BoomBoom Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007000415,00.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wad Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I went to London yesterday with the wife and kids. Bus fare had gone up from £1.50 to £2.00 = 25% inflation Evening Standard had gone up form £0.40 to £0.50 = 20% inflation London Aquarium was £44.00 for the four of us and we spent only an hour there. Only thing that had not gone up was the price of going to the toilet in Victoria station still at £0.20 but it should be free anyway. We came away saying to ourselves this is rubbish and its expensive and we used to live here - we are not coming back until well after the crash! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I went into London by car yesterday (the train journey is just too difficult and expensive). I parked on a meter for 3 hours. The cost came to £8 for the congestion charge and £12 for the pay and display meter. I really think people are going to get fed up with London soon, it has taken the concept of rip off to new heights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoomBoom Posted January 4, 2007 Author Share Posted January 4, 2007 I went into London by car yesterday (the train journey is just too difficult and expensive). I parked on a meter for 3 hours. The cost came to £8 for the congestion charge and £12 for the pay and display meter. I really think people are going to get fed up with London soon, it has taken the concept of rip off to new heights. 20 quid to pop into the centre of London for 3 hours! That's about 1/4th of the money someone on a ow income has left after rent/council tax and utilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearishbanker Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 I went to London yesterday with the wife and kids. Bus fare had gone up from £1.50 to £2.00 = 25% inflation Evening Standard had gone up form £0.40 to £0.50 = 20% inflation London Aquarium was £44.00 for the four of us and we spent only an hour there. Only thing that had not gone up was the price of going to the toilet in Victoria station still at £0.20 but it should be free anyway. We came away saying to ourselves this is rubbish and its expensive and we used to live here - we are not coming back until well after the crash! Well what about the musuems and art galleries that used to charge? Now free. -100%. You can now travel all over London by bus with any zone travelcard. London has not gone uo in price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Eagle Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 I went to London yesterday with the wife and kids. Bus fare had gone up from £1.50 to £2.00 = 25% inflation Evening Standard had gone up form £0.40 to £0.50 = 20% inflation London Aquarium was £44.00 for the four of us and we spent only an hour there. Only thing that had not gone up was the price of going to the toilet in Victoria station still at £0.20 but it should be free anyway. We came away saying to ourselves this is rubbish and its expensive and we used to live here - we are not coming back until well after the crash! get an oyster card, and who needs an 'evening ba$tard' with all those free newspapers you get these days... And London Aquarium is a rip off, get some '1 pound' easyjet/ryanair flight to Barcelona or Genova (Italy) and see a real aquarium for almost the same money and in London only tourists use toilets, some posh house door works fine for everyone else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Rail fares up but bbc says asda is lowering fuel prcies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandster Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Can you buy an oyster card at Heathrow? If so where? Shall be paying a visit to London village in a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zag2me Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Just buy an oyster card, no one pays cash on the bus's or tubes anymore. It's so much cheaper and more convenient with oyster. You can buy the cards at virtually any station in London, it takes 1 minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBearStare Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 (edited) Just buy an oyster card, no one pays cash on the bus's or tubes anymore. It's so much cheaper and more convenient with oyster. You can buy the cards at virtually any station in London, it takes 1 minute. errrmm...well let me tell you that on the ground it isnt quite so black and white. My wife and I went into central London on Tuesday for a spot of shopping. we live on zone1/2 border so we initially left our flat by bus (£2 each). We could not get an "Oyster" card as the nearest train station is 15 minutes walk and, well, Im a lazy b***ard. So after a couple of hours negotiating a rather packed Oxford street we decided to get the tube home from Tottenham Ct Road. The queues for purchasing an oyster were MASSIVE. I estimated that it would take at least 20 minutes queueing behind tourists and londoners alike in the station behind just ONE ticket attendant. The only other option was to pay £4 each on the tube to go 5 stops and then another £2 each for the bus. That would have been £16 between us to travel a total