Roland Perry wrote:
Oh, I dunno - our car spends most of its life in the garage; we really
only keep it because we tend to take motoring holidays. And it gets
used on Sundays and one Wednesday a month. Other than that, in a normal
month, it lives in the garage.

Well, that's obviously *enough* usage for you, then. Odd how
it varies from person to person. PT's big drawback is assuming
one size fits all.

Er. Buses, buses with winding routes, buses on express routes,
trains, the underground, all that. Is that one-size? If so,
the worlds most fabulously comprehensive public transport system
could be sniped at by saying "it assumes one size fits all".
Perahps you mean PT's big drawback is not providing people with
their own car?

#Paul

In message , at 22:32:52 on Thu, 12 Aug
2004, remarked:
Well, that's obviously *enough* usage for you, then. Odd how
it varies from person to person. PT's big drawback is assuming
one size fits all.

Er. Buses, buses with winding routes, buses on express routes,
trains, the underground, all that. Is that one-size? If so,
the worlds most fabulously comprehensive public transport system
could be sniped at by saying "it assumes one size fits all".
Perahps you mean PT's big drawback is not providing people with
their own car?

I was saying "one size does not fit all *people*", not "all routes". And
yes, the car is more successful at fitting, having everything on offer
from an old banger to a brand new Range Rover.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 22:32:52 on Thu, 12 Aug
2004, remarked:
Well, that's obviously *enough* usage for you, then. Odd how
it varies from person to person. PT's big drawback is assuming
one size fits all.

Er. Buses, buses with winding routes, buses on express routes,
trains, the underground, all that. Is that one-size? If so,
the worlds most fabulously comprehensive public transport system
could be sniped at by saying "it assumes one size fits all".
Perahps you mean PT's big drawback is not providing people with
their own car?

I was saying "one size does not fit all *people*", not "all routes". And
yes, the car is more successful at fitting, having everything on offer
from an old banger to a brand new Range Rover.

Old banger to brand new? Not so different to some bus routes then!

While cars are indeed invaluable in many instances for most people
at some time or another, it isn't true they always outperform PT.
If forced to choose, I'd be crazy to choose the car. And I have no
idea what your point is re all *people* vs all routes; I was
pointing out the dubious nature of saying that PT is in any sense
single sized. The sizings available may indeed not fit an array
of people, but _single_ sized it isn't[1].

[1] Unless, I suppose, you live somewhere with only a small
number of poorly connecting bus routes. But the newsgroups line
contains london and urban, so it's not clear that would be the
most relevant assumption here.



#Paul

In message , at 09:10:12 on Fri, 13 Aug
2004, remarked:
Old banger to brand new? Not so different to some bus routes then!

The difference being that if your bus is an old banger the fare's just
the same.

While cars are indeed invaluable in many instances for most people
at some time or another, it isn't true they always outperform PT.

I have never claimed they do. But sometimes it will. eg: 4 people,
Chelmsford to Gatwick, to arrive at 7am [1]. Car wins that every time.

1 person, Chelmsford to Oxford Circus, to arrive at 9am, train wins
every time.

If forced to choose, I'd be crazy to choose the car.

Depends on what journey you are doing.

And I have no idea what your point is re all *people* vs all routes; I
was pointing out the dubious nature of saying that PT is in any sense
single sized. The sizings available may indeed not fit an array of
people, but _single_ sized it isn't[1].

Some people have different requirements from others. Apart from offering
first vs standard class, and bus vs train, there isn't very much choice
for the consumer.

[1] I've chosen this time to give PT *some* chance of competing. Any
earlier, or a Sunday, and it's a walkover.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
If forced to choose, I'd be crazy to choose the car.

Depends on what journey you are doing.

I meant only ever using PT, or only ever using a car.

#Paul

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 22:49:09 +0100,
wrote (more or less):

Roland Perry wrote:
If forced to choose, I'd be crazy to choose the car.

Depends on what journey you are doing.

I meant only ever using PT, or only ever using a car.

Like everyone who occasiuonally shifts a sofa has to buy their own
van for day-to-day transport?


--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr
Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 04:39:54 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at 22:32:52 on Thu, 12 Aug
2004, remarked:
Well, that's obviously *enough* usage for you, then. Odd how it varies
from person to person. PT's big drawback is assuming one size fits
all.

Er. Buses, buses with winding routes, buses on express routes, trains,
the underground, all that. Is that one-size? If so, the worlds most
fabulously comprehensive public transport system could be sniped at by
saying "it assumes one size fits all". Perahps you mean PT's big
drawback is not providing people with their own car?

I was saying "one size does not fit all *people*", not "all routes". And
yes, the car is more successful at fitting, having everything on offer
from an old banger to a brand new Range Rover.

Public transit is more successful at fitting people than the private
automobile. The nearest parking lot to me is farther away than the
nearest subway station. Then when I got to my destination, the same would
probably be true. It's just easier to take the subway.

--
Lance Lamboy

"Go F*ck Yourself" ~ Dick Cheney

In message , at
08:31:17 on Fri, 13 Aug 2004, Lance Lamboy
remarked:
Public transit is more successful at fitting people than the private
automobile.

Some people.

The nearest parking lot to me is farther away than the nearest subway
station. Then when I got to my destination, the same would probably be
true. It's just easier to take the subway.

Yes, it will be true for some people. But try taking a train from
Atlanta to Orlando (rather than driving). Takes 2 days via Washington!
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:02:28 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at
08:31:17 on Fri, 13 Aug 2004, Lance Lamboy
remarked:
Public transit is more successful at fitting people than the private
automobile.

Some people.

The nearest parking lot to me is farther away than the nearest subway
station. Then when I got to my destination, the same would probably be
true. It's just easier to take the subway.

Yes, it will be true for some people. But try taking a train from
Atlanta to Orlando (rather than driving). Takes 2 days via Washington!

So the claim that driving is more successful at fitting all people is
demolished. As for Atlanta to Orlando, have you thought about taking a
plane or a bus? It is not at all clear that driving is more convenient
for that trip than public transit.

--
Lance Lamboy

"Go F*ck Yourself" ~ Dick Cheney

In message , at
09:20:11 on Fri, 13 Aug 2004, Lance Lamboy
remarked:
So the claim that driving is more successful at fitting all people is
demolished.

There was no *absolute* claim to that effect. Indeed, it is your
absolute claim that PT is always more successful that is in peril.

As for Atlanta to Orlando, have you thought about taking a
plane or a bus? It is not at all clear that driving is more convenient
for that trip than public transit.

Everyone cringes when mentioning the bus in USA. Taking the plane will
be an economic decision. For a family of five, the car will likely win.
--
Roland Perry