Things that aren't free that should be

[LaGoosh]

If you are having an in-person job interview all travel and clothing requirements for the interview should be free.

[LEGIT]

Parking.

[Merzbow]

Hospital parking especially, it's often the most expensive.

[TibBo]

On 1/3/2025 at 11:37 AM, tiger_rick said:

My Mam forked out about £20 for my Rugby Shirt which was a massive amount for a family like ours and some bastard nicked my bag on about the 2nd day of secondary with that in it. There was no chance we were affording a second one so I got a lost property special that did me until we could choose PE sports and I could stop being a tackling dummy.

The bag was a beauty too, a Head one bought with thousands of cards that came with Embassy cigarettes or something. Was well proud of that for the 2 days I owned it!

Ironically these were both free for the git that nicked them, so in the spirit of this thread you should get some good karma…

sorry mate

[SuperBacon]

3 hours ago, simonworden said:

Growing up was a right pisser with the one bus going to the one town I didn't want to often go to and costing 4 quid (in about 2003) for the privilege. 

I don't want to turn this into my personal transport thread but buses in rural* areas are atrocious.

I live in a village that's between Winchester and Fareham, and often have to get the bus to both for work (without car at the moment) with buses roughly an hour apart.

Last buses back? From Fareham 6.10pm, Winchester 6.40pm. So if you're in either after those times it's a cab or a lift back home. 

Also the bus doesn't even run to Fareham on a Sunday so that's out.

It's definitely something I'd focus on if I was in charge. To be fair the bus systems in the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth are decent. 

 

*I wouldn't even say its that rural either, other surrounding villages have no bus service and are way more isolated.

 

[simonworden]

1 hour ago, SuperBacon said:

I don't want to turn this into my personal transport thread but buses in rural* areas are atrocious.

I live in a village that's between Winchester and Fareham, and often have to get the bus to both for work (without car at the moment) with buses roughly an hour apart.

Last buses back? From Fareham 6.10pm, Winchester 6.40pm. So if you're in either after those times it's a cab or a lift back home. 

Also the bus doesn't even run to Fareham on a Sunday so that's out.

It's definitely something I'd focus on if I was in charge. To be fair the bus systems in the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth are decent. 

 

*I wouldn't even say its that rural either, other surrounding villages have no bus service and are way more isolated.

 

That's a very similar situation to my home village just outside Christchurch. There's one service that goes through the village connecting Ringwood and Christchurch. Busses run 2 hours apart and finish about 3pm so absolutely no use these days for anyone working. 

 

Its not a small place either, probably 7000 plus residents these days. The bus companies complain it's too costly to run the service but that's because they've spent so long reducing it and raising prices most have given up on it. 

 

Like you Bacon if I was incharge I'd want to fix this with a better connected network all through the New Forest area, use electric busses and push it on the tourists to use in the summer. Allow dogs, bikes etc so it's actually flexible for them. 

[SuperBacon]

24 minutes ago, simonworden said:

Like you Bacon if I was incharge I'd want to fix this with a better connected network all through the New Forest area, use electric busses and push it on the tourists to use in the summer. Allow dogs, bikes etc so it's actually flexible for them. 

First day back in the office tomorrow, I'll see what I can do

[Gus Mears]

Are we allowed to have better bus services in rural Wiltshire too? Or is this solely for Dorset and Hampshire ponces?

Edited January 5, 2025 by Gus Mears

[wordsfromlee]

3 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

I don't want to turn this into my personal transport thread but buses in rural* areas are atrocious.

I live in a village that's between Winchester and Fareham, and often have to get the bus to both for work (without car at the moment) with buses roughly an hour apart.

Last buses back? From Fareham 6.10pm, Winchester 6.40pm. So if you're in either after those times it's a cab or a lift back home. 

Also the bus doesn't even run to Fareham on a Sunday so that's out.

It's definitely something I'd focus on if I was in charge. To be fair the bus systems in the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth are decent. 

 

*I wouldn't even say its that rural either, other surrounding villages have no bus service and are way more isolated.

I don't want to turn this into some version of the Four Yorkshiremen sketch but when I was a teenager the place I lived had one bus a week on a Tuesday and the bus stop was a mile from my house. It was GREAT FUN!

[SuperBacon]

15 minutes ago, Gus Mears said:

Are we allowed to have better bus services in rural Wiltshire too? Or is this solely for Dorset and Hampshire ponces?

My influence doesn't stretch that far mate. Unless you want to meet at the Bordon Tesco with some of that massive pie you made? 

[Gus Mears]

23 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

My influence doesn't stretch that far mate. Unless you want to meet at the Bordon Tesco with some of that massive pie you made? 

Can't. No bus there

[simonworden]

9 hours ago, Gus Mears said:

Are we allowed to have better bus services in rural Wiltshire too? Or is this solely for Dorset and Hampshire ponces?

Not for you Northern buggers.

[westlondonmist]

Dental treatment? Why is it so expensive? I think people are put off going due to paying. Dental hygienist is £75 at my dentist as NHS doesn't cover it. 

[SuperBacon]

13 minutes ago, westlondonmist said:

Dental treatment? Why is it so expensive? I think people are put off going due to paying. Dental hygienist is £75 at my dentist as NHS doesn't cover it. 

I just want to veer slightly off topic about this if I may.

My job is all about skills and employment. One of the main parts being supporting Ukrainian guests and refugees in this country, and that, not unsurprisingly, includes a large number of qualified dentists (as well as medical professionals)

To start moving towards practicing as a foreign national you need to pass a test which shows you can not only competently practice, but also listen, write and speak English well (including technical language) which is fair enough.

It's prohibitively expensive to take the test and the government have just put the price up.

So there's a large number of dentists out there all wanting to and willing to work at a time when there is a record number of shortages and its being made harder and harder to address this by the very people who claim to want to fix it.

This country in a nutshell in my opinion.

[air_raid]

14 hours ago, westlondonmist said:

Dental treatment? Why is it so expensive? I think people are put off going due to paying. Dental hygienist is £75 at my dentist as NHS doesn't cover it. 

"NHS dentist treatment" seems to be a myth round here. Three house moves in a row I've called every dentist nearby to find out they "aren't currently accepting new NHS patients" so have ended up always going to a private Polish dentist. Where admittedly we pay over the odds but CHRIST it's thorough, professional, on time and everything's always spotless. And it's round the corner from a GDK.