The alternative way to work.

[Jonny69]

Today I had no choice but to find an alternative way of getting to work. The engine in my car let go at the weekend and my journey home from Birmingham to Kent was on the back of two AA trucks. I arrived home with my hearing and my wallet slightly fuller than it would have been, but I still had the niggling problem of how to get to work.

In a moment of madness a lightbulb lit above my newly acquired Freecycle bicycle and I figured I would be able to cycle the 16.5 miles into work. It's a treacherous route of half town and lanes, blind corners, no passing points and up and down hills. I'd be taking my life into my own hands and the longer I thought about it the more I decided this would be a really bad idea. I came to a compromise. I'd get the train to Sevenoaks which is the closest station to work and ride the last 4km.

It was looking promising. According to National Rail Enquiries the train journey involving one change would take just 31 minutes and roll in at a mere £5.40, so that's less than it would cost by car. Interesting, I thought, and my misersome side started rubbing its hands together. I reckoned on a 10 minute ride so the journey shouldn't be more than 45 minutes, not far off my normal commute.

Here's my steed, a vintage Reynolds 531 framed Raleigh racing bike off Freecycle, Shimano brakes and gears, skinny alloy wheels and it owes me a grand total of £30:



The reality.

I woke up to the sound of rain. No problem, I'm a seasoned ex-biker and I'd been used to getting a soaking, it just meant the roads would be a bit slippery and it's been a while since I rode a push bike in the wet and I've got no waterproofs. The train times are also such that they would never get me to my destination at a convenient time. I'd either be 10 minutes late or 20 minutes early so I opted to not be late for work and picked the earlier train, leaving the flat at 8:10am compared to my normal 8:50am.

There was a huge queue at the station and the commuters were already huffy and impatient. Being as I was with bike this compounded the problem and lots of huffing and puffing was occurring behind me despite it not actually being in anyone's way. The person behind me in the queue was actually making contact with me! Have these people not heard of personal space, how can they stand so close? The new ticket machines are about as unintuitive as they could have possibly been and the card payment screen is so low it's not actually visible from a standing position. I have to question when such a small percentage of society is disabled and unable to reach a screen at normal height why the rest of society has to suffer as a result. How hard could it be design this to be accessible from both high and low? I craned down so I could see in and put in my PIN number. I should also point out here that the fare came to £9.80, not the £5.40 quoted on National Rail, so that makes this a rather expensive way to get to work. I'm sure it's cheaper with a season ticket but I can't see it matching the price of the car, any car.

Naturally the train was running a few minutes late, no problem except I had just 4 minutes to find my connecting train. Stress levels were rising. The train was empty because I was travelling away from London, so I not only had space for the bike (in fact I was actually allowed to put the bike the train, on London bound trains it's banned) but I got a seat as well. My connecting train was also conveniently running late by a few minutes and I arrived at my destination at around 9:05am. The train journey had taken 39 minutes compared to the quoted 31 minutes.

I hopped on the bike and my legs got me the final stretch to work, burning, out of breath, wet with road spray but I made it. The only close shave was with an artic that passed a bit too close for comfort but otherwise all was well and I rolled through reception at 9:15am on the dot.

Conclusion. The door to door journey took an hour and 5 minutes compared to my normal 35 minutes by car and cost me roughly 50% more. Risking my wellbeing with traffic and wet roads, I arrived hot, out of breath and soaked with sweat and road grime. I am still wet in fact. We're being pressured to ditch our cars in favour of alternative transport but how can we do so when there is no realistic alternative? I have to repeat this journey tomorrow but luckily I then have access to another car to get me to work so I don't have to make this a permanent change. I certainly wouldn't want to do it every day.

[Wryel]

Zone 1-3 Travelcard, approx £127/month.

Scooter, approx £25 in fuel per month

Hot, smelly, overcrowded train versus breezing through the traffic in fresh (well, open) air. Strangely these two journeys take pretty much the same time, I know which one I prefer though!

[Jonny69]

When I was on two wheels my journey used to take longer than the train, but the fact that I wasn't stuffed in with impatient frowning huffing commuters, I wasn't hogtied to a particular time and it only cost me about £25 a month in fuel I could easily justify it

[lostkat]

This is a reality for a lot of people, sadly. It would also cost me a heck of a lot more money/time to get to work via public transport or bike.

