Bikes On Trains, Its An Outrage

[Michael Hardman]

I just watched the news and train companys are inforcing the laws on taking bikes on trains, in so much tha its going to be harder.

The spokeperson for the train companies said the trains are for people not machines. Ive just had a look and the definition of a machine doesnt include a bike so wheres he been educated.

Im a bit pissed off about all tis as Ive been moved on a few times for insisting I should be allowed to take my bike on a train. I just ask why can I take a push chair on or luggae when that is surely as big a health and safety issue as my bike.

Ive been threated by staff and have witnesses but I tried to report it only to be thrown outt he station.

Im going to write a letter/emai lto someone about it, I think the bbc would be best.

[Sameer]

Be sure to run it through a spell check first.

And it won't get very far, either. Comparing it to a pushchair is f**king stupid, as is with luggage. Like it or not, a bike is a f**king hassle on trains and, especially when it's busy, slows down the general flow of things causing possible delays and whatnot. And yea, the health and safety aspect as well, of course.

Deal with it. Don't argue with the platform crew and you'll be alright.

Or get a car.

Edited January 16, 2006 by Sameer

[Ducko]

that sucks,

ive been kicked of trains before for having my bike, its stupidity ive never seen bikes cause problems.

[Michael Hardman]

Be sure to run it through a spell check first.

And it won't get very far, either. Comparing it to a pushchair is f**king stupid, as is with luggage. Like it or not, a bike is a f**king hassle on trains and, especially when it's busy, slows down the general flow of things causing possible delays and whatnot. And yea, the health and safety aspect as well, of course.

Deal with it. Don't argue with the platform crew and you'll be alright.

Or get a car.

Nice attitude, get a car Ok you get one and when the roads grind to a halt, which they already have and your f**ked for something important Ill be laughing. You can continue to add to the problem if yu want it might make it better, yeah it will.

So a disable person relies on a wheelchair Im disable in that I cant see very well and I rely on my bike to go places therefore in that context Im being discriminated against becasue I have a bike as a form of transport. Ill prbably never drive a car even though I know I could the law makes it hard for me to get a liciense. If you still think Im being a dick with my comparsions Ill happily go to Moorefields Eye hospital and request a copy of my medical notes, all 20 years of them detailing my disabilty. Hey I even get free computers and resourses from the council for studying aong with extra time in exams for my disability.

Why should I not argue with the staff when Ive been threatned to be kiled by a staff member. Im supposed to let it go, its a damm good thing I dont go around beating people up otherwise Id be inside by now.

Surely an extra carriage with no seats for bike storge at owners risk is not much to ask.

I know to use a spell checker first.

Edited January 16, 2006 by Michael Hardman

[Walleee]

BBC are shit, their reporters have wrote that a 16 yr old boy smoked 600 joints a day, thats more than 2 every 5 minutes or something crazy.

I didn't e-mail them personally, but someone i know did about the issue, they basically said that what they write is their business regardless of how crazy it is.

It might be a good idea to remind people that if you dont have your bike on the train, your 'forced' to drive home from the station, in which case you might as well drive to work.

By not allowing bikes on trains, the company are basically saying 'f**k 'green' forms of transport' of which train's are ment to be one. (iffy english)

Edit: If a law has been passed, there isn't much that can be done, these things take forever to reverse.....

also, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/souther...ies/4614760.stm

Looks like its not the government but the train company themselves, doubt it will affect the majority....

Edited January 16, 2006 by jake1516

[Michael Hardman]

Might I just add its the governments probelm they need to enforce green transport.

One last thing o whoever repied first why don't you take my point of view into consideration, Id love to see how you felt if you had to rey on public transpor like I do without the likihood of being able to independantly travel by means of a car. Just then you might reaise that to me this is an issue that is close to me and the current rules inplace violate my right to freedom of movement.

[Sameer]

Dude, I'm not saying totally forget about trains and get a car and live happily ever after, because I know that even a car is shite, particularly for London. What I was getting at was you should try to be more vigilant about the system and use common sense in most situations. If you're about to board a train with your bike, and you know there's a chance it'll become fully loaded at one stop or another, don't get on - or expect to get thrown off.

People are trains' (and public transport in general) main priority and so they are more than happy to sacrifice a few kids with bikes to accustom the extra 10 or so possible customers they can accommodate. It's a business afterall.

