A ticket to ride
by the Cyclologist

"She's got a ticket to ride, she's got a ticket to ri-i-ide,
she's got a ticket to ride and she don't care."

So sang the Beatles in the '60's. The Cyclologist is travelling by train and a ticket is still needed to ride. Previous experience had let me know in no uncertain terms that chancing your journey on the whims of the train manager was not a reliable method of InterCity cycle transport. A ticket would be needed for the bike as well.

So having armed myself with a ticket procured on the web (why can we still not reserve bikes directly on the web?) I headed off to the station to reserve the bike. As a veteran of such events I am well used to the procedure.

"Please could I have a cycle reservation for this journey?" The ticket clerk's face drops. Reaching for my ticket with the enthusiasm of a child being given second helpings of school dinners, the inquisition of the Network Rail computer system begins.

Tapping of finger on the touch screen. Frowns. Incredulous stares. More tapping. A slight mellowing in tone. More tapping. A shake of the head and the frown has returned. The queue behind me has grown longer. Silence reigns punctuated by the sharp intake of breath.

Experience tells me are now approaching the climax. The final tapping. A triumphal flourish and the silent pantomime is punctuated by the whirring into life of the ticket machine.