round trip distance of less than 10 miles!!! So we trudged back up to street level to try and get a bus. With our £2 each!! at the ready we boarded only to be told that we needed to purchase a ticket at a machine at the bus stop. WE did as we were told (with some grumbling and swearing on my part) while the bus departed without us!!!! Having put my £2 into the machine it ate the money and did not serve me a ticket!!!! Furious with the ridiculous of the situation we awaited the next bus and told the chap that the machine was broken and could we pay a further £2 and board. "No" replied the jobsworth to**er. "You will have to go over the road and purchase a ticket there!" Now this is New Oxford Street and I was being told by a driver of one of London's buses to cross a busy street with lots of buses and poor pedestrian visibility to cross and risk my life. Needless to say i said F*ck you and hailed a taxi. So in the end we got the taxi home (a distance of about 5 miles) which cost £7.60...a total cost LESS THAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT!!!!! And yesterday I went to Waterloo underground and noted that with one ticket guy there was a MASSIVE queue of tourists trying to purchase oyster cards. For the benefit of those who don't have the luxury of living in this sh*te hole you cannot purchase these cards from machines. In short the whole system is f**ked!!!...I am leaving london in the next few months as this really is the last straw for me. Edited January 5, 2007 by CareBearStare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone baby gone Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Just buy an oyster card, no one pays cash on the bus's or tubes anymore. It's so much cheaper and more convenient with oyster. You can buy the cards at virtually any station in London, it takes 1 minute. Don't worry, this will only put off tourists and occasional vistors, oh, and season ticket holders (4.8% rise, even on Oyster). 7% on the cost of Heathrow and Gatwick express, just to squeeze the tourists a little harder Once eveyone is on Oyster, what do you think will happen... I predict that it is unlikely fares will fall In short the whole system is f**ked!!!...I am leaving london in the next few months as this really is the last straw for me. I feel for you! Left London in early 2006 and transport was a key reason. It's all very well having these great services like Museums, Galleries, Theatres, etc on your doorstep, but it's quite another thing to try and get to them in a time and cost effective manner. Try to drive - Slow, frustrating and expensive. Try the bus - Slow and only slightly cheaper than the car these days. Try the tube/DLR - Riddled with engineering works, expensive, crowded and prone to cancellations. Try the train - Riddled with engineering works, expensive, crowded and prone to delays. Time to leave! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 (edited) Only thing that had not gone up was the price of going to the toilet in Victoria station still at £0.20 but it should be free anyway. Save 20p by looking for a local Starbucks or Macdonalds, a habit I acquired in Manhattan where there are amazingly few public bogs Anyway... public phones, minimum call is now 40p... inflation.., yep... 33.3% Edited January 5, 2007 by www Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Allegro Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Yep, once everybody moves to Oyster, the fares will just shoot up again, plus TfL will know all our movements! (For 'security' purposes, of course). It's now a year since I decided enough was enough. I now cycle to work and to most social occasions. It's actually quicker than the tube most of the time. It costs nothing and the bike paid for itself after about six months. However, I am sure Ken is plotting as we speak to find a way to make money out of cyclists - perhaps he will set up oyster barriers on every road into London (for 'security' purposes of course). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orbital Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 I went to London yesterday with the wife and kids. Bus fare had gone up from £1.50 to £2.00 = 25% inflation Evening Standard had gone up form £0.40 to £0.50 = 20% inflation London Aquarium was £44.00 for the four of us and we spent only an hour there. Only thing that had not gone up was the price of going to the toilet in Victoria station still at £0.20 but it should be free anyway. We came away saying to ourselves this is rubbish and its expensive and we used to live here - we are not coming back until well after the crash! Sorry to say this, but a fool and their money are easily parted! Short journeys in groups can be done cheaply by taxis, in many cases a taxis ride is quicker and cheaper (even on your own) that the £4 full fare. But of course we all use Oyster cards, and pay the reduced fees. If you cant be arsed to sort these out then more fool you - you pay for your own laziness. Its rubbish to imply that its too 'difficult' to get hold of one "Adults can order an Oyster card, top it up with pay as you go credit and add tickets at Oyster online" - its a great system and works well, and will get even better when it extends to mainline rail, of course its not very