"JNugent" wrote the following
in:

Robin May wrote...

"JNugent" wrote:

How about answering in respect of British Gas, the electricity
generating industry and RJB Mining (neé The National Coal
Board)?

Why should I? I was talking about public transport.

I am not at all sure that you restricted your comments to public
transport.

In fact, I'm sure you didn't.

Your original proposition was that privatisation didn't stem
the losses.

No. My proposition was that in inherently loss making industries
like public transport, privatisation doesn't make sense.

But public transport is NOT an " inherently loss making" industry,
is it?

If you don't believe me, ask British Airways.

Ah yes, they're doing really well aren't they?

Or any of the many private companies that operate bus services.

Or any taxi operator.

For God's sake, how pedantic do I have to be. I really don't have the
time in usenet posts to spend 5 hours (is that figure specific enough
for you? Too inaccurate maybe? Should I have measured it with a timer?)
drafting a legal document to describe what I'm talking about.

I was referring to those parts of public transport which are inherently
loss making like railways (and not necessarily all railways, just some
of them).

I may not have been
explicit about the inherently loss making part or the public
transport part, but given the context (a thread about network
rail, posted to uk.transport and uk.transport.london) it's pretty
clearly implied.

This thread has veered in all directions. It is no longer safe to
assume it is dealing with railways.

I'm sorry you didn't make that assumption then. But now you know what
I'm talking about so it's stupid to keep bringing up other things...

I have given you three examples where that is clearly
untrue, haven't I?

No.

You dispute the fact that the gas, electricity and coal industries
were loss-makers when in government hands but profitable in
private hands?

....but of course, you're going to keep bring up other things anyway.

Anyway, if privatisation is so good, what good has it done for the
railways? Did they all offer higher quality service? Do they all now
make a profit?

--
message by Robin May, but you can call me Mr Smith.
Hello. I'm one of those "roaring fascists of the left wing".

Then and than are different words!