Bus passes

[Margaret Pilkington]

well, I hope he does get old and weary, and have to use whatever the authorities are willing to dole out to him.
I wish him a very interesting old age........maybe full of medical appointments that require travel on public transport. See if he changes his ideas then.
No-one gives me anything...and what is more I do not want them to.
I pay my own way in the world, and when I can't pay...then I won't go.

I think the people who think the bus pass is an expensive unnecessary expense on the public purse forget that many older people are excluded by the fact that they have difficulty getting about(not disabled, but no car to get about it)......this social exclusion is bad for their health, both physical and mental.
We all need a degree of social interaction in our lives(of one sort or another).

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

well, I hope he does get old and weary, and have to use whatever the authorities are willing to dole out to him.
I wish him a very interesting old age........maybe full of medical appointments that require travel on public transport. See if he changes his ideas then.
No-one gives me anything...and what is more I do not want them to.
I pay my own way in the world, and when I can't pay...then I won't go.

I think the people who think the bus pass is an expensive unnecessary expense on the public purse forget that many older people are excluded by the fact that they have difficulty getting about(not disabled, but no car to get about it)......this social exclusion is bad for their health, both physical and mental.
We all need a degree of social interaction in our lives(of one sort or another).

That's spot on Margaret, I spend a lot of time in my home looking at four walls, and its always good when I'm able to interact with people, especially when I get the chance to make a trip down town, kinda makes life worth living

[Margaret Pilkington]

Ma is much the same. We have just returned from a spell in North Wales and Ma was animated and transformed when she had company to talk to. She forget(well, for a time anyway) her aches and pains. She enjoyed new faces and says she slept really well.
She certainly enjoyed her grub.

[gynn]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I think the people who think the bus pass is an expensive unnecessary expense on the public purse forget that many older people are excluded by the fact that they have difficulty getting about(not disabled, but no car to get about it)......this social exclusion is bad for their health, both physical and mental.
We all need a degree of social interaction in our lives(of one sort or another).

Absolutely. When the Council tried to get everyone to pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit, so "saving them the trouble" of having to go to the cash office every month, many older people were up in arms.

"Trouble? What trouble? It's the highlight of our week coming into town and chatting to people when we come to pay our bills!" was the answer.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by gynn

Absolutely. When the Council tried to get everyone to pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit, so "saving them the trouble" of having to go to the cash office every month, many older people were up in arms.

"Trouble? What trouble? It's the highlight of our week coming into town and chatting to people when we come to pay our bills!" was the answer.

Thats true gynn, the likes of my parents didn't know what a direct debit was never mind use them, they always used cash always paid on time, in fact my parents never even had a check book, in later years if they had to send a check through the post they would ask me to write the check for them and gave me the cash, how things have changed, even for me, the only thing I don't have on DD or SO is my credit card bill which I pay on line anyway

[Margaret Pilkington]

Every Saturday we see an old lady(I hope she doesn't mind me calling her that - she is old in years, but in mind she is young)she uses her bus pass to go into town just to get a paper and two custards. She tells us that she enjoys the company of the folk on the bus....she happily chats to whoever is sat next to her.
My husband seeks her out because thay both like to have a good old chinwag.
For the rest of the week the lady is on her own....she looks forward to her trip to town, but she is nearly always on the next bus back home.
.

[Eric]

Just checked the City of Kingston website ... Kingston Transit offers discounts to seniors on monthly bus passes. For seniors, a pass costs $46.25. There are also discounts for low income families. The only free pass available is one for carers. Kingston, like other municipalities, owns and operates its own buses. These are paid for out of municipal tax revenues, sometimes supplemented by the Provincial govt. Students at Queen's University can ride the bus for free, using their student cards. However, Queen's student government pays Kingston Transit a lump sum for this privelege.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Eric

Just checked the City of Kingston website ... Kingston Transit offers discounts to seniors on monthly bus passes.

Can they get off earlier, if they don't want to stay on there the whole month?

[Eric]

Originally Posted by garinda

Can they get off earlier, if they don't want to stay on there the whole month?

Of course not ... they are nailed to the seats

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I noticed, but it incenses me when folk think the bus pass is free.

Nice to see you're back Margaret -our ships passed in the night.

I also have always called it a "free" bus pass as that's what i've always heard it called -my Uncle calls his that and my Grandparents in the past. Perhaps just "bus pass" is better.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes Mobertol....I hope you had a very pleasant visit. ( I see you caught the Elbow bug while you were here).
Yes, that the bus pass is free, is a huge misconception.

Anyone who pays council tax, or pays income tax, or any other kind of levy to the government, is actually paying for the privilege of using their bus pass......but because you don't actually hand over money to get it(although there is an administration fee...can't now remember how much it is) people see it as being free.

[Margaret Pilkington]

The NHS is viewed to be a free service.......but we all pay into that....it is just free at the point of use...paid for in advance by taxes and National Insurance contributions.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

The NHS is viewed to be a free service.......but we all pay into that....it is just free at the point of use...paid for in advance by taxes and National Insurance contributions.

The only trouble there Margaret is that the NHS recently wrote of millions of pounds that couldn't be obtained from health care tourist, is it any wonder that some people in other countries arrange there holidays to coincide with the birth of a child knowing they will be able to have it here were in there own country it would cost thousands

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes John, you are perfectly right there.......and this is an unwarranted drain on the public purse..unlike bus passes.
My point was, that the NHS is free at the point of service, but it isn't a free service we pay for it by the levy of National Insurance and tax.

The NHS has the power to charge health tourists.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Yes John, you are perfectly right there.......and this is an unwarranted drain on the public purse..unlike bus passes.
My point was, that the NHS is free at the point of service, but it isn't a free service we pay for it by the levy of National Insurance and tax.

The NHS has the power to charge health tourists.

Ya but they don't, if your in the states the first question they ask you is whats your credit card number if you have no health insurance but I suppose it isn't cricket to do that here its not the good old british way, then we end up righting of £60 million from the NHS coffers, wonderful