I work in a different county and there are no cross-county buses from my village to Derby. So I'd have to get a bus into Leicester (20 miles in the wrong direction), take the train to Derby (which would be a good £10-£15) and then take a bus from Derby station to Rolls-Royce. My guess is that this'd take me about 3 hours and cost around £20.

Biking to work is 17 miles up and down hills. It'd take me ages and I'd need to have a shower/do my hair etc. when I got there. Sod that!

There's no real viable alternative to my car at present.

[Daz]

Originally Posted by lostkat

I work in a different county.

Likewise here - head office is in Hinckley, and I'm just over the border in Derby, so it's just not workable.

Even when we were in Ashby (which is in the same county) it wasn't feasible. Easiest way I found went through Loughborough and then into the city centre. It would all take more than double the length of my car journey and cost me almost a days wages a week to maintain.

It's certainly one of my peeves as well Jonny - I don't particularly mind the government taxing motorists up the ass and saying it's to get them off the road (similar sort of logic to smoking I suppose) - but this money isn't used to give us any sort of viable alternative unless you live in London, so we end up getting screwed.

[Jonny69]

I am SO saddle-sore today. I feel like I've been kicked by a footballer.

[Mark]

Some of us don't actually have any choice, it's either public transport, taxi, or walk. Public transport sucks, taxis cost ridiculous amounts of money, and walking...

The only practical answer in that situation is to move house to work, which is what I did. Not exactly practical if I need to change jobs in future though.

I do admit I've used buses a hell of a lot more since April though. I go down to my big Tesco pretty much every weekend now, for example - something I did maybe 2-3 times a year before. I don't object when the service is direct and costs nothing (save the taxes I already pay).

[Goose]

Yeah, it sucks. My journey from Scratcham to Hungerford isn't too bad, but the public transport option just isn't viable. I'm going to start riding in soon, possibly rowing in during the summer.

[Zirax]

My experience is similar to yours Johnny. This morning I had to get the train in. It was leaving at 6.40. Now I could have gotten a bus which would have been handy as i'm on the main route which would drop me at the station. However there are no buses at that time. Taxi's now cost £10 on average from my house to the station. I flat refuse to believe that even with the fuel rises that it costs more than £1 to get there.

Anyway I get there and I have to stand on the 6.40 all the way in! Nobodys fault but still a pain in the ass. I then carry my crud round on the underground to kings cross. Once there we are off to Leeds. I thought being a long distance route they would run something like an old Intercity and I could catch some sleep. WRONG. This damn thing absolutely threw you around in the carriage. I never get travel sick but after two and a half hours of that I did feel like crap.

Now the price, £75 for a young person just as single vs £65 for fuel in a car that will get me there and back. Coupled with being able to have a break in the services and still get home quicker than by train, I shall be commuting soley by car. I mean the difference there would allow me to stop for a nice meal somewhere on the way home and still be cheaper.

[Wryel]

Originally Posted by Zirax

My experience is similar to yours Johnny. This morning I had to get the train in. It was leaving at 6.40. Now I could have gotten a bus which would have been handy as i'm on the main route which would drop me at the station. However there are no buses at that time. Taxi's now cost £10 on average from my house to the station. I flat refuse to believe that even with the fuel rises that it costs more than £1 to get there.

Anyway I get there and I have to stand on the 6.40 all the way in! Nobodys fault but still a pain in the ass. I then carry my crud round on the underground to kings cross. Once there we are off to Leeds. I thought being a long distance route they would run something like an old Intercity and I could catch some sleep. WRONG. This damn thing absolutely threw you around in the carriage. I never get travel sick but after two and a half hours of that I did feel like crap.

Now the price, £75 for a young person just as single vs £65 for fuel in a car that will get me there and back. Coupled with being able to have a break in the services and still get home quicker than by train, I shall be commuting soley by car. I mean the difference there would allow me to stop for a nice meal somewhere on the way home and still be cheaper.

I get the train to Leeds a lot, I always manage to sleep!