The complex science of simplification

In July this year, my aunt and uncle will be celebrating their diamond wedding - 60 years of marriage. The main celebration is a lunch on a Friday in the wilds of Lincolnshire; I've arranged to stay overnight the night before to avoid the risks of travelling on the day, so I'll be going up by train after work on the Thursday - quite convenient as my office is about 10 minutes' walk from Kings Cross.

So a couple of weeks ago I looked up the journey, then started speaking to the rest of the family about whether it would be best to be picked up from Peterborough, or take the slow connection through to Spalding and be met there. The single journey (I've got a lift home) train fare I was quoted to Spalding was £15.

Having decided that Spalding was the better option, I went to book my ticket this week.

On Monday, rail fares were "simplified".

The cheapest single standard-class fare to Spalding available to me - two months before the date of travel - is now £28. That's just about an 87% increase. What's more, when I went to book it there was a charge of £1 to have it posted to me which I've never had before, so I decided I'd book it and collect it from the station - but even that costs 50 pence. So I decided NOT to book it, but go and get it from the station, free.

Then something strange caught my eye. Yes, the cheapest standard fare is £28, so how much do you reckon the cheapest 1st class fare would be? I bet you wouldn't have said £27! Yes, the first class fare is £1 less than the standard fare.

How's that for simplification?

So then I though I'd take a look at the actual rail company's website (National Express East Anglia) rather than The Trainline, to see if they would deliver free. No, same charges.

Then I did a search on "discount" and "National Express East Anglia".

It took me to another page of the National Express rail website where I found I could get an online discount of almost £3.

Isn't simplification of fares fun?

So I booked it. Guess how much they charged for delivery by first class post?

Nothing.

Good grief, this simplification is complicated.

So, all in all, it's still costing me £9 more than it would have if I'd booked it on Sunday, but I'm travelling first class. I call that a sort of result.

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On a different note, well done Boris for ruling that motorcycles can use bus lanes in London. In a city as congested as London, it's time that the Mayor realised that motorcycles take up less room, have less emissions, and never have less than 50% occupancy (with the minor exception of sidecars), and should therefore be encouraged rather than subjected to a personal vendetta.

Your humble servant ...

Last Saturday night/Sunday morning was the Moonwalk when large numbers of women - and smaller numbers of men - walk 26 miles around London wearing highly decorated bras (yes, the men too) to raise money for breast cancer research.

Now, I know I couldn't do that. But I wanted to do something, which is why, at 5.00 am on Sunday, I could be found outside the Breakthrough labs in Chelsea in my flourescant yellow t-shirt and cap handing out water bottles and encouragement to the walkers.

Ladies and gentlemen, I still think you are amazing. Thanks for allowing me the privilege of helping.