GNER restaurant car?

[Cobbles]

Nowhere near as convenient as walking up to a station with minutes to go and hopping on your train.

It's a bit of a walk to Kings Cross from Victoria or Kensington and if you want to get a ticket, you need to get there ages in advance so that you can find a working machine/queue for a surly ticket seller - why can't you print it out on line - this rail ticket thing is sooooo 19th Century.

having a comfortable seat.

Indeed Business Class (especially the A and C seats) on BMid is especially cosy and even a Lyinair seat is better than cattle class on a Virgin Voyager (especially as you only have to sit there for an hour as opposed to 3 or 4.

proper cutlery and crockery.

Just like Business Class - Lufthansa is nicest - porcelain and monogrammed Solingen steel.

lots of leg room.

But not in scum class on the train.......

best of all - not having to be frisked before you get on.

Only if you forget to take off your Rolex and wear particularly heavy cufflinks.

And, of course, being able to know that you're not a selfish, needlessly-polluting cunt taking an unnecessary short haul flight.

Like Madge and all the other eco-nauts whooping it up at the Al Gore fests recently or all those "climate scientists" who routinely fly off to green hug fests business class.

 

[editor]

It's a bit of a walk to Kings Cross from Victoria or Kensington and if you want to get a ticket, you need to get there ages in advance so that you can find a working machine/queue for a surly ticket seller - why can't you print it out on line - this rail ticket thing is sooooo 19th Century.

I book my tickets online and get them mailed to me. Easy. No queue. No standing in long rows being scanned, frisked and questioned. No "get to the station x hours before travel" bullshit - just turn up with minutes to go at the station in the centre of the city I'm travelling to. Perhaps you like taxi rides to and from distant airports and hanging about in waiting rooms?

Indeed Business Class (especially the A and C seats) on BMid is especially cosy and even a Lyinair seat is better than cattle class on a Virgin Voyager (especially as you only have to sit there for an hour as opposed to 3 or 4

Why on earth are you comparing 'cattle class' rail with business class air travel?

But not in scum class on the train.......

'Scum'? Grow up you pathetic snob.

Only if you forget to take off your Rolex and wear particularly heavy cufflinks.

You're confused. It's not rail travellers who have to take off jewellery to go through metal detectors, silly boy!

 

[crustychick]

thought all the food and drink was free when you went 1st class?

 

[editor]

you'll call cobbles a 'cunt' for choosing to fly but don't have anything against firky committing credit card fraud then editor? your high horse ain't half got three legs sometimes pal.

Did I tell you how much I hate mouthy twats who jump in trying to put words in my mouth to score cheap points?

Anyway, be sure to point out where I showed any kind of approval for firky's antics. Or apologise.

 

[editor]

About 3 months ago - London to Leeds - had to try 3 departures before we found one - rust orange 1970's ex BR rolling stock. I was with 2 colleagues and we thought it would be preferable to waiting 2 hours to eat.

Thing is, you're so rabidly, fanatically anti-train, I simply don't believe your stories.

 

[crustychick]

train trip from London to Edinburgh

tube to Kings X - 3.5 hours on the train - dropped off in central Edinburgh

plane trip from London to Edinburgh

tube to Liverpool St - wait about - 1/2 hour train ride to Stansted - queue and check your bags in - wait in departure lounge - board plane - 50 min plane ride - wait for bags to come off - taxi/bus ride (20 mins-ish) to central edinburgh. Total journey time=3.5-4 hours.

I tell you which one I'd rather do

 

[Cobbles]

I book my tickets online and get them mailed to me. Easy. No queue. No standing in long rows being scanned, frisked and questioned. No "get to the station x hours before travel" bullshit - just turn up with minutes to go at the station in the centre of the city I'm travelling to.

You obviously don't travel very often if you can plan your trips x working days in advance.

Perhaps you like taxi rides to and from distant airports and hanging about in waiting rooms?

It's no worse then hacking across Leeds or Glasgow to get from wherever I am to a railway station that doesn't even have somewhere comfortable to sit.

