Emme wrote: » Please tell me how long is your commute to and from work and how do you get there?
PlaneSpeeking wrote: » Seen a few of them alright, all elderly people who should be allowed to travel where and when they want.
Emme wrote: » I don't mean the sick and incapacitated. Maybe some pensioners sacrificed years of their life caring for an elderly relative. They are entitled to some comfort at the end of their years. I agree that generation worked hard in their own way.
Emme wrote: » However some (not all, SOME) had benefits we can only dream of. High taxes, yes. Were they higher than what we pay now? I don't know but money seemed to go further. There were more jobs in people's locality. Long commutes were rare. People were not expected to work as much unpaid overtime. More mothers could work in the home. People could retire at 60 or 65 after 40 years in the same job and some could look forward to a decent lifestyle after this.
Emme wrote: » Now some commuters rush from home to creche to train to work to train to creche and then home to start the second shift. 6 hours uninterrupted sleep is a rare treat for these people.
Emme wrote: » The reality is when we retire at 70 or even older it is unlikely the free travel pass will still be available. There will be no money to pay for it. That doesn't mean we should begrudge it to those who have it today but it should be used judiciously.
Shanotheslayer wrote: » The issue isn't them travelling where and when they want. It's that they don't pay for it :pac:
skooterblue2 wrote: » If they worked while serving under Lemasse, told to tighten their belts under Haughey and Fitzgearld while in constant recession, mass unemployment and immigration then they have hard earned their pension and benefits. Fair dues to ye all you have earned it.
Shanotheslayer wrote: » I live in Dublin and my Commute to work is roughly an hour including walking to and from the Luas. If I don't get a seat it's a bit of a pain but so be it. I don't complain about it. You can be productive on public transport which is what I do.
Edgware wrote: » If you dont get a seat there is always the risk of rubbing up against some young one
Zorya wrote: » I can understand your irritation, OP, but surely it is misdirected? Instead of being cross with elderly travelers, be cross with a government and transport company that does not provide sufficient stock to transport all their passengers in comfort. As is their mandate.
Zorya wrote: » Instead of being cross with elderly passengers using their FTPs as they are permitted, lobby TDs and government to have the amenity changed to an Off-Peak allowance, with contribution at Peak travel times. It is unlikely that pensioners are regularly having days out - it will be different groups different days, and as individuals they are entitled to use the passes as they are presently designated.
Zorya wrote: » Instead of being cross with these elderly passengers be cross at the feudal system (I agree with you completely on that) that has you and many others hounded from morning to night, often working at bull**** or meaningless jobs in order to be barely or not able to afford to live decently ie with sufficient time for loved ones and sufficient funds for basic necessities like housing.
Zorya wrote: » We are all kept incessantly at each others throats in this system, snarling at and begrudging each other every morsel, because the system is so damn heartless - and thus we do not raise our eyes, voices (and better yet, pitchforks!) to look at the fat cats who are responsible, who cream off the wealth andwho could hardly give less of a single fcuk about the plebian masses ie their workers and consumers.
Zorya wrote: » May we all be old one day.
Emme wrote: » If people want to be old I wish them a happy, healthy and prosperous old age. I personally do not want to live beyond a certain age because I have seen too much ongoing suffering in my own family over the years. Dealing with suffering family members takes up nearly all of my time outside work and I admit it leaves me exhausted and embittered. It is very difficult when you are powerless to help people who are suffering and there is no end in sight.
iamwhoiam wrote: » ^^^^^ So am I reading your above post right ? You are annoyed at me for being a sprightly pensioner because your parents are less able than I ?
Zorya wrote: » I think they are admitting to being exhausted and embittered. Which is fair of them. Given enough to deal with, any of us could get to feel that way. I know when I am exhausted enough it's a good thing concealed carry is not legal in this country
iamwhoiam wrote: » Look , I had my own difficulties in life and now retired . I understand being exhausted but oddly enough I never thought that begrudging pensioners their free travel was going to ease my burden !
Emme wrote: » If you have your health and are able to get around without pain be thankful.
Dalomanakora wrote: » So my quite disabled relative who can't even walk without assistance should only go out off-peak? Or how about they go out whenever the hell it suits them because they're entitled to their travel pass?
Emme wrote: » The only support I got on this thread was from other people who are working and have long commutes. That is very telling. I was also told that I am paying too much to travel. I am well aware of that. I can barely make ends meet at the end of the month. I feel like I am slaving away in a feudal system as a serf with the welfare class as my overlords. Cue the litany of rage from people claiming various benefits... pipe down!
iamwhoiam wrote: » What makes you think for one single second that I am not ?
Emme wrote: » Actually I don't care if you are or you are not. If you want to be thankful for your health that's up to you.
iamwhoiam wrote: » Actually it was you who told me I should be thankful ? Seems you cared enough to post that Can I ask you why you are so abrasive towards me ? I am well thank you and use my travel pass to travel when I wish to . Is this such a thorn in your side that you seem to resent that fact ? Try and relax a little and pick your battles wisely . Being angry at me is not going to change your lot .
Sir Oxman wrote: » As pointed out previoulsy, maybe pay during peak hours?
PlaneSpeeking wrote: » They had their FTP out. They paid zilch. And you misread the point - packed train with workers wanting to get home, max 5 people on seats for 8 and refusing to move their crap so at least 3 people could get a seat. No way is that okay.
Viviana Careful Wildfire wrote: » When I started commuting I’d never say anything to people taking up more than one seat. By the end I enjoyed it. When you’re traveling every morning you get to see the signs, the person who pretends to be asleep as the train is rolling into the next station, the old lady who’ll have her wheelie trolley in the seat beside her, the person with the suitcase on the seat, the person who’ll lay across two seats to sleep. I remember being on a packed train on the way to work one morning and there was only one free seat, so many people asked if it was free and the old lady replied no it wasn’t, her friend was in the toilet. There was lots of people standing in between carriages. As we approached the next station, the lady had gone back to reading her book and no sign of her friend. I approached the seat and kindly asked her to move her trolley. She said the seat was taken and her friend was in the toilet. I explained I would move when her friend came back from the toilet. Nobody came the entire hour we were on the train, there was no friend. Another morning I asked a girl to move her feet off the second seat and she asked me to find somewhere else to sit. I apologized to her for not realizing she’s paid for two seats and told her to move her feet again. I sat next to her and basked in the awkwardness the entire hour. I would always offer my seat to an elderly person, but I do agree there should be a discounted charge on peak train times.
troyzer wrote: » Yeah, wouldn't want to be an uppity youngster. How dare I have a go at older people with their €500k houses they bought for €40k whilst forcing us to pay €1.5k a month for a shed an hour and a half away from work which pays us less than it pays you simply for being younger. And while you're retired and enjoying your state pension and free travel pass, it's left to us to pay the €200bn national debt you racked up. Cheers for that. Show some humility, older people in Ireland are absolutely blessed with all of the advantages they have over younger people. More money, more public services, more freebies and they struggled far less with the basics than we are now. That's just a fact. The pass is currently availably for free all day long, but it shouldn't be. That's the whole point.
Graces7 wrote: » Why not? The whole point is your woeful attitude.. And by the way none of your accusations apply to me or my life. none. And I do not know any in the bitter categorisation you are indulging in. Many have to choose between heating and eating. You have no idea what the world is like for older folk. I keep thinking of that lovely group of older women the OP mentioned, off to enjoy a day together... wonderful..
facehugger99 wrote: » Even the phrase 'Free Travel' is erroneous. Someone always has to pick up the tab. As per usual it's the people who pick up the tab for everything else like free water, free education and forever-homes.
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