State of our trains - is really the passengers?, Dropping standards Options

[On the edge]

I suppose I ought to start with an apology to Biker1. He's always claimed that our local trains are filthy because of the actions of some of the passengers. I've tended to disagree!

Yesterday, I came back from London on one of the Turbo trains. Not exactly a good experience. Train wasn't too full - sitting in bay opposite was a mother with three early teenage children. Wonderful loud conversation, peppered with expletives and punctuated by youthful pushing and shoving. But hey, they were just expressing themselves.

However, and this is the main point, they were each given a meat pie of some description which they started to eat. At least that stilled the conversation. When they'd finished, the wrapper was simply dropped on the floor and they wiped their hands on the seats.

Yes - I did make a comment, which was answered with a torrent of abuse. They left the train at Thatcham. I got out at Newbury, as did an elderly couple opposite me. On leaving the station, both started to smoke. We walked up station approach into the Town and they were bemoaning the rude and disgusting standards of today's youth. As they finished the fags, they were just let drop on the road. The old chap must have read my mind, 'Missed the drain, but it will give the road sweeper something to do'

What hope is there? Those kids haven't got a chance.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

I think that's just the pikey family you get from time to time. You can tell they were pikeys because only pikeys eat meat pies on trains. Better than a cream pie I suppose. Harder to clean up.
I agree the trains are far from nice.

The biggest problem I find on the trains is the lack of space never mind the mountain of bogies on the tray where you are supposed to put your bottle of fizzy pop.

I think it's often better to float to where you want to go by using a hot air balloon rather than use a train and have to sit next to the poor people who normally use it.
Double standards from the elderly people, unfortunately as is so common now; they moan at the youngers and then do arguably just as bad themselves, but they are old and thus immune to their own laws. "back in my day i would be clipped round the earhole for speaking out of line"...well we're not in your day are we Pops, we're in mine so shutyourface.

Talking of old people I was stuck behind a Blue Ford Focus that while driving down lower way had an unnatural attraction to the curb (his poor alloys) and while driving down the A4 near the Hambridge Road lights, with the dual carridgeway, couldn't decide what lane to sit in so sat stradling both lanes..in rush hour. What an old fogey.
Better than being an old bogey they tend to go crusty.

[JeffG]

Talking of old people I was stuck behind a Blue Ford Focus that while driving down lower way had an unnatural attraction to the curb (his poor alloys) and while driving down the A4 near the Hambridge Road lights, with the dual carridgeway, couldn't decide what lane to sit in so sat stradling both lanes..in rush hour. What an old fogey.

Age has nothing to do with it. I have seen equally bad driving from much younger folk. Hogging the middle lane of the motorway when there is plenty of room to pull over and crossing lane markings on roads generally, especially on roundabouts (Kings Road case in point), are two things that spring to mind.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

Age has nothing to do with it. I have seen equally bad driving from much younger folk. Hogging the middle lane of the motorway when there is plenty of room to pull over and crossing lane markings on roads generally, especially on roundabouts (Kings Road case in point), are two things that spring to mind.

As you said, age has nothing to do with it. Although there are a large proportion of old people who are too dilapidated to drive. I've never seen a 20 year old driving down the road rubbing his tyres/wheels against the curb... Most young people are, I find, very good with lane discipline on the motorway (mostly because we do 90mph down the motorway). It's the old people in Mercedes and Renaults who don't understand "move yo *** over into the left hand lane". Mostly men who struggle to see through their "should have gone to specsavers" square-rimmed glasses who because of piles have to slouch in their seat and you can hear Radio 3 playing over the road noise and noise of your own CDs.
I swear on my life and the life of my future kitten that 8 out 10 of the middle lane hogs are of a "mature" age. I feel this is because many of them are too settled in their own habits.
Proof of the pudding is when I am with older family members who drive down the middle lane at 65 and when I tell them to move over, they say that I should not tell them how to drive, they have been driving for blah blah years....right and I've been on the road for 3 and I know the bloody rules and my so called elder drive like a nob.
Except speed limits. What's a speed limit?? 140mph??

[Andy Capp]

Proof of the pudding is when I am with older family members who drive down the middle lane at 65 and when I tell them to move over, they say that I should not tell them how to drive, they have been driving for blah blah years....right and I've been on the road for 3 and I know the bloody rules and my so called elder drive like a nob.
Except speed limits. What's a speed limit?? 140mph??

I'd say someone speeding has no moral advantage over a middle-lane hogger doing 70mph.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

I'd say someone speeding has no moral advantage over a middle-lane hogger doing 70mph.

At least when I do 140mph I use the correct lane!!! (ahem trackday or autobahn officer) The people who are middle lane hogging at 70 out to be shot with high powered sniper rifles from buildings. That's what would happen if I ever came into power. People who are sat in the middle lane for no reason after passing 2 sniper points would be shot to death in the face.