Nik lives in Essex, UK and works in London as the editor of MacUser magazine. The posts and comments on this site do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions of values of his employers.
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Network Rail imposed the limits on most of Britain’s busiest lines, amid fears of rails buckling in temperatures of up to 33C… The limit brought trains which normally travel at up to 110 miles an hour, down to 60. (Source: BBC)
Forgive me if I’m wrong, but don’t train lines run across the Equator? And through central and southern America, where the temperatures soar sky high, and make our measly 30-odd degrees feel comparatively Antarctic.
What is it about travel in this country? Petrol prices are second highest in Europe, designed to get us out of our cars. Congestion charges in London and council car parks getting more expensive every year are destined to do the same. But while all this is happening the rail network is falling to bits, the price of tickets is reaching unaffordable levels and the bus service around here shuts up shop at 19h00. So, no chance of me getting home without either a car or a long walk.
You’d almost think the government had decided we’d all be far less trouble if we were all kept at home, out of harm and out of sight.
Oh, I had been determined not to moan about the heat. And really I’m not - it’s the crappy trains again. It is fantastic going to work in shorts and a t-shirt, with no thought of a coat or jumper. In the winter it gets so cold I can never believe such a thing would be possible. I spent lunchtime walking through the hot streets, dodging from one pool of shade to another on my way to Borders to find a book on Italy, and clambering into and out of tents with Emilie who’s off camping at the weekend.
It’s put me in mind of some nights under canvas myself. It’s years since I’ve last been and I have booked off a week’s holiday later in the month.
Dinner at Mildreds tonight with David, Paul and Paul. The veg burger was, as ever, fantastic. It’s rapidly turning into one of my favourite London eateries.
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5 Responses to “Hot bother”
Well, that’s libertarianism, the free market and Mrs. Thatcher for you…think there’s any way of turning back to state owned railways? People must be getting pretty fed up with the situation.
• Posted at 7:46 pm on August 5th, 2003 by kristiv.Like Nik, I also get fed up with poor service on the trains but It’s just a myth that the railway was better when state owned Kristiv. Under investment was a pretty consistent feature of the entire period of nationalisation. We now have a Regulator, who grants licenses to competent train operators. He also has statutory responsibility for ensuring that all licensees comply with regulations and laws and meet agreed levels of service and reliability. Connex have now suffered at the hand of this regulator and rightly so.
Under the old system, if our train was late leaving in the morning, nobody responsible for railway operation cared much, and the delay stretched as the journey progressed. Nowadays if we are a few minutes late leaving, we imagine lots of shouting going on in the operations rooms and they now tend to make the time up for fear of being fined.
The current system is nor perfect but I do cringe when I hear that word nationalisation.
• Posted at 8:09 am on August 6th, 2003 by Kev.Libertarianist! Surely there must be a middle way?
• Posted at 6:35 pm on August 6th, 2003 by Krist.It was 108 degrees F in Dallas, Texas yesterday. That’s actual degrees — not heat index (which includes the effects of humidity). Broke a 50 year record. I’m not sure what that is in Celsius. I’m just glad I live much further north where it was only 82.
• Posted at 3:06 pm on August 7th, 2003 by Gary.
>don
• Posted at 12:30 am on August 5th, 2003 by Danny Bradbury.