Railcards for ex Armed Forces.

[millimole]

Another advantage of the Disabled Person's Railcard is that the discount also applies to your companion (aka carer).
The terms of the card are sufficiently wide to allow those of us with NHS hearing aids to get a card (apparently hoops need to be jumped through if you don't have a NHS appointment card)
It's a bargain!

And yes, there are enough discount cards available - another one isn't needed. It might be easier to drop all fares by a third and issue a card to those not entitled to a discount and charge them the extra.

[Tangled Metal]

No it can't. He travelled the length of England because if you live in England your bus pass doesn't cover Scotland.

Does not cover Wales either, so there is another limit.

Aaah! But mrs mickf could travel from Gunnislake to Preston by bus as it's still classed as England, although there's some who feel Cornwall is a separate nation of course.

Anyway, was never meant to be a serious solution to Mrs mickf 's travelling costs. I thought it would be obvious that it's not practical. Do we always need to use smillies to make the obvious more obvious?

[merseymouth]

Hi Millimole, You will find that I had already posted the advantages up for a DPR. Yes, I have my disability travel cards due to H.I., a letter from my ENT Consultant avoided all the normal hoops. Cheaper than a Senior Citizen Card, with the bonus of double person discount, what's not to like?
I pay for three years at a time, even more savings . MM

[PH]

And yes, there are enough discount cards available - another one isn't needed.

Need? Who said anything about need? Your point reinforces the one I made earlier that it's a marketing tool.
Yes they could just drop all fares, though it wouldn't be for 30% if it was to be at the same value to them, I don't know the percentage of travellers with a railcard but I doubt it's half. But it is good marketing and who doesn't like to think they're getting a bargain? Even if they're not.
The entire rail fare structure is a mess, even without the railcards, full of anomalies and unfairness, it costs the taxpayer a fortune in subsidies yet it's run as a business, too many conflicting interests for it to be an efficient public service.

[PH]

Talking of rail pricing ...........
Mrs Mick F wants to visit her sister in Lancashire.
Gunnislake to there - just south of Preston - will cost £150 return with her senior railcard.

There's always the coach, Plymouth to Manchester is about £35 and there may be pick ups more convenient to you than Plymouth. Yes it takes all day, so it depends on your tolerance for such things, but it can be a bargain. A couple of years ago I managed train-coach-train with a folding bike from Penzance to Derby for £28.
Also even for train fares it's worth looking at Megabus, despite the name many of the journeys they sell are by train, no bike booking possible, but it may be possible to book that separate.

[KTHSullivan]

|I really cannot see how the state can discriminate in favour of sevice personnel.Few actually are directly involved in combat so an army chef can see granny on the cheap but Amhed or Bejamin who served school lunches pay full whack and rely on Skype to chat to aunt Matilda.

That's an interesting opinion there are however some subtle differences. I used to leave the UK on Armilla or Ice patrol and I would not see my family or friends, for often months at a time. Where as "Amhed & "Bejamin" are no doubt able to sleep in their own beds every night. Amhed & Bejamin no doubt have weekends off and I should imagine do not work for 8 months without a break. Amhed & Bejamin are not in a profession where their "managers" may decide that they are to die for the benefit of the country as a whole. I also should imagine that Amhed & Bejamin are able to attend there children's birthday parties, tuck them in at night and comfort them when they are poorly.

I do love the freedom of speech generated in a democracy such as ours. I love the fact that people can express opinions no matter how crass. However one has to be mindful that the freedom to express such opinions, depend upon the various organisations that bolster and defend said freedoms; and doing so forfeit a significant amount of their own lives, or indeed, potentially their lives themselves in doing so.

[Paulatic]

Amhed & Bejamin didn’t choose to go into the forces.

[KTHSullivan]

Amhed & Bejamin didn’t choose to go into the forces.

Or Amhed & Bejamin chose an easy life.

[Paulatic]

Amhed & Bejamin didn’t choose to go into the forces.

Or Amhed & Bejamin chose an easy life.

It’s your prerogative to believe A&B have an easy life. If their terms were offered to you I suspect you’d like to turn them down.
If you now have regrets about forfeiting a significant amount of your life to your choice then I can fully understand that. I get days when I think what a waste of my time 45 years devoted to the welfare of livestock weekends and holidays few and far between. I have guilt of the little time I could give my kids but it’s done now I can’t go back. Should I be treated specially I don’t think so.

or indeed, potentially their lives themselves in doing so.

