‘Blithering twaddle’ over painful train seats shows the family resemblance between Jo Johnson and brother Boris
Jo Johnson.
What absolute nonsense from transport minister Jo Johnson.
He reckons “painful” train seats will become more comfortable with use.
One wonders whether he would be saying that if he had to use them himself.
The suggestion appears to be that the seats are so poorly-made, their shape will change, to adjust to the derrieres that sit on them. I reckon that will make them even more uncomfortable for many people, and will also limit their useful lifespan.
It seems clear that Mr Johnson is simply saying anything that comes into his mind in order to justify a cost-cutting measure by a penny-pinching rail company.
Perhaps he borrowed the tactic from his brother Boris.
More than a third (35 per cent) of Thameslink is owned by a private French company, meaning money we spend on its trains is going abroad, rather than being invested in the UK.
I cannot comment about the whereabouts of the money kept by British co-owner the Go-Ahead Group.
A transport minister has told angry commuters that ‘ironing board’ seats on new trains will become more comfortable with use.
Jo Johnson made this claim in the House of Commons when conservative MP Iain Stewart asked about the seats, which have markedly less padding than those on older trains, on behalf of his commuting constituents.
Many have been skeptical about Mr Johnson’s claims, and called for proof that this is the case. One social media user described his comments as “blithering twaddle”.
Thameslink has had hundreds of complaints about the new seats on the Class 700 trains, which have been described as leaving customers “in pain” because of the lack of padding. The rail company previously told The Telegraph that the lack of padding is down to fire safety and anti-vandalism guidelines from the Department of Transport. Thameslink has said there are no current plans to redesign the seating on its new rolling stock.
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As odious as his loathsome brother.
Twaddle indeed. What planet are these people on? Given the extortionate price of rail travel in this country and the fact that due to privatisation, I am a customer, not a passenger (if so, then presumably, I’m always right) surely, the least I can expect is a comfortable seat. Oh, but hang on a minute, after I’ve just forked out for some of the most expensive rail fares in the world, I should consider myself lucky to get a seat at all. Thanks for the heads up; I’ll remember to bring a cushion for my next journey on one of Thameslink’s brand new trains designed to deter vandals, fire outbreaks and …. passengers?
To quote from ‘The Duchess of Malfi’:
“He and his brother are like plum-trees that grow crooked over standing-pools; they are rich, and o’erladen with fruit, but none but crows, pies and caterpillars feed on them.”
(Bosola, Act 1 Scene 1)
What he really means is, you’ll get used to the discomfort. Just like the appalling treatment of the poor, sick and disabled by the Tory government, there’s no shock or surprise anymore, I’ve got used to it.
You need to sit up straight, lengthen your neck pull your tummy and your chin in and balance on the points of your buttocks
I don’t have any points on my buttocks
Don’t worry Sir, you soon will have as your buttocks pull all contact with the seat away.
Think of it as pinched toe derrier
Pull in and tighten that douche
It’s not just uncomfortable sitting on poor seats, it’s actually bad for the spine. And if the seats are so poorly constructed that they really will get ‘worn into’, the skeletal damage they cause will probably be even worse.