Why on earth are you comparing 'cattle class' rail with business class air travel?

Read my post - Ryanair is hardly business class - that's why I was comparing it with the sheer luxury of travel on Virgin Voyager non 1st class.

'Scum'? Grow up you pathetic snob.

If that's what not liking travelling with lager swilling yobs is called, so be it.

You're confused. It's not rail travellers who have to take off jewellery to go through metal detectors, silly boy!

Air travellers don't need to deal with the 30 second delay of a body check unless they're catatonically stupid or get called forward for one of the random checks.

 

[editor]

tube to Liverpool St - wait about - 1/2 hour train ride to Stansted - queue and check your bags in - wait in departure lounge - board plane - 50 min plane ride - wait for bags to come off - taxi/bus ride (20 mins-ish) to central edinburgh. Total journey time=3.5-4 hours.

Last time we went to Edinburgh we got there quicker - and considerably happier - than our friends who flew.

Their plane was delayed and then they got stuck in a rush hour traffic jam ourside Edinburgh.

With all their cabs and trains, our first class train tickets worked out cheaper than flying too.

 

[editor]

If that's what not liking travelling with lager swilling yobs is called, so be it.

You're either lying or extraordinarily unfortunate.

I use the train a lot every year - both local and inter city services - and I can't recall a single time in the last decade that I was ever bothered by these "lager swilling yobs" that seem to follow you around.

But I'll let others decide the likelihood of your morning travel in the first class carriage being constantly plagued by "lager swilling yobs".

 

[Cobbles]

I use the train a lot every year - both local and inter city services - and I can't recall a single time in the last decade that I was ever bothered by these "lager swilling yobs" that seem to follow you around.

I don't get bothered by then either - in 1st. class - there's less rug rats outwith parental control there as well.

 

[johnnymarrsbars]

Did I tell you how much I hate mouthy twats who jump in trying to put words in my mouth to score cheap points?

Anyway, be sure to point out where I showed any kind of approval for firky's antics. Or apologise.

i'm not trying to score "cheap points", i'm trying to say that you seem pretty quick to jump down cobble's throat for saying that *SHOCK HORROR* he likes air travel, yet firky starts bragging about commiting credit card fraud and theft which i think is something that really far more worthy of bringing to further attention.

which is worse? theft & credit card fraud or thinking that its actually quite nice to fly.

 

[Cobbles]

train trip from London to Edinburgh

tube to Kings X - 3.5 hours on the train - dropped off in central Edinburgh

Presumably that's the new "in your dreams" service as the fastest train is currently about 4hours 20 minutes (if it's on time). Needless to say the tube takes no time at all (if the RMT knuckledraggers are letting it run this week) and you'll always be working/staying right beside Waverley station so let's call it a real 5 and a half hours.

plane trip from London to Edinburgh

tube to Liverpool St - wait about - 1/2 hour train ride to Stansted - queue and check your bags in - wait in departure lounge - board plane - 50 min plane ride - wait for bags to come off - taxi/bus ride (20 mins-ish) to central edinburgh. Total journey time=3.5-4 hours.

I tell you which one I'd rather do

Stanstead's 45 mins. from Liverpool street which is why you'd have to be nuts to use that (ex-GO) service unless you live on that side of London.

Heathrow's 15 minutes from Paddington and if you've printed your boarding pass in advance, then airport transit's 30 minutes max (I rarey have anything other than hand luggage train or plane). So it's 2 hours (tops) by plane versus 5 and a half hours by train - no competition.

 

[editor]

Needless to say the tube takes no time at all (if the RMT knuckledraggers are letting it run this week) and you'll always be working/staying right beside Waverley station so let's call it a real 5 and a half hours.

And naturally, your augment runs that when you have to get the tube and train to catch a flight, they always run perfectly on time, yes?

 

[editor]

i'm not trying to score "cheap points", i'm trying to say that you seem pretty quick to jump down cobble's throat for saying that *SHOCK HORROR* he likes air travel, yet firky starts bragging about commiting credit card fraud and theft which i think is something that really far more worthy of bringing to further attention.

