About public transport in the UK (23) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

As a foreign observer, I don’t know if going on strike to demand a special Olimpic Games bonus (of £ 500 to £ 700) is reasonable or not, but this is what London bus drivers plan to do.

If you asked a far-from-perfect driver like me, I’d say that all bus drivers are some kind of artists who’d definitely deserve to have their skills and hard work rewarded.

However, thanks to the London Congestion Charge, driving a bus in London seems to be a piece of cake – compared to doing the same thing in Bucharest or, say, anywhere in India.

The only thing that really made the life of british bus drivers harder (in Brighton at least) was the fact that passengers could buy tickets directly from them.

It’s not difficult to imagine what a mess it would be, it tourists from all over the world were able to this during London 2012…

How many would carry the right change in their pockets? I’d say that most of them would mostly have 20 GBP banknotes, wouldn’t they?

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

Clean like a hospital?! [Curat ca un spital?!]

Clean like a hospital?! It’s not the case in the UK, where hospitals can be very dirty, either in Manchester or Essex, in England or Scotland alike…

From what I heard, British hospitals can be at least as dirty as in Romania. Maybe not like the dirtiest, however, they may be like the regularly dirty Romanian ones.

Thus, the legend for these images should be “clean like a bus station” – in this particular example: St Andrew Square Bus Station, Edinburgh.

[For all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

About public transport in the UK (22) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

It would be reasonable to expect that in a country like Great Britain, where locomotives were invented some two centuries ago, trains would the best in the world in our times, wouldn’t it?

Well, that would be reasonable… But what’s reasonable these days in the world we live in? There’s no secret that – although faring well compared to what happens in Romania – the British rail transport lags behind those of France, Germany and other EU countries.

And it is certainly lightyears away from the Japanese rail system, where passengers can receive a ‘delay certificate’ if a train is only five minutes late!

As of 1994, trains in the UK have been operated by private firms, nevertheless, Britons haven’t seen any of the improvements in service quality that they had been promised ever since Margaret Thatcher, in the 1980s.

By all accounts, it was a botched privatisation. Britons ended up paying 40% more for a train ticket in their own country than they would pay in the Netherlands, Sweden or France.

To this day, France’s (SNCF) and Germany’s (Deutsche Ban) rail companies are state-owned and their performance is often acclaimed. On the other hand, since 1987, Japan’s complex rail system has been in the hands of some 16 private firms – and trains run even better.

It’s not the aim of this blog post to go into ideological speculations about privatisation. If it’s carried out, it should be done properly – the Japanese way, not the British way (read about this big failure: here, here, here, here, here, here, here or here).

Why do I fear that when the Romanian state-owned rail company (CFR) is eventually privatised, the result will look more like what happened in Britain than how privatisation was done in Japan?

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

About public transport in the UK (21) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

Keeping in mind that “grumbling about trains being late is almost a national hobby” in Britain, I noticed this kind of ‘worries’ reflected more and more often in the online editions of British newspapers…

…and not that they would have serious topics to discuss or gossip about :-) Thus, I find myself wondering (and simultaneously asking my readers): how serious is this issue?

Last June, a BBC report noted that “the proportion of passengers satisfied with train punctuality had gone down,” compared to the spring of 2010.

Three months later, in September, The Daily Telegraph issued a stark warning, claiming that “UK train puctuality worsens”.

And let us not forget that all these ‘worries’ have been expressed long before another Big Freeze which – to the great dismay of Global Warming hysterics – could befall Britain (again, and for the fourth consecutive year) any day now!

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

About public transport in the UK (20) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

Although there surely are ‘rivals’ all over Europe – especially in Germany (in Frankfurt etc) – the unofficial title ‘catherdal of train stations’ is probably well deserved by London’s St. Pancras International.

My pics don’t even catch the beautiful Victorian architecture of the main frontage… only the inside of this magnificent building, which has been the British terminus of the Eurostar since 2007.

The former ‘home’ of the Eurostar was Waterloo Station, an equally beautiful building, however, bearing a name deemed ‘offensive’ to the French ego. Today, the French Border Police can legally operate within St Pancras Int’l :-)

In multicultural London – where the French community is sizeable, while there are posters in Polish in bus stations – it’s natural that St. Pancras Int’l is a bit bilingual (pics 6 + 8).

Well connected to the big London Underground (1) and to all London’s airports, St. Pancras Int’l won’t spare people of hearing/seeing constant ‘terrorist warnings’ (2).

Apparently, the huge open space (7) makes it rather difficult for terrorists to hide, and the security checks are somewhat similar to those carried out in airports.

It’s hard to say whether the post-July 2005 bombings panic was considered when switching from Waterloo Station. Nevertheless, St. Pancras Int’l is not too big.

It can barely fit some of the people queuing because of chronic the delays of that are plaguing the Eurostar all year round, irrespective whether a ‘Big Freeze’ is taking a heavy toll on airports or not.

Travellers can at least enjoy a breathable air in summer or take cover from the rain and snow under the spectacular trainshed which truly resembles the dome of a cathedral.

Instead of an altar or iconostasis, corporate people from all over Europe (rushing to do business in the City of London) can’t miss the big clock (9 + 10) reminding them the religious precept ‘time is money’.

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

About public transport in the UK (19) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

Almost anywhere you go in Britain (mainly in public institutions, yet not exclusively there), you are given a form to complete. Voluntarily – as far as I noticed.

So is the case in the bus station of Inverness, where next to a touch screen monitor with data about bus schedules throughout the Scottish Highlands, one can find such a questionaire.

“We would appreciate any comments or suggestions you could make to help us improve,” the Bus Station team (or manager?) tells you.

