Edwin Tickett Esq.
Straightening His Bow-Tie On The 11:15 To Cambridge Autumn 2013
As a frequenter of this sceptred isle's great and British Railways I have had increasing occasion to observe - something that has also been noted by my agent and publishers - that the railway traveller of today often lacks for some kind of explicit guidance as to the correct and proper way to conduct him or herself.
On every side the cry is heard: "Fashions nowadays move so swiftly that one finds it hard to keep abreast of the appropriate ways to behave! Just how many Facebook friends is enough, for instance? Will listening to the latest grime cuts art this volume permanently damage one's hearing? Which freesheet newspaper is truly the cat's pyjamas when it comes to sports coverage? How much does an Instagram really weigh - and do I want a whole one?" Etcetera etcetera. Whether their journey be undertaken for the purposes of leisure, to conduct commercial business, or indeed (as is so often my own happy circumstance) to visit one's maiden aunt at her cottage on the outskirts on King's Lynn, the inexperienced rail user can find themselves perplexed and discombobulated by questions of etiquette.
Hence a new edition of this short volume: which combines the fruits of many happy years of railway travel with an intimate knowledge of the problems and other infelicitous occurrences that can befall the modern railway operator - knowledge gleaned from robust but pleasant conversation with my fellow passengers and with operating personnel; alongside close, quiet study of that most marvellous of creatures: the contemporary commuter.
It is my fervent hope that you will enjoy this small booklet - and refer to it frequently throughout your travels, as your 'invaluable pocket reference guide' to modern railway manners.
