40 minutes, take 20 minutes to get to town along the coast, cost 80p/journey. Same at weekends. Last one back at night us 10.30 and there is only one nightbus at 1.45am, which is a bit poo. Otherwise it is great.

I took a train from Stansted to Kent return last month. The cost for 1A and 1DC was the same cost as my return flight to the uk!

Yesterday. I use public transport at least 3 days a week for work.

about 5 hours.

I commute by train. I use buses a lot but they're getting less useful in our city (cutbacks and reduced service).

We got a second car when DD was born, but I went back to managing my commute on public transport (mostly buses at that stage) when I changed offices when she was 2.5 and DD used to commute home with me (she'd come in on DH's bike).

It got more tricky once she was in primary school near home (her crèche was near the office) and I had to get back out on time and drive from the afterschool club to home with a tired girl. So I went back to commuting by car for a few years.

As DH was travelling abroad a LOT, we actually dropped the second car when DD moved to an afterschool in the school itself and it was walkable home. I was back to using the train at that stage again.

We have had to go back to 2 cars in the past 2 years, due to DFIL's death and DH having to travel down to DMIL many weekends while DD and I had activities at home.

That said, we all have LEAP cards (similar to Oyster with an electronic purse) and I have an annual train card on mine. We all (DH, DD and I) use public transport a lot locally and into the city, bus, train, tram etc - and whenever we are abroad as well.

The train a couple of weeks ago back from London.

We live fairly rurally so it's walk for short things and car otherwise most of the time. Public transport takes a lot longer and is more expensive than driving most places.

I know they can't do much about the time, but the cost is ridiculous.

About 6 months ago into town after dd drop car off for a service.
Seriously had travel sickness for 3 days!!
Never again.
Ds2 was excited and clinging onto the rails!!
Cheaper than Alton Towers!!

About 2 minutes.

Hadn't been on a bus EVER until I moved to London, and I'm much closer to 50 than 40.

So that's almost 50 years without having been on public transport. Now I use it every day.

I have a car, but live in the centre of a city, so can walk to many places, and regularly use buses and trains rather than driving, including for long-distance travel.

But if I lived further out into the suburbs or in one of the outlying villages, the bus services are so poor that I would almost certainly be much more tied to the car. My parents live in one of the outer suburbs, and I don't think they have used a bus in the 40+ years they have lived in that house.

And if we want to visit DP's parents, in a small town less than 20 miles away, we always drive (takes around 45 minutes, depending on traffic), as getting there by public transport would involve two trains and a (very infrequent) bus and would take at least half the day. The in-laws never use public transport, unsurprisingly.

I have a bus stop outside my house but have used it maybe 3 times in 4 years. It's incredibly expensive and unreliable.

About 20 minutes ago.

Then again I'm in London where it is plentiful, easy to use and usually faster/more convenient than driving. I'm not a good cyclist (balance) and wouldn't contemplate doing that anywhere with traffic.

But, I grew up in a market toen, where we walked everywhere, and usually were driven (or idc drove ourselves) to the next major town. We'd go months without using public transport, possibly years. We went by train for trips to London (not that often, maybe every 2-3 years) and sometimes from next major town to city (teen years, when parents would only drive us so far, and before we could drive ourselves).

If you live somewhere where public transport is infrequent or inconvenient, you'll set yourself up so you simply don't use it. I don't find their view unusual at all.

I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than use public transport. There's just no need, on the rare occasion I can't drive I get a cab.

I haven't been on a train for years but I was on a bus yesterday.
I am entitled to a bus pass now for local journeys but haven't used it as much as I thought I would.

I live and work in London so every week day. There is very limited parking where I work and traffic is a nightmare. Public transport is the best option for most people where I work. Today I will make 6 journeys on public transport (bus, train and tube).

I went on the Tube about a week ago but haven't used a bus in a good few years though I don't think.

About 5 mins ago. I take at least 6 bus rides per day (excluding weekends).

Locally I only really use park n ride as I need a car for my job itself as well as the commute - also live in a village n buses are infrequent
I use trains for work meetings in nearby cities as less hassle than parking
My job also involves meetings in London so train then tube

I get the bus sometimes for nights out if I want to drink or if an event is happening in town where parking will be impossible. I also sometimes get it for the hospital if I am having a treatment as I don't want to drive straight after due to medication used. Sometimes get train to London and use tube there.

A couple of times a month - I cant drive so if we cant walk there we use it.

I'm on a bus, right now. Until we move house, I have a school run with ds2 involving 8 buses a day.

The one I'm on is running late and I'm not happy.

I genuinely can't remember the last time I used a bus but it's probably over 20 years ago. I'm rural in the North and the bus links to town are poor and don't run at a time that would allow getting the kids to school and then me to work on time. It depends where you live I guess.

I get the train quite a lot but never the bus. It takes soooo long and is a total rip off. I walk if it's near or cycle if not.

Must be about 30 years since I was on a bus. Was last on a train 6 years ago.

If you live rurally you may never use public transport. Where I live it is infrequent, unreliable and expensive, so why would I when we have 2 cars

^^ This and you don't even have to be rural. I can drive to work in 25 minutes but it would take 1.5 hours on the bus to cross the city, a journey of about 10 miles, 2 buses and 2 10 minute walks and that's if they turn up. Also no good as I travel around for work with a boot full of equipment that I can't carry easily myself.

Last bus is at 11 so not great for a night out. I probably go on a bus 2/3 times a year and about the same for trains. Public transport is usually by far the expensive (and slow and inflexible) option when you already have a car and have paid most of the costs anyway.

I use it frequently but DP drives so hasn't used a bus for about 15 years and a train for 10 years.