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I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

metro.co.uk

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Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#111

Post by coldtea »

jesterson wrote: post #97
kristov wrote: post #62

Brave move, but I wonder how he keeps or makes new friendships and deeper relationships. Maybe this is fine for a while, but people need people (not just text in a chatroom), and I hope he has an exit strategy from this lifestyle, for this reason.

> people need people While this lifestyle is not for me, i tend to concur on the statement. I personally pick my houses as distant from people as possible. People don’t need people. Sure it gets lonely sometimes but let me ask you if you enjoying the company you have all the time. People don’t need people. It’s rather personality related

They kind of do according to medical/mental health statistics though, even accounting for the personality type.

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#112

Post by 627467 »

There are so many possible perspectives for such story but in this day and age the focus is on how much this cost.

So let's talk about cost: I don't know how often he sleeps in this way[0] but clearly at £8500/year no one is discussing the externalized cost of taking up (arguably empty) seats he didn't pay for and setting the stage for future "nomads" to do the same and turning first class night trains into a substandard hostel

[0] https://leben-im-zug.de/mein-erster-tag-mit-der-bahncard-100... > That night, I decide to lie down under the seats on my air mattress, the air mattress at 2 meters doesn't quite fit under a 4 seat, so there's still a little bit of the footwell of the square in front of me, but with the low occupancy of the train, this is not a problem whatsoever, with my head half under a seat of the 4 seat. It's tight, but it's enough to lie on your side and change position sometimes at night, I take up about 3 seats in total.

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#113

Post by waihtis »

Daviey wrote: post #5

Compared to the UK where a standard-class rail season ticket for me to get to London (including underground), at £8,272 p/y.. but for that, I also have the luxury of either standing in an overcrowded carriage, or if I am super lucky I get to sit in a seat that smells of urine.

Sounds expensive, are you coming from afar? A few years ago a monthly ticket within the London zones 1-6 (or perhaps it was 1-4) was only 150 pounds per month.

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#114

Post by safety1st »

JonChesterfield wrote: post #84

Sounds alright really. Less dystopian than living in Google's car park. Doesn't work with dog or family and I'm not sure about being stuck near train stations at destinations, folding bicycle would improve things. Not remotely surprised that he's a programmer. This is essentially living subsidised by the train company who didn't expect someone to take an unlimited train ticket quite that literally. One guy doing this…

This kid is 17. What a chad! As long as he doesn't let less interesting people beat the creative spirit out of him, he's going to go places in life. I mean he's already doing so, about 800 miles worth of places per day

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#115

Post by robertlagrant »

kkfx wrote: post #54

So he have nothing, no home, no more belongings that a suitcase and a laptop, the ideal SLAVE of the modern time, someone who exists until he can produce for someone else, who effectively own him, then can only die since he have no more option to live. And the article seems to be a spot for this kind of existence "hey, it's cheap"... I'm actually curious how many really have stopped a minute to imaging what does it m…

> someone who exists until he can produce for someone else, who effectively own him

You're falsely equating ownership with exchange. He can do stuff for people, who can do stuff for him. He can choose who to do things for, and who does things for him. That's the opposite of slavery.

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#117

Post by coldtea »

cykros wrote: post #99
troupo wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder more how he keeps his clothes and underwear clean :)

Probably the same way most people living in city apartments do it. Laundromats.

I'd be surprised if that was the way "most people living in city apartments" do it.

Why wouldn't city apartments have washing machines? (In Germany and most of the rest of Europe we also don't particular need, or care for, driers either, that's what clotheslines are for).

Laundromats I'd say are more for like, students, tourists, travellers, fresh immigrants, people with some temporary arrangements and no stable residence, etc.

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#118

Post by smeej »

RLN wrote: post #48
Ekaros wrote: post #18

Not lifestyle for me, but it is likely not actually that different from possible rents in any bigger cities. So it might work for year or two. And after that, just get a real place.

This is less than half of my rent in London. That's not including gas and electric bills, as well as council tax! I do enjoy having a kitchen though. "technically has no fixed abode" I think here probably actually means he's registered at his parents house. This would likely be a lot more difficult if you were truly homeless.

He's only 17 years old, too, so it's not as though being registered at his parents' house would be unusual.

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#119

Post by interludead »

helsinkiandrew wrote: post #52

If I was his age a $2.5K on a years interrail ticket for unlimited travel across Europe (admittedly 2nd class and there may seat reservation charges) would be very tempting https://www.eurail.com/en

It is sounds tempting but me personally could not imagine a life like that even though it gives him sence of freedom..

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#120

Post by coldtea »

RLN wrote: post #48
Ekaros wrote: post #18

Not lifestyle for me, but it is likely not actually that different from possible rents in any bigger cities. So it might work for year or two. And after that, just get a real place.

This is less than half of my rent in London. That's not including gas and electric bills, as well as council tax! I do enjoy having a kitchen though. "technically has no fixed abode" I think here probably actually means he's registered at his parents house. This would likely be a lot more difficult if you were truly homeless.

>This is less than half of my rent in London.

For exchange of no fixed location, and just a single tiny sleep room, though.

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