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Original poster

Why do you not use public transport?

92 replies

LissyGlitter · 01/07/2009 15:08

I use the bus and Metro a lot, and meet all sorts of interesting people. My dd absolutely loves it, there is no messing about with car seats, finding parking, getting lost, filling up with petrol, etc. I really fail to see why people don't use public transport for nearly every journey (obviously except for disabled people, delivering large items, people who live miles from a bus stop etc) I just pay £15 a week for my bus ticket and I can spend all day wandering about showing dd the local area. I feel so sorry for kids that are bundled up in cars all the time, watching the world go by. Surely this trend towards isolating yourself is no good for society?

OP posts:

AnnieLobeseder · 02/07/2009 09:35

Well, since buses around here don't actually go anywhere useful and take the longest possible route, I would have to have a car in addition to using the bus, which would a) end up being twice as expensive (bus fares are exorbitant here) and b) take so long that by the time I'd got the DDs to whatever fun activity we had planned, it would be time to turn around and go home again.

Every couple of months we'll go somewhere on the bus or train as a treat, but for the rest of the time we'll go by car and leave the interacting with interesting people and de-isolating until we actually get where we're going.

FFS, people don't put their kids in cars and drive around randomly all day. Did you consider that they might actually being going somewhere interesting?

Damn silly OP....

AnnieLobeseder · 02/07/2009 09:39

Don't think my point was clear - abetadad argues that when you add up all the cost associated with a car, public transport is probably cheaper. However, even if I did use public transport for some of my journeys, others simply aren't possible, so I would need a car too. So I'd still have to pay tax, petrol, insurance, tyres, depreciation etc etc, PLUS the crazy bus fares they charge. So no saving there at all. In fact, it would be more expensive since my petrol costs to go anywhere are less than the price of a bus ticket.

polemic · 02/07/2009 09:41

And can I add about the polluting thing ... how does a big fat double-decker bus with only three passengers on board count as green? PT is only ecological if enough people use it which they will only do if it is cheap, quick, goes at sensible times of the day etc etc etc (see several million posts above/below)

imoscarsmum · 02/07/2009 09:52

Well I haven't been on a bus for, ooh, maybe 16 years and have no desire to!

I live on a few bus routes (I think - never checked) but I have a company car for work. And it's not just a perk, I coudn't do my job without one as I travel all over the north, often have 3 or 4 meetings a day.

So, have car, will use it! life is way too short to sit on a bus for ages trying to get somewhere and taking ages. Esecially in this heat - nice air con car please!!
My DD does not sit in the car all day, we actually get into it to go somewhere fun. So much easier to nip off somewhere for the day than try and work out bus routes and having to leave at the crack of dawn cos it'll take us 3 buses to get there. I can also bung things in the boot that we may or may not need - I prefer having things in the car to make DD's life or my life easier, 'just in case'.
Eg today, once she wakes from her nap, it's a hot day so I've made a picnic and we'll pop down the coast to the beach for the day. on the bus, I'm guesing it would take ages and take at least 2 buses as the beach I have in mind is fairly isolated but we love it.

I appreciate London may be different (I live in North West) but then, hey, that's one of the reasons I have no desire to live there cos it's so hard/expensive to run a car there!!

expatinscotland · 02/07/2009 10:05

There's no online supermarket delivery out here.

There's no supermarket! There's a dinky Co-op.

There is no way on this Earth that using public transport for a family of 5 costs less than running a banger like ours, assuming there is public transport at all in many areas.

Peanut's a diesel.

Its insurance is next to nothing (only carry 3rd party because the thing's not worth much and both of us are in our 30s with 4+ years clean licenses).

And the garage around here is amazingly cheap when it comes to any repairs - we usually ask for used parts.

Lease a car? Why on Earth would anyone do that when bangers are so cheap?

expatinscotland · 02/07/2009 10:07

our car doesn't have air-con, but at least we can sit right next to the open windows and pop the sun roof.

Laquitar · 02/07/2009 16:15

Gosh!
Yesterday i posted something like 'if you live in london is easy to use the bus''.

