The Big 'Let's sell our cars and take buses/ebikes instead' thread (warning: probably very dull)

briantrumpet

First.Aspect said:

briantrumpet said:

webboo said:

I would be so bold as to suggest as to take trumpet and head north. What’s the worst that could happen, you could get wet or eaten alive by the wee beasties. Or you could spend a day hills drop in to a pub, get out the trumpet and not have to buy a drink all evening.

Too much to do south - and it's about the same distance, and I love it just too much. While I'm still fit, I want to do riding excursions to Italy and the Med, want to catch the train to Venice, and possibly Sicily too.

The riding isn't great in a lot of the north, tbh. Main roads or out and back roads. If you aren't in to walking or floating, it's not necessarily the place for you.

But what it has that you don't get in the Med is tides. That makes a coast so much more interesting.

Oh, the Med is boring. And I can remember finding boats tied up on 'washing lines' in Christiansand in Norway very bizarre. I gert loves the effect of tides, even on mud, such as Pill Creek... remembering that Avonmouth has (possibly) the second biggest tide in the world...

rjsterry

https://twitter.com/MarksLarks/status/1715986988241699050?t=-pEGCtZfIH-hHizpLLnTKQ&s=19

focuszing723

photonic69

First.Aspect said:

I think it's the white sands at Morar.

My favourite spot is just down the road at Rhu and amongst the islands off the shore there. You can see Rhum, Eigg, Skye, Munro's on the mainland, a seal colony, otters, the Hogwarts Express and all while on a white beach.

Looks a lot like Arisaig just down from Morar. My wife and I camped there on out honeymoon tour of Scotland many years ago. Beautiful place. Crystal clear water with crabs scuttling about and seals and otters surfacing now and then.

First.Aspect

photonic69 said:

First.Aspect said:

I think it's the white sands at Morar.

My favourite spot is just down the road at Rhu and amongst the islands off the shore there. You can see Rhum, Eigg, Skye, Munro's on the mainland, a seal colony, otters, the Hogwarts Express and all while on a white beach.

Looks a lot like Arisaig just down from Morar. My wife and I camped there on out honeymoon tour of Scotland many years ago. Beautiful place. Crystal clear water with crabs scuttling about and seals and otters surfacing now and then.

Rhu is at the end of the dead end road along the south shore from Arisaig.

photonic69

First.Aspect said:

photonic69 said:

First.Aspect said:

I think it's the white sands at Morar.

My favourite spot is just down the road at Rhu and amongst the islands off the shore there. You can see Rhum, Eigg, Skye, Munro's on the mainland, a seal colony, otters, the Hogwarts Express and all while on a white beach.

Looks a lot like Arisaig just down from Morar. My wife and I camped there on out honeymoon tour of Scotland many years ago. Beautiful place. Crystal clear water with crabs scuttling about and seals and otters surfacing now and then.

Rhu is at the end of the dead end road along the south shore from Arisaig.

Looks lovely. Just checked it out on Google Earth. This was the campsite my wife and I stayed at. Gorten Sands, now sadly closed. It was beautiful.



Taken from Google Earth as photography back then was B&W and somewhere on a negative in a very large box of negatives.

photonic69

photonic69 said:

Thanks for the heads up @Pross . It looks like they are closed again this weekend so STJ it is. Quite reasonable £23 open return for two of us plus £4 to park. A LOT less stress than driving around the bowels of Newport.

RANT!!!

