Visiting the UK from Canada. I did a day trip from Swansea to Tenby. On the way back I got my ticket checked 3 times all in the span of an hour and 45 minutes. Seemed like a lot. Most trains I've been on check once when you get on and that's that.
I am visiting your lovely city from Canada. I love Liverpool. I find it one of the friendliest cities i've been to in the UK. Everyone in friendly and polite. However I had one weird incident tonight. I got off the train at Kirkdale Station and was walking to my accommodation and just minding my own business. A car past and these guys gave me the finger and started shouting something at me. I assume they were just guys being dumb? I can't think of anything I would have be doing that would have offended them.
Currently finishing up a trip to Europe and the UK. Some transit observations.
Travelling makes you realize that if we want people to use transit it has to be easy for first timers. I figured everything out but some places could be confusing. I found Gare Du Nord in Paris and Lisbon Oriente a bit overwhelming for example. Also sometimes signage could be confusing. For instance I was staying just outside Edinburgh. One sign said that since it was an unmanned station you could by tickets on the train and another right next to it said not to get on the train without a ticket on you get a fine. I tweeted Scotrail and they said you could buy tickets on the train since the station has nowhere to buy them. However confusing for a first time user. Funny thing is they said when they tweeted me back they knew it was confusing.
Part of the long distance trains boarding for me could be since I'm used to Canadian trains. In Canada at big stations like Toronto and Montreal it's more of an airport style boarding process. You go to a lounge like area until they call you up for boarding, they check your ticket before you get on the train, and then everyone boards at the same time. Therefore in Europe I'm always double and triple checking that I'm on the right train since here you just show up go to your platform and board.
Some places I really liked what they did to make it simple. In Edinburgh for example the bus stops told you if they were going towards or away from the city.
Staff everywhere always were friendly and helpful if you needed help for the most part.
Maybe this is me getting older but for intercity trains I don't want to have to download your app just to get a ticket. It seems in the UK every train company needs you to download their app. So I have an app on my phone for Soctrail, Lner, Transport for Wales ect.
Some places seemed to have extra steps that seemed not needed. Buying a ticket from Belfast to Dublin for example you bought a ticket online, they sent you a code that you went and collected the ticket from the machine on the day you travel. Not sure why they can't just send you the ticket in the e-mail.
Transit in Europe can be quite hot in the summer. The London tube and the Dublin Dart for example were quite warm.
No a big deal but some reason when you use wifi on UK trains they want your entire life story to log in. On a Northern train they even sent me an email that I then had to verify. Just let me accept the terms and conditions and be done with it. I doubt you're adding me to your Christmas card list so why do you need my postcode.
I love that more and more places you can tap in and out with contactless.
No so much transit but I've noticed almost everyone in the UK jaywalks. Could be a family, an elderly person ect. It seems it some places it's only tourists that wait for the green man.
Now haven't been here that long but so far it seems like everyone is well behaved on transit. I haven't heard people watching videos or play music without headphones for example while that would be almost a daily thing in Toronto.
Like you need my postal code? Like I doubt you are adding me to my your Christmas card list?! Also no I do not want updates from this random airport that I'm at once in my life.
Hi
I am going to be staying at a b&b in Thaxted. I have a early morning flight to Belfast from Stansted Airport. Wondering if getting and Uber from Thaxed is possible or I should if I should order a local taxi. Thanks.
I was just in Lagos Portugal. Went on a kayak tour. Enjoyed it but I was the only solo traveller. People were nice but pretty much there to be with the people they came with. Compare that to when I've done day tours in Australia there's almost always other solo travellers. Are the signs that you find a day tour is solo friendly?
Got an Uber from Orly to my accommodation as it was 15 minutes compared to an hour on the metro. However wow it was frustrating. First uber I order calls me. Tells me his location where I have to go. I have no idea where that is. So I tell him I'm at the rideshare pick up. He says I know but I can't pick you up there. I say I'm not sure where that is but my app says you're picking me up here at the pickup. He starts yelling in French and hangs up. Cancels the ride. Another Uber automatically gets ordered. Once agian I get a call. Once again the driver says there somewhere else. I say I'm not sure how you get there. He says he'll pick me up where I am. Great. Wait for his car. Hear a guy yell my name. Go meet him standing at the curb. Walk over and says we're walking to his car. Walk for like 5-8 minutes to get to where his car is parked. Did I just get new drivers who have no idea where the rideshare pickup is?
I'm spend 3 days in Lisbon Portagul. I know it's not a ton of time but I did take the Metro and trains quite a bit. In Lisbon I never heard one person playing anything from their phone without headphones. In Toronto a daily occurrence. People waited for people to get off trains before people got on. No one was pushing and shoving each other. The one panhandler I saw even moved on politely when people said no. Now I understand that I'm sure some of this happens once and while no matter where you are. Maybe people in Lisbon just tend to be more respectful of other people. Heck I spend a couple days at packed beaches and didn't hear one bluetooth speaker blasting music like you do in Toronto.
With an election coming up this fall I remeber John Tory's big promise was SmarTrack. Existing GO lines would run ttc vechines. Did anything ever happen with it? It seems it was one of the biggest mayoral promise that never saw anything.
I have a friend that runs a jam. One of the biggest thing he says he finds is that a lot of time every scene turns into a pile on scene. It seems like every scene ends with like 6 people in the scene. Any tips to get a better varity in a jam?
I basically live in the lake during the summer. Looking for people who want to come play in the water with me at the beach this summer.