British to admit something works well, but it does. Evening standard? Er, why not get the free version, for, er, free. Thats, erm, infinitely cheaper! I stopped buying it the moment the free papers hit the shelves, they dont compare to a national daily like the Times, Independent, etc but then neither did the ES!! London Aquarium was £44.00? Yeah thats alot, why not go to one of the many free or cheap attractions? Museums and galleries coming out of our ears, over summer I went to a free Cuban festival, free Thames festival, free open air events from live music to theatre, these things go on all year round - you just have to seek them out - but that aint hard with teh interweb. Loos at Viccky station? Surely you are the last person to know that if you pull the turnstyle first you can then just push it round. Other ones have a hidden little button just the other side that let you through. Or why not just go for a McWee like everyone else...! I have so much fun living in London, and its so cheap too. I know people who spend more a week on petrol than my travel costs, and thats before insurance, tax, and the car itself! Fresh fruit and veg available in markets, free entertainment, free attractions. I found a lovely suburb 20mins away from the City, nice surrey countryside, a newly done up character 3-bed semi for 200k, if people arent prepared to put effort in its no suprise that they have such bad experiences - people have funny expectations these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBearStare Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Sorry to say this, but a fool and their money are easily parted! Short journeys in groups can be done cheaply by taxis, in many cases a taxis ride is quicker and cheaper (even on your own) that the £4 full fare. But of course we all use Oyster cards, and pay the reduced fees. If you cant be arsed to sort these out then more fool you - you pay for your own laziness. Its rubbish to imply that its too 'difficult' to get hold of one "Adults can order an Oyster card, top it up with pay as you go credit and add tickets at Oyster online" - its a great system and works well, and will get even better when it extends to mainline rail, of course its not very British to admit something works well, but it does. Evening standard? Er, why not get the free version, for, er, free. Thats, erm, infinitely cheaper! I stopped buying it the moment the free papers hit the shelves, they dont compare to a national daily like the Times, Independent, etc but then neither did the ES!! London Aquarium was £44.00? Yeah thats alot, why not go to one of the many free or cheap attractions? Museums and galleries coming out of our ears, over summer I went to a free Cuban festival, free Thames festival, free open air events from live music to theatre, these things go on all year round - you just have to seek them out - but that aint hard with teh interweb. Loos at Viccky station? Surely you are the last person to know that if you pull the turnstyle first you can then just push it round. Other ones have a hidden little button just the other side that let you through. Or why not just go for a McWee like everyone else...! I have so much fun living in London, and its so cheap too. I know people who spend more a week on petrol than my travel costs, and thats before insurance, tax, and the car itself! Fresh fruit and veg available in markets, free entertainment, free attractions. I found a lovely suburb 20mins away from the City, nice surrey countryside, a newly done up character 3-bed semi for 200k, if people arent prepared to put effort in its no suprise that they have such bad experiences - people have funny expectations these days. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Ken Livingstone's pet monkey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monopoly Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 I found a lovely suburb 20mins away from the City, nice surrey countryside, a newly done up character 3-bed semi for 200k, if people arent prepared to put effort in its no suprise that they have such bad experiences - people have funny expectations these days. I want to see that...we live about 40 min away from London in Pinner/Northwood and here is nothing for 200k around..defiantly no a 3 bed semi..how come its so cheap were you are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone baby gone Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Ken Livingstone's pet monkey! Pet troll more like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zag2me Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 In short the whole system is f**ked!!!...I am leaving london in the next few months as this really is the last straw for me. As I said, just buy an oyster card, I don't even live in London and bought one the 2nd time I ever went there. I have used it ever since and have had no troubles with it and find travel is quiet cheap compared to the old way of doing things. Best thing is, it speeds up boarding of buses and tubes. Also you don't need to give your name and address either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBearStare Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 As I said, just buy an oyster card, I don't even live in London and bought