tim wrote:
"Stephen Osborn" wrote in message
...

tim wrote:



It's complicated in the sense that all journeys are individually
priced. It is thus impossible for someone to sell you a ticket

Every can of beans / newspaper / magazine / item of clothing / etc you buy
is individually priced and you cope with that don't you.

It's not a question of coping, it's a question of costs of
distribution/sale. When buying a tangible item there is inherently
a cost of distribution in getting the goods on the shelf. adding to this
cost by having to this stick a little price sticker does not make much
difference. A travel ticket has no cost of distribution other than
that of calculating the price, making the price calcualtion more
difficult makes a bigger difference.

What are you talking about? You said that it is complicated, implying
that is a problem, I merely pointed out it is no more complicated than
any shopping trip.

As for your costs of distribution 'argument', this is total hogwash.
The price of many goods bears no relationship to their cost of
distribution, compare a designer dress with a cheap one. Or are you
saying that all sale prices should be related to the cost of
distribution - in which case all travel tickets would cost the same.

1. Assumption that there will be a queue at the station and not at the
newsagents.

so go to another news agents.

No, I was merely pointing out an unfounded assumption, namely that there
will always be a queue at a station and never at a newsagents.

Whenever I buy a ticket (an extension as I have a Z1-3 annual) I do so
off-peak and almost invariably there is no queue.

aren't you lucky.

No, smart. If you go to any shop (which is what a station booking
office is) when it is quiet then there is less chance of a queue.