Are you talking about actual National Rail trains or the Tube? Most of the national trains have that bike storage thingy in the front anyway, so that's one option. But I know the more local ones (slow, scummy trains) enforce you to stand in the aile or the doorway - which is what I'm guessing you're beef is with.

And if a member of staff threatened to kill you (which I seriously doubt, unless you were being a jackass or something) then you can take that up with a much higher authoirty than the bloody platform inspector or ticket booth that you probably did with.

Whatever, write your letter. Good luck with it. But you know nothing will come of it.

[Michael Hardman]

Im not a kid anymore, even though I look it.

I was threatened becaseu I had no front wheel and wasnt walking from Waterloo to Liverpool Street to get home. I saw the station supervisor as I ws told to and he just laughed and walkedme out the station touching me and my bike and resulting it it hitting someone.

Ive give up, I wrote the letter but it turned into a personel vendetta fuelled by my emotions on the topic so Ive left it for now.

I moving to Europe where they will ove my green atidutes.

[Mark W]

Erm, I've reserved my bike on every train journey (for free every time), and I've coincidentally never had a problem?

[Will Arnold]

Erm, I've reserved my bike on every train journey (for free every time), and I've coincidentally never had a problem?

yeah, but thats not the reason for this topic, its to do with whats gunna happen in le future.

i think it sucks personally.

its like they are pushing people away from public transport!!!

basterds

[Mark W]

Yeah but Will, the thing is is that it says that they're going to "enforce the law", but if you've got a reservation for your bike, that's all they ask for, so it'd be fine then? If you've booked a place for it, then as far as they seem to be concerned it's fine. It's not like it's hard to go "Return to ______, and can I book a place for my bike too?"

[deanie-b]

Yes Mark, But it's still easier to just buy your ticket outside go through the gates and not have to worry about snotty nosed ticket inspectors, and people who generally don't know the first thing about how hard it is for younger people who don't have a car to get somewhere with a bike.

Okay, Granted, our bikes can sometimes be a hindrance on trains, But the way I see it, We're all capable of moving our bikes to let people through, So why do train companys have to kick up such a stink?

Sorry to hear about your disability Michael

[Ben Cox]

Im not a kid anymore, even though I look it.

I was threatened becaseu I had no front wheel and wasnt walking from Waterloo to Liverpool Street to get home. I saw the station supervisor as I ws told to and he just laughed and walkedme out the station touching me and my bike and resulting it it hitting someone.

Ive give up, I wrote the letter but it turned into a personel vendetta fuelled by my emotions on the topic so Ive left it for now.

I moving to Europe where they will ove my green atidutes.

mike were you trying to get on the tube??

if so it is illegal to go on the deeper lines because of health and safety

anyway i swear its part of most of the franchise bids to make it easier for cyclists to get around by train, i dont think they would risk losing the franchise.

Ben

Edited January 16, 2006 by Man On A Mission

[Dan Hardman]

fair enough u can look at bikes and wheelchairs in the same way, but surely if a bike is a safety risk on trains and the tube then wheelchairs are as well?

[mat hudson]

one of the propper posh trains in n wales had a biker carrage, good old richie branson! as far as these rules changing, i dont think it will effect anywhere round here. all too backwards and inbred to use new rules.

[totaltrials]

I think it's rather harsh not letting bikes on, just because you have a bike doesnt mean you should ride miles and miles to work.

I have had many many problems trying to get bikes on trains, there are trains from Liverpool to Manchester, with bike areas just for bikes, GREAT, that's good, but when you get little idiots who put all there 20 cases of luggage there so you cant put your bikes there is just far too annoying, so when you say to the platform attendant that,

"there are cases in the bike area so i cant put my bike there, any chance you can ask them to move it"

Very politely I must add as always, I get a response like this:

"Don;t you dare tell me what to do, I'll do my job as I please, get off the train, your not allowed on"

There have also been times when they won't let us put bikes in the bike spaces, hmmmm.

I don't use trains any more.

Phil.

[Ash-Kennard]

"The ban will also be enforced on trains leaving London or Brighton between 1600 and 1900 GMT. "

does this mean it's just the brighton and london station, or all the others in between?

does it affect the portsmouth, southampton and fareham stations? if so that will really f**k me up, as i'm 2 years too young to drive.

[yoyoyo]

It does suck, but theres not much we can do, there's a lot more people who will be against bikes on trains than for. And labour will do their best to please the majority. So i can't see us winning.

[poopipe]

like Mark says - buy a bike ticket for a quid . If they wont sell you one then you can't take your bike on the train so you're gonna get kicked off if you do. If you've got one and they kick you off then you've got cause for complaint.