So that's it. never using public transport again! Ever! I will always take a car over a train or a bus given the option. The more polluting the better!
So start with good intentions. Rather a foggy but the M4 wasn't too bad at 8:30am on a Saturday. Got near Severn Tunnel Junction via SatNav directions then saw a road sign for the station contra to the SatNav so took this. However seems like locals have removed all useful signs so after going down what 'looked' like a dead end, decided to follow the SatNav, that rather unhelpfully tooks us to an actual dead end in the middle of a housing estate. So a quick Google Maps on the phone assured me that my instinct was right and I should push on through the apparent dead end and we found the station. On parking up I went in search of a ticket machine for parking. The three all had covers on them and indicated using the parking App. This was a different parking App from the 3 I already had on my phone. So after setting my phone to actually download it over mobile data I managed to install it. Then register on it. Then pay on it. Finally. So make it to the station entrance to find scant information on which platform we needed. Asked a fellow passenger who indicated it was over the foot bridge. At this point a train drew into the station and it was possibly the one we wanted. So we legged it up the staris, over the bridge and down onto the platform only to hear the "beep beep beep" of the door closing alarm. Bugger. OK, so when is the next one. They were fairly regular maybe 35-40 minute apart. But no, due to sorm Betty or whatever, they were hourly. OK, so I thought if we have to drive to Cardiff in the diverted traffic, then get a P&R bus it will take over an hour from where we were and as I'd paid for the train and the parking we decided to wait it out. After 45 minutes I checked the train app for times only to find the one we had been waiting for had been cancelled and the next was 65 minutes after that one!!! Double fecking búgger!!!! So that was it!!! We had to drive. All through Newport and diverted M4 traffic to Cardiff East P&R. Finally got there and the Uni had laid on buses to and from for the pricely sum of £10!! Arses.
So arrived really late. Really stressed. It would have been worth it to drive the whole way and park illegally all day and paid the fine. It probably would have cost the same.

So that's is. Public transport sucks. Gonna get one them them that Hummvee thangs with a bumper sticker saying "Suck my Balls" or summat. Grrrr....

pblakeney

^^^See when I sad net zero by 2050 and electric cars by 2030 was a non-starter?^^^
That's why. This country is incapable of organising any infrastructure to make it happen.

Pross

It was certainly not the best weekend for public transport. My daughter came back from London on Friday evening and in the end couldn't get a direct train. She had to get off at Templemeads instead and my other daughter picked her up from there. I'm not sure why there was such an issue as the storm didn't affect us that much and, as far as I'm aware, didn't affect London much either. I think there had been some flooding around Swindon. A bit of an unfortunate weekend to be doing it, as you found out though driving is pretty sh*t along that stretch around Newport on weekends at the moment with the M4 closures and no real alternative. A few weeks ago I had to drop the dog at kennels to the east of Newport, drive to pick my daughter up from a job outside Barry, drop her off at Newport station and then drive up to Stockport. It took longer to do the trip from the kennels to Barry and then back to Magor services (which should be less than 2 hours) than it did to drive from Magor up to Stockport.

People have been going on about the 20mph limit impacting on the economy of Wales but it is negligible compared to the delays associated with the Brynglas tunnel bottleneck and Welsh Government deciding not to build a relief road or make any meaningful improvements to the M4.

The trains from STJ to Cardiff are usually pretty reliable, you just ended up with a double whammy with the weather problems on top of the road closures. I've never had a problem with the parking to be fair, did you try the little car park off the access road to the main station car park? That one is Council owned, slightly cheaper and has parking machines (albeit they are really slow). There's also a free car park as part of the country park just the other side of the tracks.

rick_chasey

rjsterry

photonic69 said:

photonic69 said:

Thanks for the heads up @Pross . It looks like they are closed again this weekend so STJ it is. Quite reasonable £23 open return for two of us plus £4 to park. A LOT less stress than driving around the bowels of Newport.

RANT!!!

