Saturday 22 June 2024

Travel


I have been in a quandary recently as to whether to go up north or not.  The travel is a problem.  In times past while living amongst the rich in London I would just get to Kings Cross and take a train to Edinburgh.  Get the right one and we are there in 5 hours.  Now such a trip means leaving here and travelling to Liverpool Street, and hours journey if all is well, changing and making my way to Kings Cross, finding my train, not an early one, and arriving in Edinburgh possibly 7 hours later.  Once upon a time I would have enjoyed this, now it all seems just too much trouble.
Of course I could fly.
This means an early morning bus to Stansted, if the bus still runs, and a plane, either 'Easyjet' or 'Ryanair.'  The hassle of getting on a plane does not entice me there.  For a start |I have to work out the website, then tickets are all on the phone, which confuses me, why no cardboard ones for miserable old gits I ask?  Then there is getting there, queuing with all those heading for Majorca and already drunk, removing things so trousers fall down, shoes disappear, and then rebuilding yourself after being frisked by a happy-chappy with no personality.  Then another queue near the gate, unless it is changed to another.  
Altogether not much fun.    


Or maybe I will just have to buy a car and drive up...?


2 comments:

the fly in the web said...

Take the van! But I insist we have a photo of you at the wheel!
Seriously, what about the long distance bus? They are cheaper than even Ryanair, have loos, and make stops for refuelling.

I remember mother making the trip up north....the coach stopped at a refuelling stop and the driver counted his charges back on board.
One was missing.
After many enquiries as to who might be missing - where was his manifest? - the driver dolefully declaimed
'Nobody knows and nobody cares if their companion is locked in the lavatory'....and the caravan moved on.

Adullamite said...

Fly, I used to take the bus in the 70s, but not now. Night bus in February was best. Some of the drivers were good indeed.