Buggies, luggage and bicycles

[LE Greys]

a few people are forgetting a few simple facts...

We Are A PUBLIC Transport network

we move the old, the young, the worker, the skiver, the white european, the eurasian, the asian, the west indian, the african, etc etc etc

people have the RIGHT regardless of who they are to travel without some of the bigotry that this issue has proven exists! I as a guard sigh when someone will complain of a buggy or a wheelchair, yes some are totally unsuitable and with a bit of tact and common sense the guard like myself can give advice, to say people without buggies/wheelchairs/bikes etc shouldnt be allowed to travel at certain times of day are laughable, people pay to travel and within reason the railway should and does provide means to travel and I am so sorry that some people find themselves inconvenienced by a young mum with her kids or the wheelchair user or the cyclist, bottom line we move the WHOLE of the travelling public not just the people who use just their 2 legs and leave their nice expensive motor in the disabled bay or the parent & child space "because its easier"

rant over

Quite right! My beef isn't with them, it's with the rolling stock designers who make it harder to do this by producing a train with seats only and no luggage space.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Quite right! My beef isn't with them, it's with the rolling stock designers who make it harder to do this by producing a train with seats only and no luggage space.

asking train designers to use common sense is like asking the government to provide new trains for the north of england..not gonna happen lol

 

[corfield]

Reference bikes on trains. A key problem is when you can't reserve on local/regional services, but must do so for the intercity.

I had to come back from Lowestoft earlier this year, having cycled across the country for charity. I had a reservation on the Class 90 to Liverpool St, but not the 170 from Lowestoft.

Since it's first come first served at Lowestoft, I could have been stuck there, despite having made every possible effort to book, reserve and so on.

Yet someone with a suitcase that is much more obstructive than my bike would have had no problems. Likewise prams, pushchairs and so on. And surely anyone travelling with a bag bigger than a daysack is carrying a "luxury" of equal importance to a bike anyway?

Exactly the same problem back from Wick to Inverness and the Caly Sleeper.

In both cases I was lucky, but it was a source of significant worry for several days, that with work and family commitments depending on me being back, and in-spite of making every effort to reserve (and pay whatever the cost is) I could still get stuck.

That doesn't seem a very fair position, nor one to encourage cycling and people out of their cars. Which most people seem to agree is a fairly important objective for the country.

The DVT certainly is a good luggage/cycle

"Cyclists reputation with car drivers". This has to be sarcastic? if serious, that is really quite pathetic. And I drive a lot more than I cycle.

 

[cjp]

I'd have thought it was because bicycles are a luxury (i.e. a person can walk) and suitcases and pushchairs (for children who are too big to carry and/or can't walk on their own or for long periods) are not.

I think not.
I have panniers on my bike (perhaps making it the equivalent of the dreaded wheeled luggage) I travel between termini on my bike and use it both ends of the journey and if on a break often have day out on my bike.
I make a reservation if I can and have had to reshedule my journey more than once as there have been no slots free.
Luggage and buggies just barge on regardless:cry: Not fair
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Because a buggy is needed for a baby/small child. There shouldn't be a restriction on luggage otherwise people wouldn't use the train!

I do not agree a buggy is needed my friend had a buggy but happily used a sling for her baby and had a bag.
Buggies are a Western idea not an essential item.

And there are restrictions on luggage in the Conditions Of Carriage - but not usually enforced whilst it easier to see and pick on cycle and cyclist:cry:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Reference bikes on trains. A key problem is when you can't reserve on local/regional services, but must do so for the intercity.

Since it's first come first served at Lowestoft, I could have been stuck there, despite having made every possible effort to book, reserve and so on.

Yet someone with a suitcase that is much more obstructive than my bike would have had no problems. Likewise prams, pushchairs and so on. And surely anyone travelling with a bag bigger than a daysack is carrying a "luxury" of equal importance to a bike anyway?

Exactly the same problem back from Wick to Inverness and the Caly Sleeper.

In both cases I was lucky, but it was a source of significant worry for several days,

That doesn't seem a very fair position, nor one to encourage cycling and people out of their cars.

Hear Hear

BTW
I did find on Scotrail I could make a reservation on the local services by phoning their central travel enquiry number which I did after being told by a guard that even a local commuter had been left behind in the summer as the two spaces were taken. (Just to keep my options open I guiltily booked a space on two succesive trains) As it happened I was the only cyclist around in March from Plockton to Inverness
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Why arent buggies and large luggage banned on certain trains like bicycles are?

I believe the answer to the OP's question is mixture of politics and money
or to put it another way
cowardice and greed

Could we overcome this as cyclists by paying a fee of a few pounds to take our bikes more than say five miles?

Paying may make the TOC's like us more than the big luggage people they never seem to restrict, ban nor surcharge

 

[The Ham]

a few people are forgetting a few simple facts...

We Are A PUBLIC Transport network

we move the old, the young, the worker, the skiver, the white european, the eurasian, the asian, the west indian, the african, etc etc etc

people have the RIGHT regardless of who they are to travel without some of the bigotry that this issue has proven exists! I as a guard sigh when someone will complain of a buggy or a wheelchair, yes some are totally unsuitable and with a bit of tact and common sense the guard like myself can give advice, to say people without buggies/wheelchairs/bikes etc shouldnt be allowed to travel at certain times of day are laughable, people pay to travel and within reason the railway should and does provide means to travel and I am so sorry that some people find themselves inconvenienced by a young mum with her kids or the wheelchair user or the cyclist, bottom line we move the WHOLE of the travelling public not just the people who use just their 2 legs and leave their nice expensive motor in the disabled bay or the parent & child space "because its easier"

rant over

True.