Mr Osborne tries to avoid the Plebs

[jno]

George sits in first class with a standard ticket. His aide tells the ticket collector he couldn't possibly sit in standard. In the end he forks out £160.

If there's a question here, I suppose it's how much money is it worth to avoid sitting with non-old Etonians for two hours?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/.../uk-politics-20008342

http://www.telegraph....t-in-first-class.html

[Sqad]

Too bloody right....when in the UK I always traveled first class (usually with a first class ticket ;-))

Have you seen the people who travel in economy?

Well done George.

[sandyRoe]

I sometimes think it's a pity there aren't 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class carriages on the Tube.

[Hopkirk]

I have no problem with him sitting in first class, but he should damn well pay for it.

Presumably he can't claim the first class fare, but if that's the reason he should pay for the upgrade himself.

[tonyav]

Well I would be quite happy to pay £160 not to sit by George Osborne.

[Psybbo]

Agreed Tony

[jno]

Interesting that it was his police escort who shopped him. Perhaps they too have had enough of being treated like plebs.

sandyRoe, it seems Virgin Trains have not carried over from Virgin Airlines the excellent idea of naming their premium offering "Upper Class". Branson's original plan was to name economy class "Riff Raff" but was persuaded out of it... I'm sure Osborne wouldn't have been.

[sandyRoe]

Who was the Lib-Dem MP who paid rent boys to sit on him?
It was sit on him, wasn't it?

[chaptazbru]

ditto

[BayBoy1]

Will Osborne be able to claim the extra 160 pounds on his expense sheet,I would hate to think it might come out of his own pocket.

[chaptazbru]

My ditto was agreeing with tony and sibton.

[boxtops]

Good, they say often enough on the train "don't sit in first class without the correct ticket" - who the hell does he think he is? I sincerely hope it's not the taxpayer paying for the upgrade. Second class is good enough for most of the people he "serves".

[lcg]

what a waste of taxpayers money. mp's should be forced to take the cheapest option....not the most expensive.

[jno]

and now Andrew Mitchell's resigned for calling the police plebs. What a tough day for politicians.

[abstibus]

What happened to The Big Society?

[humbersloop]

Apparently he has other people to do his arguing and paying on his behalf, blissfully unaware all the while - that's proper posh,that is.

All credit to the ticket collector though; there's far to much fare dodging about, imo

[sandyRoe]

Is £160 the usual fare or does that include a penalty?

[jno]

I am thinking of getting someone to do my arguing for me, Humbersloop. Imagine the time I could save if a flunky could do my posting on AB.

[humbersloop]

and apparently the aide could read his mind jno..

Just the upgrade sandy, I don't think they can issue spot fines

[boxtops]

somewhat complicated twice the full single fare to the next station, plus the price to the destination station, according to this http://www.nationalra...ts/penalty_fares.html

[Sqad]

jno

\\\\I am thinking of getting someone to do my arguing for me\\\

You can't just "whistle up" a flunky.......one has to be rich or famous....preferably both.

Are you?