The Great Train Snobbery - Osborne sits in first class on a standard ticket!

[edam]

oh dear, seems second class isn't good enough for Gideon...

We'll need to keep an eye on his expenses claims...

Great thread Edam, thank you. It seems that the press and society have chosen to bite back at the likes of Mitchell and Osbourne. I for one am absolutely delighted, bring it on.

You know what they say: Those with the most, screw us with the least

I often get booted into first class if trains so busy can't get me into thr booked disabled spot but who ever puts me on the train makes point of letting guard know and never had a problem but yes you do get some obnoxious sods in there who look down their nose at others on first class but to be fair most are really nice and helpful

Edam yes you're quite right, a large part of his constituency could never be described as ghetto, but there are some 'lesser' areas too.
And therein lies the problem. This is such a Tory stronghold that if they put a chimp up for Tory candidate in the next election (surely better than George), the people in this area would vote it in. Neil Hamilton, yes. We did have Martin Bell and his white suit once, way back in the 1990's I think it was.
I suspect that GO was given this constituency exactly because they know that it's a guaranteed Conservative seat. I'd like to see him fight for survival in one of the marginals instead, but never going to happen!

Here is a report from a reputable reporter who was on the train at the time:
www.itv.com/news/granada/2012-10-19/george-osborne-refuses-to-sit-in-standard-class-despite-not-having-first-class-ticket/

Osborne should know better as he was witnessed doing exactly the same thing in May this year, when passengers high-fived the ticket inspector who wouldn't let him get away with it.

It wouldn't be so awful if Osborne hadn't arrogantly laid into civil servants for wasting money by travelling first-class when he came into power and banged on about a culture of entitlement among the poorest in society, when despite being born into millions, he feels entitled not to pay for a first class ticket.

'We're all in this together' was dropped as a slogan at this year's Tory conference. When it comes to political lies it's one of the most transparent...

quite, nicname.

Well Said Nicname.

One law for them and one for us.

I think Osbourne should go link arms with Mitchell now.

I have bought a standard ticket, got on the train and gone to first class instead nd paid the upgrade half a dozen times.
I have never been fined. I have never informed that I shouldn't. The first time was because the guard suggested it as an option.

So the story does baffle me a bit.

It's the initial refusal to pay the upgrade, according to reporter who witnessed it, that makes it dodgy.

Add that to the similar incident in May, when he moved back to standard rather than stump up when challenged, and this is starting to look like a modus operandi: buy a standard class ticket, try to blag first class.

Maybe I should try that.

Ahhhhh.

I wouldn't do that. I would die. Actually die.

I would not be surprised if the population is slowly becoming so angry with politicians ruining this country and its people, while sitting their on their high horses in their limos claiming "it is all going better now" and "The cuts are working".
that they need to start paying into a hefty Security Guard budget. For whom? For whom are the cuts working?
They are so out of touch.
The general population are just a spreadsheet and numbers game, not real valuable people to them. Who cares if families lose their employment, their earnings, there are no benefits to bridge the shortfall, they are just numbers on a screen. Like the budget is.

This Government, is like Marie Antoinette.

I bet the ticket collector made a point because he is Angry and Disgruntled.

(Whereas he (possibly) has no reason to be angry with the lovely Pagwatch)

Fair enough.
Plus I am only ever in first class with ds1 who can't cope without a window seat so I am an object of sympathy. Fairly well off yet still a pathetic heap is my styleee

Alert to the MN christmas appeal go on feel all warm and fuzzy

I don't think the ticket inspector is making a point by requiring Gideon to follow the same rules as, er, everyone else.

If he'd made an exception for G, that would have been some sort of point.

Interesting article re MPs still travelling first class- and not on cheaper than stAndard class tickets either. From none other than the Torygraph...

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9623075/The-gravy-train-185-MPs-travel-first-class-and-24-claim-for-club-class-flights.html

I don't believe for a moment that Mitchell said "pleb". Surely he would have said "plebeian".

Well, if he can be rude, bad mannered, entitled, and say the F word, I am sure he can also shorten plebeian to plebs.

This works the opposite way. My XH used to work for British Railways and was entitled to first class tickets free. We were travelling first class, reached Birmingham when a connecting train came into the station. A train load of holidaymakers disembarked from it and all came to our train. There were not enough seats for everyone so second class (it was called that then) ticket holders filled up the first class carriages.

Instead of lots of room, we were squeezed into five to a row instead of the four seats available.