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Original poster

Margaret Thatcher right about buses?

29 replies

PadDad · 31/01/2009 07:49

"The man who finds himself on a bus after the age of 35 can count himself a failure". Margaret Thatcher

OP posts:
choosyfloosy · 31/01/2009 07:53

Wasn't her apparently

it was Brian Howard instead

pushchair · 31/01/2009 07:54

No.

Janos · 31/01/2009 09:10

No, and anyway I thought it was 26?

Still no in any case.

retiredgoth2 · 31/01/2009 09:47

....I have friends who live in Metropolis who use public transport regularly.

If, like me, you live outside the smoke then this is not really an option. I used a 'bus last week, as I had (in a fit of mid life obsession) gone for an eight mile walk and didn't want to make it a sixteen mile round trip...

...rarely had I seen anyone so surprised as the driver, when I got on and proposed to pay for my journey. There was much flustered rustling and searching for a single fare (£4!!). The very few other passengers on the 'bus could all have given Methusela a few years, and were in possession of free passes. Hence the surprise at my tendering a fare...

So I'm not quite with Mrs T. I would suggest 'the person under 90 who finds themselves on a bus' as an alternative...

AnarchyAunt · 31/01/2009 10:02

No, of course she wasn't right [cold sweat at thought]

The man who finds himself revving a noisy gas guzzling sports car with the roof down and making lewd comments at passing women after the age of about 19, now he can count himself a failure.

solidgoldbullet4myvalentine · 31/01/2009 10:12

Not half as much of a failure as the woman who lives in a big city with excellent public transport, but won't use it at night unless she's got a big strong man with her.

SoupDragon · 31/01/2009 10:16

Depending on the city, that would make her sensible, not a failure.

solidgoldbullet4myvalentine · 31/01/2009 13:16

Sorry but adult women ought to be able to take care of themselves. I have spent the best part of 20 years travelling all over greater london in the small hours on night buses and on foot, and have only had about 3 unfortunate incidents in the whole of that time. Women are at far more risk from men they know than from strangers. I just get irritated every time there;s an article on how we should reduce private car use and there's some silly mare whining about how she couldn't possibly get on a bus cos she's just a poor ickle girly.

tumtumtetum · 31/01/2009 13:24

SGB I'm not sure where that came from? have I missed a link or something?

Man on bus over 35 v sensible and economical and green IMO

RealityIsMyOnlyDelusion · 31/01/2009 13:25

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sarah293 · 31/01/2009 13:26

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tumtumtetum · 31/01/2009 13:27

Where has all this stuff about going on public transport by yourself when you're female come from?

The quote was about a man.. What have I missed?

mrsgboring · 31/01/2009 13:28

Men are far more at risk than women for any kind of attacks etc. on public transport.

RealityIsMyOnlyDelusion · 31/01/2009 13:31

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tumtumtetum · 31/01/2009 13:38

Normally though there is some warning. It was so utterly random I was desperately looking for a trigger - SGB sounded like she was reading a different OP to everyone else!

As long as I'm not going mad then...

solidgoldbullet4myvalentine · 31/01/2009 14:33

NO, it was just a response to 'a man using public transport is a failure' - 'not as much as a woman who refuses to use it'.

SoMuchToBits · 31/01/2009 14:39

The more women use public transport at night, the safer it will be too. I always feel much safer at night if there are lots of other people around.

UnquietDad · 31/01/2009 14:44

Sadly, there are women who help to perpetuate the car driver = real man stereotype. There was a driving thread not long ago which brought out the simpering, weak-kneed, giggling worst in a lot of supposed feminists on here...

tumtumtetum · 31/01/2009 14:45

OK then!

I always felt v safe going around London on foot, tube, bus etc at all times of the day and night when I was young.

Now that I rarely go out I feel a lot less safe going around by myself after dark.

Clearly it's not actually less safe, it's just a perception based on exposure.

I was annoyed though when they took the guards off the tube. I always sat in the carriage with the guard and it was reassuring.

I suppose as well that as you get older you get less blase about things eg when a bloke wanks at you on a tube when you're young you just think he's a pratt but when you get older you start to realise that actually you were in a pretty vulnerable position etc.

SoMuchToBits · 31/01/2009 14:46

Well, I'm not one of them - I don't drive myself, but don't care whether men do or not. Dh does, but it wouldn't bother me if he didn't.

tumtumtetum · 31/01/2009 14:49

Just thinking about mrsgboring's stasistic, one which I have always accepted.

But then realised that of all the things that have happened on public transport, I have only reported one of them.

Is it possible that just as many women as men have things happen to them but because of their nature they are not reported?

Just a thought...

AnarchyAunt · 31/01/2009 14:51

TBH, anyone who feels that using public transport is indicative of 'failure' is a total tit IMO.

Agree with UQD - women seem all too glad to perpetuate this one.

mrsgboring · 31/01/2009 15:07

tumtetum - you may be right, but do you think men are any better at reporting incidents? I think men are often embarrassed they couldn't "handle it" themselves - especially with the popular media stereotype that women are the poor defenceless victims.

To get back to the original question of course this statement is a load of rubbish. It's not exactly a huge status symbol these days to have a driving licence and own a car, after all.

tumtumtetum · 31/01/2009 15:15

It was just a thought mrsg. I suddenly realised that I had always accepted (and spouted) the men get in trouble more than women statistic, then suddenly realised that crime against women (sexual crimes usually) are massively under-reported. So is the stat really true... i just don't know.

Certainly men are more likely to be involved in fights etc and the police get involved, or need to be taken to hosp so more likely to be reported?

This is aside from SGB's point that most sex attacks are from people you know which is also true.

UnquietDad · 31/01/2009 15:27

16-year-old sons are still more likely to get attacked than 16-year-old daughters.