Your suggestion that a failure to address every single point raised by every poster somehow adds up to an endorsement of their conduct is ludicrous in the extreme.

And far from 'jumping down Cobbles throat,' I've had to put up with months of him infesting just about every single rail-treated thread with his disruptive yarns about these drunken yobs that supposed accompany him wherever he goes.

(See the other new rail thread for a fresh example from just an hour ago)

which is worse? theft & credit card fraud or thinking that its actually quite nice to fly.

Have you any idea how ridiculous and utterly irrelevant that question is?

If you want to talk about credit card fraud, start a thread about it and I'll join in if I find it interesting.

 

[Cobbles]

And naturally, your augment runs that when you have to get the tube and train to catch a flight, it always runs perfectly on time, yes?

No, just dealing with crustychick's lapse in not adding in the time taken to get to the KX and from Waverley to a destination.

 

[roryer]

On the return trip from Newcastle to London in July 2006 at around 7pm I'm almost certain that the vegetables were served silver service, and being one of the very few customers in the restaurnat car I had time for a good chat with the staff too. All very civilised.

This is where I was told by that cost cutting could impact on the service. So basic advice, if we want to keep the dining car going, we are gonna have to use it and pay for it. Got to admit I generally only do so when on company expenses though. Then again I rarely travel on GNER for other reasons, and always buy stuff from the trolley service on the South Eastern service to Deal which I use for pleasure. This has also been cut and now stops at Ashford, most depressing.

 

[editor]

On the return trip from Newcastle to London in July 2006 at around 7pm I'm almost certain that the vegetables were served silver service, and being one of the very few customers in the restaurnat car I had time for a good chat with the staff too. All very civilised.

This can't be so!

According to Cobbles every train comes complete with a built in drunken yobs (first and standard class editions), the food is always terrible, the train's late and the service appalling!

 

[roryer]

On the argument of speed of domestic air vs train, I have yet to get through Stanstead check in, security and boarding in less than 2 hours, maybe I'm just unlucky. Getting there is ok by bus from Victoria, but I figure 5 hours door to door is pretty good.

It might be slightly slower by train, but surely its a nicer way to travel? Suppose its a matter of personal choice.

As to the lager swilling louts, I do like a drink on the way home, but generally keep my noise down to conversation levels.

I also tend to move seats if a football crowd get on, and generally seek a seat next to who I think might turn out to be good company for longer trips.

 

[beeboo]

I haven't made friends on the train for ages - maybe it's because I tend to travel on my own less than I used to, or maybe it's because people tend to be engrossed with a i-pod/mobile/laptop etc these days. But I used to really enjoy striking up train journey friendships.

It looks like I might be going to Edinburgh on my own now, so I'll have to try to find a rich gent to accompany me to the restaurant car

 

[editor]

As to the lager swilling louts, I do like a drink on the way home, but generally keep my noise down to conversation levels.

Same for the vast majority of travellers, in my experience.

Tragically, every journey that poor ol' Cobbles seem to take on a train is bedevilled by gangs of drunken yobs, who seemingly lurk in every first class carriage, hell bent on making his travelling life a misery.

(((cobbles)))

 

[Cobbles]

Same for the vast majority of travellers, in my experience.

Tragically, every journey that poor ol' Cobbles seem to take on a train is bedevilled by gangs of drunken yobs, who seemingly lurk in every first class carriage, hell bent on making his travelling life a misery.

(((cobbles)))

Can you actually read:

Quote:
Originally Posted by editor
I use the train a lot every year - both local and inter city services - and I can't recall a single time in the last decade that I was ever bothered by these "lager swilling yobs" that seem to follow you around.


I don't get bothered by them either - in 1st. class - there's less rug rats outwith parental control there as well.

 

[sam/phallocrat]

There is no finer way to travel than by train.

I might classify as a yob though, but a g n t swilling one - lager gets warm too quickly on the train, but they always have free ice and plastic cups in the buffet car . . .