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Ticket to ride


Chloe

Chloe is a 19 year-old Journalism student. She enjoys socialising with friends, going to gigs, and shopping.

Chloe wishes that when people tell others to use public transport, they'd bear in mind that it isn't all 'roses' on the buses.

Everyday we are told of how important it is for us to be more environmentally friendly in a bid to save our struggling planet. We now recycle, use energy efficient products and insulate our homes to prevent energy from being wasted, but I would rather walk miles to reach my destination rather than start using public transport.

The phrase: 'It's like waiting for a bus, you wait for ages and then three come along at once,' was said for a reason. Public transport is inherently unreliable. Fact. Over time I have learnt that if ever I have somewhere to be on time, and don't want to be in a foul mood on arrival, I should never depend on public transport.

Travel companies spend lots of time and money each year devising timetables apparently telling us what time each bus is due, and when we will reach our destination. A valuable document, you would think, if only the buses actually showed up on time!

I understand that at times there may be traffic which stops the bus from running to schedule, but when I'm left waiting for half an hour with no explanation, it's no wonder I begin to lose my cool. Maybe travel companies could spend the money that they waste on useless timetables each year on providing a service that actually runs efficiently?

"Maybe travel companies could spend the money that they waste on useless timetables each year on providing a service that actually runs efficiently?"

When the bus finally does arrive, the queue of people that have gathered at the bus stop all have to try and cram on together, which can only mean one thing. No seats. A lot of bus drivers I've encountered seem to have no objection to cramming on as many people as possible, despite the fact that everybody is squashed together like sardines are and having to hold on for dear life with each corner turned.

If you go upstairs, you are sure to find a group of 'chavs' sitting at the back playing awful music on their mobile phones and staring menacingly. OK, so they're only about 14, but they manage to get away with it as no one ever has the courage to stand up to them. Often even the driver will even turn a blind eye to their intimidating behaviour.

Perhaps I wouldn't mind so much if the music they insisted on blasting was good, but a dose of speed garage and hip-hop at 8am is not really what I enjoy. It appears I'm not the only one who finds this annoying; there are even groups on Facebook dedicated to the cause. 'Chavs' aside, you are more than likely to meet a few other ignorant and annoying people when using public transport. For example, people throwing bottles and pieces of paper down the bus, the token drunk with his trusted can of lager in his hand, or the person who obviously thinks that what they have to say is so interesting that everybody on the bus should hear it. To be blunt, I really don't want to hear your inane gossip about your neighbours, but when I can hear you over the music on my I-pod, it seems I have no choice.

I almost choked recently when told that it would cost me £1.40 to go to my friend's house about five minutes up the road. What exactly are we paying for? Many mornings I would arrive at school distressed and dishevelled after having to fight my way both on and off the bus.

The problem isn't isolated to buses either. Too many of my train journeys home from university have been spent hovering uncomfortably by the toilet, as there are no seats left in the carriages. Perhaps I would have more chance of sitting down if almost half of the carriages weren't dedicated to first class passengers. Do the train operators really think that the commuters and students travelling midweek are going to almost double the cost of their fare just for a bit of an extra legroom? I think not.

So as much as I feel it's important to reduce my carbon footprint, I won't be joining Gordon Brown and all of the other politicians supposedly 'going green' at the bus stop anytime soon. "Taxi!"

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