So that's it. never using public transport again! Ever! I will always take a car over a train or a bus given the option. The more polluting the better!
So start with good intentions. Rather a foggy but the M4 wasn't too bad at 8:30am on a Saturday. Got near Severn Tunnel Junction via SatNav directions then saw a road sign for the station contra to the SatNav so took this. However seems like locals have removed all useful signs so after going down what 'looked' like a dead end, decided to follow the SatNav, that rather unhelpfully tooks us to an actual dead end in the middle of a housing estate. So a quick Google Maps on the phone assured me that my instinct was right and I should push on through the apparent dead end and we found the station. On parking up I went in search of a ticket machine for parking. The three all had covers on them and indicated using the parking App. This was a different parking App from the 3 I already had on my phone. So after setting my phone to actually download it over mobile data I managed to install it. Then register on it. Then pay on it. Finally. So make it to the station entrance to find scant information on which platform we needed. Asked a fellow passenger who indicated it was over the foot bridge. At this point a train drew into the station and it was possibly the one we wanted. So we legged it up the staris, over the bridge and down onto the platform only to hear the "beep beep beep" of the door closing alarm. censored . OK, so when is the next one. They were fairly regular maybe 35-40 minute apart. But no, due to sorm Betty or whatever, they were hourly. OK, so I thought if we have to drive to Cardiff in the diverted traffic, then get a P&R bus it will take over an hour from where we were and as I'd paid for the train and the parking we decided to wait it out. After 45 minutes I checked the train app for times only to find the one we had been waiting for had been cancelled and the next was 65 minutes after that one!!! Double fecking búgger!!!! So that was it!!! We had to drive. All through Newport and diverted M4 traffic to Cardiff East P&R. Finally got there and the Uni had laid on buses to and from for the pricely sum of £10!! Arses.
So arrived really late. Really stressed. It would have been worth it to drive the whole way and park illegally all day and paid the fine. It probably would have cost the same.

So that's is. Public transport sucks. Gonna get one them them that Hummvee thangs with a bumper sticker saying "Suck my Balls" or summat. Grrrr....

So, what you are saying is you missed your train? 😁

As someone who regularly underestimates how long I need to get to the station, you have my sympathy.

pangolin

I like that the first half of the rant about public transport was all issues with driving, satnavs and parking.

briantrumpet

Come on guys, someone's looking for some sympathy, and one tells him post facto of the other car parks, one says he needs to allow more time, and the other says it's got nothing to do with public transport really.

First.Aspect

I sympathize with the over exuberant precancellation of rail services for a bit of rain and unexceptionally high winds.

Pross

briantrumpet said:

Come on guys, someone's looking for some sympathy, and one tells him post facto of the other car parks, one says he needs to allow more time, and the other says it's got nothing to do with public transport really.

I did mention the other car park in my original advice to be fair to me.

briantrumpet

Pross said:

briantrumpet said:

Come on guys, someone's looking for some sympathy, and one tells him post facto of the other car parks, one says he needs to allow more time, and the other says it's got nothing to do with public transport really.

I did mention the other car park in my original advice to be fair to me.

Sorry, I wasn't paying enough attention, despite car parks in South Wales being a particular fascination of mine.

I must admit a screw-up of mine trying to get back to the car hire car park in the French sector at Geneva Airport... really shouldn't have believed the Google Maps pin called 'Car Hire, French Sector, Geneva Airport'. Thankfully I'd been like my parents and given myself an extra spare hour or two on an already generous itinerary.

And at least now I can give a top tip on how to find the French sector car hire car park at Geneva Airport with Google Maps.

pblakeney

That's weird. Satnav took me straight back to where I'd picked the car up from.
Just as well, I'd have been in a pickle otherwise. 😉

photonic69

Yeah, I know, I know, yeah, but..but etc.

The best bit was there was a great bus lane where the P&R bus zoomed past queue after queue of stationary cars only to get to a bus lane traffic light where we waited for all those cars to go past us again. What was the F'ing point?

Stevo_666

photonic69 said:

Yeah, I know, I know, yeah, but..but etc.

The best bit was there was a great bus lane where the P&R bus zoomed past queue after queue of stationary cars only to get to a bus lane traffic light where we waited for all those cars to go past us again. What was the F'ing point?

You didn't expect a sympathetic response in Cake Stop, did you?

photonic69

Stevo_666 said:

photonic69 said:

Yeah, I know, I know, yeah, but..but etc.

The best bit was there was a great bus lane where the P&R bus zoomed past queue after queue of stationary cars only to get to a bus lane traffic light where we waited for all those cars to go past us again. What was the F'ing point?

You didn't expect a sympathetic response in Cake Stop, did you?

Nah, course not. Just a vent about how great our public transport system is in theory but from a users PoV it fails on so many levels. I was really looking forward to the journey too as it would have been so easy and stress free.

