In two weeks time, I'm off on holiday - and I'm really rather looking forward to it.
We're off to cornwall with the parents, who are located in Somerset. This leaves me only the journey between here and Somerset to worry about - as my Stepfather is driving from there to Cornwall.
Now, for any of you not too familiar with the Geography involved, the journey between us in Huddersfield (in the North West) and Stoke Sub Hamdon (in the South West) is some 250 miles, which is quite a long way.
In a car, without taking into account traffic - the journey will take around 4 1/2 hours, which although not a problem - is a bit of a long trek (particularly in my rather small car.)
As such, me and the wife decided we would probably get a train.
Now, the cost of travelling by car for the two of us will be between £30 (good run) and £40 (not good run.) So worse case scenario, the two of us travelling would cost £15 per person in fuel. Theres then coffees and burgers etc to take into account en route - so lets chalk the total up to around £25 each - making the total return around £100.
Far from cheap that I know, but we get to travel at our convenience, with our own entertainment. We can also stop at whatever services we need to.
With those luxuries then - you would expect that to be the expensive option.
It bloody well isn't though.
For the pleasure of spending 10 minutes to get the first train station, 4 1/2 hours on trains then another 20 minutes travelling from the other station to my parents you'd think that things would be cheaper.
They aren't though.
Then there is the sitting in a cramped carriage, continually travelling with hot, smelly, fed up, noisy strangers for the duration. Surely this would make a difference.
It doesn't though.
Then there is the fact that one train can propel several hundred people, making fuel costs per person very low. Surely they pass this on?
Do they bolucs.
No, for each of us to get to Somerset and back, without travelling to the stations or any other costs, it would cost us £170 each.
Shit a brick.
Why on earth does anyone travel by train any more? There is not a reason I can think of.
How on earth can you charge so much for one person? For that kind of money, I'd be expecting a personal mariachi band - to serenade me for the duration of the journey.
I could hire a bloody car and drive it there for that kind of money.
In fact, I could hire a car and a bloody driver! and I'd probably have enough left over for a half decent bottle of wife.
What a set of thieving bastards! Looks like I'm driving then.
Rant over.
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