Bank Holiday Services

Adrian

9,583

15 Sep 2022, 10:01 am #282

(14 Sep 2022, 9:17 pm)Drifter60 I must say I think the comment about shopping day to day and budgeting is a stretching it. Getting to the shops each day (unless you’re walking) is going to cost something, bus fare/petrol. Which isn’t the best way to run a budget, plan meals and do a modest weekly shop, or at least a few days worth. And even if you’re walking, the vast majority don’t close to a ‘big supermarket’ so you’re probably going to the spar or coop who are Convenience Stores and they charge a premium.

I don't intend to turn the thread into a discussion on poverty, but in reply to this; it's not stretching it at all, when you have almost 15 million people living in poverty in the UK. You might find it easy to say what you believe people should be doing differently, but the reality of it is much different - which you'll find out from talking to people and trying to understand.

Anyone who isn't living under a rock would have seen how energy bills have risen this year, which often leaves those living in poverty (and using pre-payment meters) the choice between energy or food. They struggle to forecast whether they need energy credit, and the outcome of that factors what budget they'll have for food and other essentials.

Of course, there's sometimes an educational disadvantage, which can impact decision making. But isn't as simple as telling people they should budget better, plan meals or do a weekly shop, when they're living on so little money.

(14 Sep 2022, 9:40 pm)Storx You think shops were being shut for 2 weeks, it's one day. Most people, especially those who generally shop during the day - Mondays are always quiet anyway, will be watching the Queens Funeral so there's no point being open.

Do people not work on here or something as it seems like everyone has Monday - Friday free to do whatever they want?... There also seems to be a lot of Monday shoppers on here.

Then again this is the place where people think there should be an extensive Christmas Day bus service so they can get some rare workings and ride on buses when everyone else is celebrating with their family.

It's a bit flippant to suggest that a Christmas Day bus service would only benefit enthusiasts, isn't it? It completely dismisses the idea that having even a skeleton service is of benefit to the communities served. The idea that people want to spend the day sitting in their house on a bank holiday is as outdated as the idea that everyone goes to Church on a Sunday.

Most of us don't have Monday to Friday free to do what we want. Some will only have Sunday evening and through to Monday evening as a rest day, for example, and then go back to providing critical services. It's why it's a complete nonsense shutting essential services, in some authoritarian manner to force people to watch the funeral of an outdated concept.

As much as you may want to add jibes to suggest that people don't work, the reality is that everyone's circumstances are different.

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