Hail All!
Cheers again for all of the fares info etc. Looking at my Avantix installation briefly, it might be cheapest for me to get a return to Blackpool North and add a saver single into the mix, using some discretion concerning the shorter return journey via NXEC to Kings Cross to save me having to buy two returns. Having said that though, although Avantix looks and feels
very easy to use (It runs well on my XP Pro system, although it did crash MSN five minutes after load!
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) I've only had a very quick play with it thus far.
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On another note, I'm now in a bit of a quandry regarding something relating to this, and could do with some advice regarding how the railway might view this kind of thing, and whether they understand the true meaning of the phrases "discretion" and "extenuating circumstance" or not...
Now my plan was to go to Blackpool for the weekend as I'm going to a
Rollercoaster Club of GB event there, and that part of the plan still stands. However, I was also going to visit my friend in Middlesborough after this as "bolting" it on to an existing journey North is the only way I can afford to see him...I don't have enough cash to do a dedicated return trip, alas...
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Now, another thing that has been ongoing for a while is that at the end of December 2007CE, another resident within my block - Who all of us here knew quite well - Passed away rather unexpectedly. Until now we knew nothing of the funeral arrangements, but I got in this evening to find a note on my door mat to say that the funeral had finally been arranged. Ye've no doubt guessed it already; It's on Monday 14th, in Aldershot, at 09:00.
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So now I'm faced with a very difficult situation, as I really need to see my friend in Middlesborough if I can. However, I also knew the resident who passed away quite well, and as soon as her death was known about I planned to do my level best to attend her funeral. Either way, I feel that it'd be a gross injustice on my part if I wasn't at the funeral, as it'll be our last chance to say our farewells to her before her Spirit is committed to the heavens...
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I've already given thought to thrashing at full-speed to Middlesborough for Sunday night, and
pulling an APT down to Aldershot in time for the funeral the next morning, but I doubt that I'd make it even if I got perfect changes all the way (My record for crossing London from train door to train door is about eight minutes already!
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and caught a taxi from Aldershot station! :mad:
So what I'm basically asking here is:
Given that I cannot afford to do two seperate return journeys from Farnborough to Blackpool and Middlesborough respectively (I'm on DSS benefits and signed off with an incapacity), yet still need to attend the funeral in Aldershot as it'd be unreasonable and unfair for me not to (Which obviously necessiatates me returning to Farnborough on Sunday afternoon) surely there must be some kind of "fairness" legislation in place to allow me to make a "free" (Fare waived) return journey from Manchester to Farnborough/Aldershot so I can attend the funeral, then go to Middlesborough on the Monday night?
After all...I've had no part or hand in the funeral arrangements (It's a state funeral as the deceased had no next of kin, to my knowlege) so there was no way that this could've been taken into account at all. The notice that we've been given is short enough as it is, and yet even though I've had these plans for Sunday to Thursday next week in place for a good month at least, my known level of ability in using public transport and only needing scant milliseconds to make connections/changes means that for me to not attend the funeral would be considered very bad on my part.
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Though I can easily make the journeys themselves as far as travel goes, it's the cost of the tickets that mean I can't afford to do this...And the length of journey involved does add another difficulty, for it'd be FAR less likely to be "written off" by a manager or someone else in authority, given the extra 550 miles that it means I'd be travelling. If it was a funeral in Darlington or Leeds, then it'd be a different (And likely to be authorised) case...But
Blackpool PB > Farnborough/Aldershot > Middlesborough? Unlikely...
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Now I'd hope that National Rail
would show appropriate, sensitive discretion in this case and allow me a waived journey so that I could cover both bases as necessary...And personally, if they decided
not to show discretion in these circumstances, then it'd prove to me that they don't give a c**p about customers, and - Prompted by myself - The media could read some
VERY interesting things into that insofar as health and safety on the railways are concerned...
Either way...Permit or no, I may well do the double-return as it's the only way I can make it all work out. My appearance is distinctive and unique enough...So if any guards or DOO drivers working trains along the WCML and in the Manchester, Blackpool, Preston and Middlesborough areas should see me travelling on their services,
PLEASE understand that I may be travelling without a valid ticket for the reasons outlined above...And for goodness sakes,
PLEASE don't try issuing me a penalty or "standard" fare - A thousand thanks in advance!
So can anyone see a simple way around this issue? I don't want to miss the funeral at all, but at the same time if I turn up at the funeral as I hope to, it means that I won't be able to afford to visit my friend in Middlesborough who I've been wanting to see for a long time...And who is only in student digs for a short while longer, and won't be able to accommodate me when he returns to his parents mid way through May!
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Farewell, and thanks again for thy valuable help...
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