This looks like another ‘good Brit example’ – but do these people really take into account what is written there?! I wish some readers of mine could clarify my doubt!

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

[EN] No comment / [RO] Fără comentarii (4) – Lessons of civility / Lecţii de politeţe

[EN] Some things that I deemed ‘typical British’ in 2008 have recently become pretty common in Romanian cities as well… [RO] Unele lucruri pe care le credeam ‘tipic britanice’ în 2008 au devenit acum destul de comune şi în oraşe din România…

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[EN] …such as these posters in buses (London) or tramways (Bucharest) teaching passangers how to behave in a ‘civilised’ manner. [RO] …precum aceste postere în autobuze (Londra) şi tramvaie (Bucureşti) care învaţă pasagerii cum să se comporte într-o manieră ‘civilizată’.

.

[EN] I wonder if the Nanny State is a model worth importing into Romania, and whether these ‘illustated lessons’ have any result. [RO] Mă întreb dacă modelul Statului Dădacă merită importat în România şi dacă aceste ‘lecţii ilustrate’ au vreun rezultat.

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[EN] Has anyone noticed, in the UK and/or in Romania, any improvements in the behaviour of people? [RO] A observat cineva, în UK şi/sau în România, vreo îmbunătăţire a comportamentului oamenilor?

.

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

About public transport in the UK (18) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

This situation may not be unique for Britain; it may be familiar in other countries where Romanians would like to emigrate to.

It’s very likely that they are mainly European countries, although such precision is possible in the USA, whilst it is not uncommon in Australia, irrespective of the huge distances.

But I loved the way buses in Brighton, and in London as well, came on time with utmost precision, and the fact that you knew exactly how many minutes you were supposed to wait.

Buses in Glasgow were also fairly punctual, but I haven’t noticed any electronic billboards like in London, and surely not in some the remote areas of the city that I had been to.

I would have surely needed them, in order to know the number and destination of the arriving bus. Otherwise I had to ask a Glaswegian-speaking driver three times what bus it was, and still not be sure if I understood well :-(

This is a truly ‘good Brit example’… If only other things in today’s British society were as precise as buses coming right on schedule!

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

[EN] No comment / [RO] Fără comentarii (3) – I want my bike with me... / Îmi vreau bicla cu mine...

[EN] You can take a bicycle with you on a British train (at least on Southern Railway)… [RO] Îţi poţi lua bicicleta cu tine într-un tren britanic (cel puţin cu Southern Railway)...

[EN] …but could do the same thing on a bus in the USA (at least in Des Moines, Iowa). [RO] …dar ai putea face acelaşi lucru într-un autobuz din SUA (cel puţin în Des Moines, Iowa).

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

About public transport in the UK (17) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

All companies everywhere in the world promise a lot of things (most of their offers being no more that ‘PR crap’), and so was doing this Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company, while I used their services almost daily.

I must say that they kept their word. I don’t know about other parts of the UK, nor whether the overall quality of service matches the subsidies (mainly for fuel) that British public transport firms are being given even after the economic crisis.

On the upper deck of its double decker buses one could read promises of “day trips” (for what they called “very reasonable prices”), of “no need to wait” (due to reliable departure times), and of “no such thing as last bus” (in the case of two lines at least).

But never count on witnessing these promised fulfilled when it snows! It’s not even necessary to have huge snowfalls and bitting frost, like in the past days, so that such a ‘good Brit example’ wouldn’t be available anymore.

The whole of Britain – including everyone form the Govermnent, to private firms, local councils, and probably most ordinary citizens – is gravely unprepared for tough winters, as even the current PM, David Cameron, proves it.

Partly, it’s because of the milder climate. It would make sense to invest in snow ploughs or stocking up too much salt & grit. But it could also be that few other countries, apart from the UK have been so hysterical about global warming, not the ‘Big Freeze’ for the past years.

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

About public transport in the UK (16) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

Thanking again to my reader C.L. for the pictures (not that I wouldn’t have a dozen unpublished pics of British buses :-), here are some more or less funny bus jokes – read more here, here, here, here or here.

Is it typically British that their humour is rather approximate to many foreigners?! Could I be regardes as having a pro-British bias for finding jokes like these pretty funny?

Some policemen (from Romania, let’s assume, so that none of my foreign friends are offended) take a trip on a double-decker bus. Officers sit on the lower level, while agents on the top level.

Not long after the bus takes speed, worryingly screams are heard from above. “Why are you screaming like this?,” officers ask.
“We don’t have a bus driver!!!,” the passengers from the upper deck shout.

A man standing at a bus stop was eating a hamburger. Next to him stood a lady with her little dog, which became very excited at the smell of the man’s supper and began jumping up at him.

“Do you mind if I throw him a bit?” said the man to the lady.
“Not at all,” she replied, whereupon the man picked the dog up and threw it over a wall.

Passenger: “Does this bus go to Manchester?” Driver: “No.” Passenger: “But it says Manchester on the front.”

Driver: “There’s also an advertisement for baked beans on the side, but we don’t sell them!”

Roger was sitting in a very full bus, when a fat woman opposite said: “If you were a gentleman, young man, you’d stand up and let someone else sit down.”

“And if you were a lady,” replied Roger, “you’d stand up and let four people sit down.”

Finally, here’s bit of a politically incorrect (ethnic) joke. A British company hires 44 drivers from Poland, and is very pleased with their driving skills, as well as with how quickly they pick up English and even Glaswegian.

Guess what happens on the first day of work. The first thing they do after getting in the driver’s seat is to start asking the passengers: “Do you know where we are?”

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]