Don’t worry the MoD reckon

Overall, in 2018, the UK Regular Armed Forces were at a statistically significant lower risk of dying compared to the UK general population. More specifically, the UK Regular Armed Forces were at a:
• 81% significantly decreased risk of dying as a result of a disease related condition and a
• 38% significantly decreased risk of dying as a result of external causes of injury and
poisoning (accidental, violent or suicide) compared to the UK general population.

[Jdsk]

Don’t worry the MoD reckon

Overall, in 2018, the UK Regular Armed Forces were at a statistically significant lower risk of dying compared to the UK general population. More specifically, the UK Regular Armed Forces were at a:
• 81% significantly decreased risk of dying as a result of a disease related condition and a
• 38% significantly decreased risk of dying as a result of external causes of injury and
poisoning (accidental, violent or suicide) compared to the UK general population.

That's from "Deaths in the UK Regular Armed Forces: Annual Summary and Trends over Time 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2018":
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789873/20190328_UK_Deaths_National_Statistic_2019_O.pdf

AIUI those statistics don't include matching for age and gender, although that is done elsewhere in the report, and don't include the effects of selection for healthy workers, which again is mentioned.

So what assertion is it supporting, please?

Thanks

Jonathan

[landsurfer]

Don't worry ...
Because we understand when it's time to stand down.
We have tested ourselves in other places.
When we "fail" in front or you .. we see the places we haven't failed.
Our test is our test, not your test.
It's a Railcard.
Tomorrow we will do stuff that you never will, or want to ...
Total, total respect to the Shepherd on the Hill ...

[Paulatic]

AIUI those statistics don't include matching for age and gender, although that is done elsewhere in the report, and don't include the effects of selection for healthy workers, which again is mentioned.

So what assertion is it supporting, please?

Thanks

Jonathan

Assertion It was, as you say, statistics produced by the MoD which we now know, thanks to your insight, might not be all they first appear. They were used to highlight serving in the AF might not be as life threatening as KTHS would like us to think and deserve special treatment because of it.
Let’s look at it another way then

Agriculture has the worst rate of worker fatal injury (per 100,000) of the main industrial sectors. It is eighteen times as high as the average rate across all industries.

Do they deserve anything special other than better safer working conditions.

[Jdsk]

Thanks

Jonathan

[landsurfer]

Agriculture is, like the armed forces, is a broad brush ...
The danger to life from mechanised industrial farming and high mountain care of livestock are very different ...
My time in the AF is very different to front line infantry .. in my case it has resulted in fractured spine x2, fractures to all extended limbs and x3 skull fractures ...
High mountain care of livestock must, inevitably, lead to injuries ... major injuries.
Let just make sure we look after all of us ..

[KTHSullivan]

Amhed & Bejamin didn’t choose to go into the forces.

Or Amhed & Bejamin chose an easy life.

It’s your prerogative to believe A&B have an easy life. If their terms were offered to you I suspect you’d like to turn them down.
If you now have regrets about forfeiting a significant amount of your life to your choice then I can fully understand that. I get days when I think what a waste of my time 45 years devoted to the welfare of livestock weekends and holidays few and far between. I have guilt of the little time I could give my kids but it’s done now I can’t go back. Should I be treated specially I don’t think so.

or indeed, potentially their lives themselves in doing so.

Don’t worry the MoD reckon

Overall, in 2018, the UK Regular Armed Forces were at a statistically significant lower risk of dying compared to the UK general population. More specifically, the UK Regular Armed Forces were at a:
• 81% significantly decreased risk of dying as a result of a disease related condition and a
• 38% significantly decreased risk of dying as a result of external causes of injury and
poisoning (accidental, violent or suicide) compared to the UK general population.

(1) You are correct I probably turn down their terms and conditions, especially as my AF and other pensions puts me in a position where my income is significantly greater than the national average income.
(2) I have no regrets about what I did and I very much enjoyed it, as the time spent at home was more vibrant.
(3) I think you have missed the point with the MOD report. It assumes no one is shooting at you!
(4) There were twice as many builders killed last year than those working on the land/fisheries etc.
(5) 20% of the fatalities are within "agriculture, forestry & fisheries" Drilling down indicates 14 fatalities in total (HSE)
(6) There were 13 deaths in the same time period in the AF. (MOD)
(7)Farmers are not put deliberately in harms way.
(8) If those working in agriculture, forestry & fisheries choose not to work safely or cut corners with H&S that is their problem.