h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've never had good luck getting a taxi to pick me up at my home. I'm on the fringes of Boston, so any taxis would likely have to come a long way just to get me.

One of the many pleasures of living in a smaller town (say, 18,000 people) - a $7 Cdn taxi ride will take you anywhere within town limits.

Taxis are for extreme circumstances. Like much luggage and no one to pick up at the station, or severe illness but no ambulance warranted. Or, finding yourself in a strange town, not knowing the directions well enough for public transport.

Otherwise, bus/train. Or own car, if the trip involves baggage or destinations outside reasonable public transport.

Public transport? I've heard of such stuff but always thought it a myth . . .

Oh public transport exists, for sure. And in the summer, you can buy a pass for about £60 that allows all travel in the region (Skåne), on bus and trains for three months.
But that tramline they're building in my town? 5 km, from rail station to a still undeveloped "science village", in a town of 100 000 people? I'll believe it when I see it. The inauguration has been "three years from now" for about five years now.

"Public transport? I've heard of such stuff but always thought it a myth . . ." [Rev Nick]

Yes, it's a myth, as is the notion that pressing those pedestrian walk buttons does anything. Those buttons are placebos.

Another reason W and I use the buses a lot, it doesn't cost us anything, now we've got both of us our bus passes mine for being gorgeous I think, his one is because he's old... something like that... - always slightly annoying that the disabled railcard I have only gets us 1/3 off the journey, not for free, like it does on the busses mind, at least the railcard gets me, and who i'm travelling with, the third off the price, which makes most trips we do, £20 or less, for the two of us

I just came from seeing "Baby driver," which makes me afraid [very afraid! ] to get back on the road.

Oh, the number of arguments our kids have had over whose turn it is to press the button on the pelican/toucan/puffin/Pegasus crossing – zebra crossings are so much easier...

<BB<

I always insist on presing the button before W gets a chance to do so! not that I'm childish or anything but... well, maybe a bit
Fabulus bad driving in evidence on the roads today, box junction with cars parked over it, from both directions - taxis at least seem like profesional drivers who have a basic understanding of road laws, and how driving works... cars turning into 'no turn' roads and of course cyclists on main roads, on the wrong side of the road - and that was just walking ten minutes up to the gym this mroning Still can't believe there are not more road fatalitys round here, on a daily basis and now the council decides, to let cyclists cycle the opposite way to the allowed flow of traffic, on some one way streets <huh. but not, on others... which just confuses cyclists so they now think the one way street thing never applys to them

If a lane is "right turn only," it isn't the lane that turns, but rather the cars on it.

Anyone ever Uber? Taxi drivers had once been expected to know every road in London until along came an app that made memories redundant - but now due to their dodgy practices Uber may well be out of the capital for the near future at least (although there is Uber in Southampton).

<BB<

I can't catch taxis. I don't have a big enough trap.

I'm with Milla. Taxis are for extreme circumstances.

However, I did once take a taxi home after shopping. I bought an electric heater (an oil-filled radiator you can plug in) from an electrics shop, asked them what the delivery prices were, and told them they were joking. So I asked them to hang onto it while I went grocery shopping next door, came back and picked it up, then took a taxi home, with both the heater and the groceries.

A delivery would have cost me about four times the amount (and I would have had to carry my groceries).



I've never *caught* a taxi, though. I only very occasionally *take* one. Interesting little linguistic difference there.

TRiG.