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Public transport difficulties

bristolvr3

Hello everyone.

In Felixstowe, where I live, I use public transport to go to work, do shopping etc. I have been a bus pass holder for approximately 14 years. For the first few years, I was entitled to half-price tickets in my local area (Suffolk), then I was entitled to free travel. In 2008, this was expanded to the rest of England (after 0930) but not Wales, Scotland or Ireland.

Since 2011, my bus pass cannot be used until 0930, even in Suffolk. As a result, I had to spend nearly four pounds a time just to get to Ipswich, before changing buses, which means spending another pound or two. My local bus services have become increasingly prone to delays and cancellations, and even if my bus did turn up, the bus itself would be noisy, crowded, or generally uncomfortable during what was an hour-long stopping journey. I don't mind limited-stop expresses, but I find those long, local bus journeys that stop virtually everywhere on its route uncomfortable. 

Fortunately though, I have found another way of getting to work, and that's by train. My local railway station is fifteen minutes' walk away from where I live, and although the ticket I order is a bit more expensive than an equivalent bus fare, but it's worth it, because of the extra comfort, the faster journey time, and being able to track my train on my mobile phone. The walking is also worth my while, as I would kreep fit in doing so.

Even so, being an autistic person, I find it difficult to cope with things like shouting, screaming, swearing, overcrowding etc., in which case I would listen to music to muffle out all that unwanted noise.

There was a time when my mum was supposed to meet my sister at the local hospital, but her bus did not turn up. She had to wait half an hour for the next bus, but it broke down about half a mile before her stop, so instead of waiting another half an hour for the next bus (which turned up ten minutes late), my dad took her there by car. Although I didn't use any of the buses myself, I was still shocked and devastated. I felt sorry for everyone else that needed to use the bus service.

Have you had any difficult public transport experiences yourself in your local area? I would love to be able to share my transport experiences with you.

Parents

  • Hello, Hope.

    As far as the trains are concerned, I suppose it depends on things such as the route, the journey time, the train type and the cost. I travel from Felixstowe to Ipswich on a regular basis by train. Given my knowledge on trains, this service is usually operated by a one-carriage, 1980s/1990s built diesel multiple unit train. It can be quite noisy at speed, which can make potentially important on-board announcements impossible to hear. It's the same story at Ipswich station itself, especially whilst some noisy train is approaching or leaving the station. My train journey lasts 25 minutes each way, which is fine by me. But if it was some long, slow journey in somewhere like rural Lincolnshire or Yorkshire, all that noise would be tiring.

    I have travelled on some 1980s/1990s electric multiple unit trains from Ipswich to London many times before, and they can be really noisy at speed. Like the diesel trains, they have opening windows, and if any were left open, a sudden whoosh of air and noise would occur when a train passes in the opposite direction, and that can frighten me at times. Modern multiple unit trains are OK, but I find them quite uncomfortable, especially if they were delayed. A 5-minute delay is not too bad, but in the case of a severe delay, I would feel really anxious and worried. I usually travel on my own, but in some situations even having a friend or relative alongside me doesn't make me less worried.

    Whether I travel by train or bus, I try to use limited-stop or generally short journeys. Long stopping journeys, such as suburban services in the Greater London area, are a definite no-no. In Central London, the bus services nearly always get geld up in traffic, and the underground services tend to stop everywhere. Travelling between London terminal stations, such as Liverpool Street to Paddington, are no problem, but for example, a long stopping journey from Liverpool Street to Amersham would be uncomfortable, especially when it involves all that noisy, crowded underground tunnel travel. Even so, I myself prefer trains to buses, because the more carriages my train is formed of, the safer I feel in the event of unwanted noise, which is practically unavoidable on a packed single deck bus.

    To be honest, without my mobile phone, and all those useful travel apps, I would never have been confident in using public transport at all.

Reply

  • Hello, Hope.

    As far as the trains are concerned, I suppose it depends on things such as the route, the journey time, the train type and the cost. I travel from Felixstowe to Ipswich on a regular basis by train. Given my knowledge on trains, this service is usually operated by a one-carriage, 1980s/1990s built diesel multiple unit train. It can be quite noisy at speed, which can make potentially important on-board announcements impossible to hear. It's the same story at Ipswich station itself, especially whilst some noisy train is approaching or leaving the station. My train journey lasts 25 minutes each way, which is fine by me. But if it was some long, slow journey in somewhere like rural Lincolnshire or Yorkshire, all that noise would be tiring.

    I have travelled on some 1980s/1990s electric multiple unit trains from Ipswich to London many times before, and they can be really noisy at speed. Like the diesel trains, they have opening windows, and if any were left open, a sudden whoosh of air and noise would occur when a train passes in the opposite direction, and that can frighten me at times. Modern multiple unit trains are OK, but I find them quite uncomfortable, especially if they were delayed. A 5-minute delay is not too bad, but in the case of a severe delay, I would feel really anxious and worried. I usually travel on my own, but in some situations even having a friend or relative alongside me doesn't make me less worried.

    Whether I travel by train or bus, I try to use limited-stop or generally short journeys. Long stopping journeys, such as suburban services in the Greater London area, are a definite no-no. In Central London, the bus services nearly always get geld up in traffic, and the underground services tend to stop everywhere. Travelling between London terminal stations, such as Liverpool Street to Paddington, are no problem, but for example, a long stopping journey from Liverpool Street to Amersham would be uncomfortable, especially when it involves all that noisy, crowded underground tunnel travel. Even so, I myself prefer trains to buses, because the more carriages my train is formed of, the safer I feel in the event of unwanted noise, which is practically unavoidable on a packed single deck bus.

    To be honest, without my mobile phone, and all those useful travel apps, I would never have been confident in using public transport at all.

Children
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