one the 2nd time I ever went there. I have used it ever since and have had no troubles with it and find travel is quiet cheap compared to the old way of doing things. Best thing is, it speeds up boarding of buses and tubes. Also you don't need to give your name and address either. Look I think you missed the point. I have an oyster Card now...Im not an idiot, I need to get to work and its the cheapest way. The point is many people come to London for a day or sometimes it is not easy to either top up or buy an oyster card. Ken has not thpought about the implications of this at all...people NEED to buy these bloody things at a ticket counter and there is (more often than not) just one person at the counter. Go to any tube station in central london and you will see queues 40-50 people long trying to buy them...these people are for the most part day trippers and tourists...It doesn't work. And not being able to pay a bus fare ON the bus is simple madness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoredTrainBuilder Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 (edited) We could not get an "Oyster" card as the nearest train station is 15 minutes walk and, well, Im a lazy b***ard. So after a couple of hours negotiating a rather packed Oxford street we decided to get the tube home from Tottenham Ct Road. . . . In short the whole system is f**ked!!!...I am leaving london in the next few months as this really is the last straw for me. You can buy them from many newsagents as well. I'd suggest it's not the system that's f**cked but some of the ignorant users (many others bother to understand what by necessity is an extremely complex system - the TfL website for example is excellent) and under the circumstances the city will be better of without you. Bye. Edited January 5, 2007 by BoredTrainBuilder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBearStare Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 You can buy them from many newsagents as well. I'd suggest it's not the system that's f**cked but the users and under the circumstances the city will be better of without you. Bye. "No you smell"...What kind of argument is that? Thanks for the mis-quote by the way. I agree you can get them from SOME newsagents, however this tends to be slightly tricky if said newsagent is closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munimula Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 I went to London yesterday with the wife and kids. Bus fare had gone up from £1.50 to £2.00 = 25% inflation That's 100% in just a few years then as a couple of years ago it was a flat £1 for any journey. That was great value though as the only time I used to get the bus was from Kingston to Heathrow for a £1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone baby gone Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 (edited) "No you smell"...What kind of argument is that? Thanks for the mis-quote by the way. I agree you can get them from SOME newsagents, however this tends to be slightly tricky if said newsagent is closed. Where I used to live near Enfield, the 2 Newsagents between our flat and the train station didn't sell Oysters. They had previously sold day Travelcards up until the introduction of Oyster and then weren't (and still aren't) selling Oyster or Travelcards. The train station didn't sell Oyster cards (hardly surprising, since you couldn't use them there!) You could get an Oyster card from the tube station, but that was a bus ride away (again, the buses don't sell Oyster) at the pricely sum of £1.50. When we moved to London in 2001 an off-peak day Travelcard (Zones 1-6) was about £4.60, it is now £6.70. I thought £4.60 was steep, I think £6.70 is obscene... Edited January 5, 2007 by redalert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoredTrainBuilder Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 (edited) And not being able to pay a bus fare ON the bus is simple madness. Having cash on buses is madness. It - encourages crime and endangers drivers - slows down traffic in general and the bus journey in particular - materially increases the bus company's (and therefore the tax and fare paying public's) costs by necessitating expensive cash handling machinery and systems. A few years ago London Transport used to have to hire 10 securicor lorries a day just to remove and bank cash. It's the 21st century, but as I said in my earlier post if you don't like London there are plenty people queuing to take your place. Edited January 5, 2007 by BoredTrainBuilder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munimula Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 (edited) In short the whole system is f**ked!!!...I am leaving london in the next few months as this really is the last straw for me. I left London in August. Enjoyed my 20's there but for my generation that missed the UK housing bonanaza there is no quality of life to be had there. Was serving a teacher in their 50's over xmas - owns a home in Covent Garden and was staying at his 2nd home in Lulworth, Dorset. Goes some way to showing the new generation/home owner divide Edited January 5, 2007 by munimula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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