Pross

I do think you were just particularly unlucky this time with the impact on the storm on the trains (although I still have no idea why they were so affected considering the storm wasn't too bad in the south). As you were unfortunate enough to witness, the traffic around Newport is horrendous at weekends at present so the train would definitely be the better option in normal circumstances.

photonic69

Pross said:

I do think you were just particularly unlucky this time with the impact on the storm on the trains (although I still have no idea why they were so affected considering the storm wasn't too bad in the south). As you were unfortunate enough to witness, the traffic around Newport is horrendous at weekends at present so the train would definitely be the better option in normal circumstances.

Not forgetting the lack of local signage to the station and the fact all the car parking machines are out of order and they force you to use a parking app I've never come across before. Even with the slight detour to some ones driveway by the SatNav we would have made the train in plenty of time had it not been the impossibility to pay for parking.
I did heed your advice about the other parking but it was not clear to you accessed it or if in fact it was still free. I could see it but the access looked like a pedestrain path. There were no other signs directing one to it. So for the sake of £4 it was just 'easier' to park and pay. If only I had known!

rick_chasey

Welcome to the sh!tshow.

Pross

The station is signposted from both directions on the main road or at least it was the last time I went there (and the road leading to the station is called Station Road).




The parking is a pain, I've ended up doing it on the train in the past as there was a big queue for the machine in the council car park.

photonic69

Pross said:

The station is signposted from both directions on the main road or at least it was the last time I went there (and the road leading to the station is called Station Road).




The parking is a pain, I've ended up doing it on the train in the past as there was a big queue for the machine in the council car park.

Yup, I saw and indeed followed that sign from the main road despite the protestations from the satnav to keep on going straight and to take the next right. I ignored it for a bit then doubted my instincts so followed it here!

Pross

To be fair, that's a SatNav fail rather than an issue with public transport. I just chucked Severn Tunnel Junction car park into Google Maps on my phone and it takes you right there.

photonic69

Pross said:

To be fair, that's a SatNav fail rather than an issue with public transport. I just chucked Severn Tunnel Junction car park into Google Maps on my phone and it takes you right there.

No, absolutely a SatNav fail, but as I said, if the parking ticket machines had been functioning (so many in this country are not maintained and force people to use an App) then we would have been sat merrily on the train. Or even if there was an integrated app that allowed you to pay for parking at the station, the train fare, any onward travel by bus, other train, taxi, hire bike etc then that would be even better. This country needs to stop seeing a journey as a single mode of transport, especially trains. They need to look at how people get to train stations and how they travel once they have reached their destinations. We need a Holistic approach to travel, rather than one-off journeys.

briantrumpet

photonic69 said:

Pross said:

To be fair, that's a SatNav fail rather than an issue with public transport. I just chucked Severn Tunnel Junction car park into Google Maps on my phone and it takes you right there.

No, absolutely a SatNav fail, but as I said, if the parking ticket machines had been functioning (so many in this country are not maintained and force people to use an App) then we would have been sat merrily on the train. Or even if there was an integrated app that allowed you to pay for parking at the station, the train fare, any onward travel by bus, other train, taxi, hire bike etc then that would be even better. This country needs to stop seeing a journey as a single mode of transport, especially trains. They need to look at how people get to train stations and how they travel once they have reached their destinations. We need a Holistic approach to travel, rather than one-off journeys.

That would require joined-up thinking, so I'm sure you can see the flaw in your sensible suggestion.

pblakeney

Here's a novel solution for future planners. Put the bus station next to the train station. I am frequently amazed by the distance between.

Pross

pblakeney said:

Here's a novel solution for future planners. Put the bus station next to the train station. I am frequently amazed by the distance between.

Cardiff has gone the other way. The bus station used to be right outside Central station but was knocked down for a new office development where the BBC are now based and a big, open, boring concourse that is useful for arranging queues when there are big events but the rest of the time is just an ugly grey space.

I don’t think they have a centralised bus station now and instead have a few areas scattered around the city. It feels ridiculous to me. In the case of Severn Tunnel Junction there isn’t a bus station although I think some small buses may go down there. It’s a pretty random station in a small village that just happens to be where the lines split with the mainline to London through the tunnels and another heading up through Gloucester to Birmingham.