Well I have decided that I should start to do my bit to save the planet. Yes thats right, I have decided to start using public transport once more, Northern Irish Rail (NIR) to be exact. OK, maybe it has more to do with the fact that I am now working in Belfast City centre and can no longer avail of free car parking. The fact that it now costs more than £60 to fill my car’s tank is a pretty persuasive argument too. And then theres those cursed motorway roadworks (Grrr!) to contend with.
So how do I feel about my loss of freedom? Brilliant! No longer do I have to trudge up and down the motorway, stuck in traffic jam hell, listening to the same old crap on the radio, bored old of my skull and going slightly insane every day.
This morning I was able to relax on the train, reading my latest Digital Photography magazine while listening to my iPod. There was no traffic, no hassle and best of all - NO STRESS! I also find that living to the train timetable gives you something to get up for in the morning. I have to leave the house at 07:30 or I miss my train whereas my car was always just sitting in my driveway, waiting for me to turn up, whenever that may be.
Now, I have used public transport long enough to know that its far from perfect. I know there will be days when the train is late, breaks down, I don’t get a seat or get stuck beside some smelly teenagers listening to crap music too loudly. But I don’t care. The car is dead. Long live public transport!
2 comments ↓
I “commute” from Dublin to Belfast at the weekends. The train is definitely relaxing, but it takes a while getting to and from the train - and living around their schedules takes some getting used to. I’d like a car so I could decide which way to travel on a per-case basis. I’m green just ‘cos I can’t afford not to be: a car is outside my budget at the moment.
Welcome to economically enforced environmentalism.
Locality is key to public transport. In previous jobs I had to get connecting trains/buses or 20-40 minute walks from Belfast Great Victoria St. This meant I usually had to leave ridiculously early to build some contingency for late trains. It also meant leaving work early to get home at a reasonable hour. In the end I had to take the car due to late hours in the office.
Now, I am a 5 minute drive to the train station from home (yes I should walk it) and 5 minute walk to my office. The trains run often enough at rush hour to give some flexibility too. The actual train journey takes half as long as in the car. The car cannot really touch it for convenience.
Leave a Comment