Lena's Law

Last night I went to see comedian Tom Wrigglesworth perform his show An Open Return Letter to Richard Branson.

Based on an incident that occurred on a Virgin train where an elderly lady was bullied into paying £115 for an on-board ticket after boarding an earlier train. He then had a whip-round with the other passengers to raise the money for her, an act which led to him being arrested instead of praised!

The show was excellent (and included the best story about Jeremy Kyle I've ever heard!) and I hope that everyone who sees it will sign the Lena's Law petition to change the law so that if you buy a ticket on an off-peak train, you can buy an off-peak ticket. You can sign the petition here if you want to. Virgin Trains have now made this their policy, following the incident but other companies still operate under the rule that if you board a train without a ticket then you are obviously a criminal mastermind deserving to be fleeced for all you're worth.

I totally agree with Tom's sentiment that rail travel should be cheaper than driving. I would rather get a bus or train to work - more time to crochet for a start! - but it is actually impossible for me without being late (and I start at 9am not stupidly early) and it being more expensive than driving. Surely that shouldn't be right?