Ian Wild

Totally outragious, that’s what it is…

I’m flying to California on Monday to meet the WANdisco team. I’d rather not fly. I’d like to sail over and maintain my green credentials. But it would take too long so flying it is.

I’m going from Heathrow. The flights are the cheapest and direct, but that means I have to get from Sheffield to London to arrive before 9 in the morning. Not a problem you’d think. We have these great things called trains. 

Think again sucker

It’s not that there isn’t a train. There’s enough, even for a peak morning into the capital. But what I wasn’t expecting was the cheapest return fare available, more than a week in advance, of £178. YEP. You read that right. £178. Which by the way is the same price as the direct flight from Heathrow to San Francisco. 

So, here I am, stuffed. Until someone suggested something I wouldn’t even dream of. Fly to London from Sheffield. Excuse me? What? That’s just silly. 

But it’s true. An hour and £116 later I’ve booked a return flight from Manchester to Heathrow and I’ve just brought myself an extra hour in bed into the bargain. I’m pretty appalled by this - I know enough about the reasons why it’s the case, but the fact is it’s plain wrong / bordering on criminal. It should not cost the same for me to go from Sheffield to London and back as from London to California. It should not be cheaper to fly to London than to take the train. Never ever ever. 

And so there it is, I’ve had to compromise myself stupidly and I’m pissed off about it because it’s so totally avoidable. How the Daily Telegraph can spend two weeks exposing MPs with two houses but it doesn’t give a shit about a scandal like this is about everything that’s wrong with this country. 

Only a moron would choose the train.