Its just if I have paid full price for a first class ticket, i dont expect space to be taken by people who havent
I have a degree of sympathy with you. I sit in second class having paid full fare - perhaps able to take advantage of some marketing discount, but I don't have a forces card, nor an employee discount, nor a student card, an unemployed card, a senior citizens card, a disabled persons card. I'm a
UK▸ resident so can't get myself a Britrail pass, and so on. I'm sure it costs the train company just as much to carry them (more in some cases, when you think about it - special facilities needed, more customer support needed, and so on ...) and yet they get the cheapened travel. And I pay the tax that indirectly subsidises their travel as well as the higher fare!
But it's the way the system works and a propsal that said
"one fare for all - 2 pound per ticket sold + 38p/mile (standard class) or + 50p/mile (first class) for everyone ... prior to providing marketing adjustments such as some cheaper rates off peak, and some adjusted mileages to allow a higher fare for the Tamar bridge, Severn Tunnel, etc." would probably get howls of protest! I would, though, couple it with things like proper pension provision .... and I'm sure I'll find my fellow moderators telling me I'm going way off topic and into politics
