Re: The American's first UK visit
 

I saw an Irish guy in a pub in Oxford head butt two USAF GIs he had gotten into an argument with. Neither of the GIs knew what had hit em.

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

You were never around the Aussies then. They were mostly okay but when drunk liked to get something going with us Brits. It wasn't a question of being macho, just pushing back when being pushed

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

What's wrong with the London Underground then? Short wait for trains, a couple of quick changes and across London in no time, same with the suburban train service. I wouldn't even bother trying to drive the British Motorways.... almost as bad as the mess we have to cope with in and around good old L.A

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

Your original post referred to England.

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

I've had no trouble getting around anywhere in England or Scotland by train. Book on line, reserve seat and take train.

If you really have a gripe about the transport system you should have been around in the 1950s when the whole system was under the government and known as British Railways.... bloody horrible..... but more than likely that was considerably before your time.

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

If your departure / destination points happen to be on a line & yes I do, just about remember the '50s.

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/o...apitalism.html

No further comment.

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

I agree, the railway services are pretty good now. I'm not sure privatisation is what has improved it, though. If we still had British Rail under public ownership, it may have shown the same improvements or better.

One of the good things about online ticketing is finding out in advance about weekend engineering projects & other service disruptions in advance. Several times in recent years I've changed my plans because of service disruptions. Years ago you usually didn't find out until you'd already begun your journey.

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

Will she say "Yeah we only have a few buses back in Texas but they all five times bigger than your buses"

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

I use to travel regularly to Yorkshire on the Yorkshire Pullman late late 50s to mid 60s. A far better experience than the present Hull First trains.


My limited experience with modern UK rail travel I give it an "F" compared to France and Italy.
My last journey was plagued with problems from the 2 hr delay at Kings Cross to the ticket confusion to the transfer from First Class non stop, to a commuter train at Selby. Not to mention the inedible meals served.

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

The Rail System in Britain is the most expensive in Europe. the closures of the 1960s did not improve the network, Huge swathes of the country had their train services closed down.

Main beneficiaries of system now are the likes of the grinning millionaire Branson. He needs those super-profits to finance his ballooning projects.

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

I have bad memories of the Southern Region Railways from the 1950s/60s. The NUR and ASLEF always decided to start their leap frog type strikes in the dead of winter. Not so fond memories of shivering on cold damp winter evenings at Victoria and London Bridge wondering how long it would take me to get home or if I would even be lucky enough to get a train home.

Maybe because I've been away from the UK so long that I find the train service so much better, faster, cleaner much more comfortable.

When I first came to California in 1974 there was no train service in the L.A area. Just about everyone drove on the freeways. Poor people rode the buses which ran few and far between

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

This series of strikes have now earned their own Wikipedia entry.

Re: The American's first UK visit
 

Bring back Thatcher !