Well today i was waiting 50 minutes for the bus . It serves me right .

Am taking previous post back

Tortington · 02/07/2009 16:24

but there are 'public' on public transport

oh no.

chim000 · 02/07/2009 16:41

Because it's expensive, slow, leaves you with lengthy walks or multiple changes, not regular enough, and quite often late or just doesn't turn up at all.

I live in a city so you'd expect it to be some kind of reliable service.

I was without a car for a week a while ago and was stressed beyond belief and bloody skint. It costs in 2 days to use public transport what it does to run my car for a week. The journey to nursery is a 10 minute drive or an hour and a half bus journey with either 3 buses or a 2 buses and a half hour walk.

McDreamy · 02/07/2009 16:43

Because the public use it too!

hifi · 02/07/2009 18:15

i drive to central london, pay congestion and parking, usually about 14.00. by bus and tube its 7.00.i know its double but would also take me double the time and not have to deal with the nutters on buses.

OptimistS · 03/07/2009 12:06

Because although I have a bus stop pretty much outside my house, the nearest bustop to my place of work is 5 miles away and the nearest bustop to my CM is 7 miles away. I have my shopping delivered, most of my life is community based and I walk pretty much everywhere, so if work/CM was on a bus route I would LOVE to get rid of my car. Would save me a fortune!

gscrym · 03/07/2009 12:28

There aren't any buses that would get me to work on time. It also costs me £2.30 to get a single into town. I costs me less to drive and park. I walk to the shops if I'm not getting a lot.

GetOrfMoiLand · 03/07/2009 12:38

FWIW I used public transport for years as i didn't drive. Never thought I was at a disadvantage getting the bus and train everywhere. And that was in Devon where the PT was pretty shocking.

However, as time went on it became more difficult to carry onm without a car. It is very hard to coordinate your life when you have to take into account waiting around for buses. I seemed to spend most of my life in a blind panic waiting for late buses, panicking that I would be late for work/school/etc.

I now live in Gloucestershire and I didn't drive I would not have the career and school (for dd) choices. I work outside Bristol, to get to work i would have to get a bus, a train, another bus and a 1.5 mile walk. It would also be extortionate in cost.

Also, dd goes to school 15 miles away, she would have to get 3 buses (involving a 20 minute wait in innner city Gloucester at 7.20 in the morning between buses 1 and 2) which would take a total of 2 hours. I would not make a 13 year old do that. It would also cost £22 a week for a bus pass.

So, I drive from Gloucester to her school just outside Cheltenham, down to Bristol and vice versa. Having a car has enabled me to be able to do this.

OP - I assume you don't have major claims on your time like a lot of people on this thread.

smartacus · 03/07/2009 12:41

several reasons here:

The few times I have taken the bus for the same route I have never been charged the same price twice.

Been told off by the driver because I was taking to long to get in (slight pushchair problem).

There is a bus stop litterally on my doorstep but the bus only comes once an hour and service stops at 4pm.

I usually walk to town and back, it is actually easier!

GetOrfMoiLand · 03/07/2009 12:47

Crap typing and grammar on that last post - sorry

Also want to add, the reason tha dd can't go to school in Gloucester is that I wouldn't send my cats to most of the schools in the city, and the ones which are decent are either (a) oversubscribed with huge waiting lists or (b) catholic (which I am not). But that's a whole other thread.

Nyx · 04/07/2009 00:20

I do use public transport a lot as I don't drive (yet - it's absolutely top of the wishlist but am skint at present). I don't mind so much when it's just me going to work, but with dd (3) it's not so good. The other day I was on the bus coming back from swimming, around midday. A man was sitting two seats in front of us. One stop after we got on, two more men came on; saw the man in front of us, walked up to him, and the bigger one leaned over and punched him hard on the face. I'm surprised his cheekbone didn't break. The one who was punched started cowering against the window and muttering that he was "just oot the jail man - jist oot the jail". I don't know what happened next as I got hold of dd and walked to the front of the bus and got off at the next stop.

Obviously it's not always like that, but I really wish I'd been driving. DD just wouldn't drop the subject - I was struggling to think what to say tbh.

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