Getting Around

First of all, that orange of the titles is just unpleasant...really must look at that!

Anyhoo, on Monday just gone (that would be a bank holiday) we decided to potter over to Newcastle for a drink with friends - what could possibly be nicer. Being a responsible type, I thought I'd look at public transport options on the basis that it would give us more options re. drinky-poos and how hard could it possibly be to get from Tunstall to Newcastle?

For those who don't follow such things, Tunstall is about five miles from Newcastle and is a pretty major town in the area. Imagine, then, my surprise when I looked at the top notch Bank Holiday service offered by our local bus company (that would be First). Direct buses every two hours (and not at hours that met with my requirements). There was an alternative route of travelling from Tunstall - Hanley then Hanley - Newcastle, but the lovely people at First feel that we should pay for the priviledge - £1.70 for each leg of the journey.

Being the geek I am, I did the maths and worked out that for two of us, the cost would be pretty similar between bus and taxi and hence went for Plan B - in the end, it was actually cheaper to go by taxi.

This, of course, begs the question: "Who, in their right mind, would choose to use buses that are both irregular and expensive?" We don't live out in the sticks and, unlike many car users, I am not afraid of waiting a little while to catch a bus. However, the thought of waiting for two hours to travel 15 minutes or paying a relative fortune (and take much longer for the journey) tries even the most committed greeney.

If we are serious about making it easy for people to get around our city and reduce traffic jams (which get ever longer day by day), we really do need to pick up our game...and when I say "we," I really mean the bus company.

In the meantime, I'll have to get myself a skateboard...