First Bus have raised their rates again for a minimum fare: £1.25 for the minimum charge, and £3.75 for an “all day” ticket. That means that, for us, who usually only catch a bus because we’re going to the University, or downtown, it is now financially less advantageous to take a bus when two of us are going: a cab downtown, or to the University, also has a minimal fare: £2.50.
What this means is that, each time we have to go somewhere, we must do some mental gymnastics. Are we going to go out together this evening? And, if so, will we be taking the bus? If we’re going to be making more than 3 trips anywhere together, the “all day” ticket is our option. If, though, we’re not going to be making more than 3 trips, then calling a car is the best option, financially. If one of us needs to make more than 3 trips (£3.75) but the other only needs to make 2 (£2.50) … we’re going to take the bus (this assuming that we’re going to 2 places together, but not the third, which is rather bonkers because we’d still need to get home, so when wouldn’t we be making more than 3 trips, but hey, sometimes somebody walks somewhere). But anytime we both need to take only 2 trips to someplace close by, we’re going to take a cab.
Yes, we could walk these distances – a half-mile at most. We don’t, though, unless the day is fabulously wonderful (rare) and we care to just wander about in Glasgow (even more rare). This varies, of course, if we’re going somewhere like Kelvingrove, where the trip is all through the park. Walking about the city, though, is a different story: it’s a strategic trip, to get somewhere in particular for a particular reason, and best dealt with by avoiding contact with the filth and muck by whatever means possible.
T. has finished her revision and is awaiting word from her editor. D. has a deadline of next Monday for his. We’ll be back to blogging more regularly soon. We promise. Life is just … frantic.
All that planning and calculating just to go somewhere makes staying home and revising your books and dissertations seem more palatable, no? Happy trails!
T congrats on finishing your revisions. D, you’re almost there. Keep up the good work. Have fun with the public transportation. 😀
paz
Oof–with that much math, I’d just walk. Much luck with all the writing.
You just have to figure it out once, every time they change the bus fares (twice since we’ve been here). From that point on, you just know.
With all the rain, it’s sometimes nice to arrive at the end destination not sopping wet. 🙂