[biketrialler]

Michael, its nothing to do with them disciminating against your disability. It has nothing to do with it.

Wheelchairs are completely different to bikes and you know it. Take a wheelchair away from someone that cant walk, and theyre f**ked. Take a bike away from someone that cant see quite perfectly, and it does feck all, in fact, due to the speed you would be travelling at on a bike I wouldnt try and argue you need your bike because of your disability - if you cant see properly youre better off walking as far as officals will be concerned.

As for the bike situation, well, there isnt space on the trains, I guess thats just a problem you have to deal with. What bike is it youre trying to transport? If its a commuter bike, then ok, fair enough. If its a trials bike, bmx, downhill or whatever, and youre travelling around so you can jump off of buildings that you arent meant to be, then again, little sympathy, its not your right, its a bonus.

Im not digging at you either, im just trying to help you rationalise the situation a bit. You seem really firey about this.

[Michael Hardman]

Ben I do know Im not allowed on deep underground stations on the tube.

Bennifer my point was I feel most comfortable using my bike o nthe train to get to places for the sole reason that I have memorised the routes I need to take to get to the places I go. I do this becasue I find it hard to read things when they come at me fast like where trains are going etc..... Also I do used the train to commute from uni to home to work and that involved my bmx aswell. The routes Id planned and used over the years to do this were the quickest for me. Bike to station, train to waterloo, bike to liverpool street train to ilford bike to house. Much quicker than me walking to station and catching lots of trains. I couldnt do my usual journeys without my bike as it would be pointless. Im trying to say becasue of my eyesight I have routes I prefer to use and thery require a bike and train to be efficient.

Trains in general are a load of toss, the government are a joke. Trying to encourage green transportation my arse with rising train prices and a worse service. They say they have no money but the key is to take money from the modes of transportation they are tryign to discourage and give to the ones they are trying to promote so it can be made cheaper. Simply cut the funding for building new roads and spend it on public transport. When the government do that I finally give in and believe they have there green caps on, until thenthey are trying to improve something withut adequete funding and making things worse.

I could rant all day about this and no one would ever agree with my views and ideas becasue Im too radical and thats what has to be done. Radical ideas are needed, people need to take a risk with these radical changes for things to work and if they dont then fire them which seems to be the trend these days.

Shall I stop ranting now.

Can I raise the point of pushchairs then. Why is it they are allowed on and when ther eon there 99% of them are left open and roll around thats a waste of space and it pisses me off. My child can be f**king carried if I took them on a train they dont weigh much, oh wait yes they do with this fatty fat fat nation evovling.

Fat people hats another thing that pisses me off on trians but I wont go into it, actually yes I will for a laugh. If I have to pay more to take my bike which is an extension of me then fat people should pay extra for the extra shit they carry round due to being lazy f**kers i nthe whole. Yes I know some people have problems but most of the fat people are fat becasue their lazy, greedy f**kers.

Rant kinda over off to watch TV now and Ill come back to see people slagging me off for my views.

Edited January 16, 2006 by Michael Hardman

[Sameer]

Ill come back to see people slagging me off for my views.

Try; laughing at.

[Mark W]

I could rant all day about this and no one would ever agree with my views and ideas becasue Im too radical and thats what has to be done. Radical ideas are needed, people need to take a risk with these radical changes for things to work and if they dont then fire them which seems to be the trend these days.

Dude, you haven't made any "radical ideas" or anything in that post. A lot of people find the train network shit. You saying it isn't "radical". Equally, fat people are fat. There's a surcharge on some airlines now for fatty bunters who can't fit in one seat, but that's more a health problem than them wanting to take a bike.

Personally, I can't see how they don't want people to take a bike. If there's room, and there's room on every train for one, how couldn't they fit one in? Makes no sense.

Prams though you aren't gonna win about. It pisses me off no end when some stupid teenage mother of forty-eight parks her triple pram setup in front of my bike so I have to navigate past that, all her screaming children, and then get to the doors, but I guess they pay their ticket prices too. I guess it's more just that a lot of people using trains are fags?

[Joe_Elding]

Do you have to book early to reserve a bike place or is it just a case of asking at the ticket office?

I've never done it before but I have been kicked off so really should start.

[yoyoyo]

They might be more lenient if you have a mod, than a stock.

What do you ride Michael?

Because your profile says multipule.

Edited January 16, 2006 by yoyoyo