It's happened...

[threaded]

I'll be travelling home on a Bugatti. linq
No, you can't borrow it. No, you can't try it out.
Yes, of course it only comes out in the nice weather.

[ratewhore]

The best thing about 1st class is seeing the blagging standard class holders get kicked out the door, listening to their arguments about how there are no standard seats and listening to the conductor tell them the ticket is for carriage, not necessarily a seat. Then watching them stomp off in a huff.

I've seen an off-duty plod kick someone out after they continued to give verbal to the conductor, I've seen a pikey family take a whole table up in 1st class and get their burger kings out all over the table, stinking the place out.

Public transport is such fun...

[SallyAnne]

First class is too full of .......well, people like you who think they've made it but haven't.

I must admit, I only travel 1st class when the rest of the train is too busy to cope with.

And I really hate the fact that people who cant afford to upgrade have to stand - it boils my p*ss. Stupid fecking trains.

And you're right Denny - you tend to get a high % of tits in 1st class like.

[Vito]

No you haven't. Only 'snooty snobs' travel first class to make up for the lack of class they have themselves. Real class either travel privately in their own jets, or slum it in on commercial airlines in cabbage class along with the rest of the plebs. First class is too full of .......well, people like you who think they've made it but haven't. That's why those who really have made it don't want to sit too close.

If Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull can travel economy class (which I believe he does on some occasions) then so can you.

He's worth millions.

And who says people don't have a sense of humour on a Friday...

[ratewhore]

Personally, I think that travelling in class based carriages is unegalitarian and snobbish. All classes should be the same with the same fares throughout. It goes without saying that an overcrowded pleb class should be taking up free seats in the other carriages currently paid for by the few elite who can afford a higher price.

If people really don't want to mix with the masses, then they should go via some form of private transport.

Interesting outlook Denny. For my part, to overcome the hassle of a commute into central London, I really want a seat. How am I going to do that? By paying for 1st Class, thats how. And guess what? It worked, I always had a seat and a relatively stress free commute.

Fundamentally, if you want something then you probably have to pay for it. You want it bad enough, you'll pay more to get it. I (and most of the people on this board probably) can afford it through hard work. I also appreciate having the ability to do so because my parents were a cleaner and a soldier...

[ratewhore]

I expect some contractors' first class seats are being funded by divis that should be taxed as PAYE.

I don't know whether you're serious or not sometimes Denny.

Anyway, divis or PAYE is irrelevent if the journey is a business expense surely?

[ratewhore]

That's precisely my point. You pay for a seat, not to prevent someone else from taking the seat next to you if they can't get one in their own carriage class. Provided they behave quietly and respectfully would this really amount to a deterioration in the standard of travel for you?

I never said I did prevent anyone from taking a seat. It's the conductor who does that. He is right (although I don't agree with it) that a ticket only gives you carriage from A to B, not a seat. And if a standard ticket holder is taking a 1st class seat and a 1st class ticket holder has to stand, is that not wrong? You get what you pay for in this world...

[ratewhore]

Of course 1st class passengers get first refusal on whatever seat is available. If that means asking a plebby to stand up then so be it - after all that's what they would be doing anyway if they had been confined to their own class of carriage.

No one is in any way suggesting that 1st class passengers must stand whilst plebbies take their seats because all the seats in their own carriages have gone. Plebbies should only take 'vacant' seats not ones allocated or needed by 1st class passengers.

Surely, that was clear!

I don't think you should say 'plebby'. It sounds 'classist'.

[realityhack]

on the Windson & eton line, all seats are standard class, so I always travel in the first class coach, at the standard class price. Super!

and the rest of the rain doesn't seem to realise this, even when the 'all seats are standard class' announcements are made and they're crammed like sardines.

I'll be looking out for you old boy

[Vito]

If I was an IR inspector, I would assume that your travel 1st class was a needless expense purely incurred for tax avoidance reasons.

What next, going to the States on your next contract via Concorde or private jet? Going to Birmingham for that IT techie upgrade course by private helicopter?

Proportionate is the words I would use. Unless I could see a good reason for travelling first class I would not allow all of that fare to be tax deductable. If you were a CEO used to that sort of travel class and would probably get it if employed permanently then fine, if not and you are a £20 per hour contractor, then no I wouldn't.

In business terms - travelling by private jet is for Richard Bransons of this world. Travelling 1st class is for business owners with lots of employees . Travelling economy class is for freelancers and one man band limiteds who would never be offered a 1st class seat if permanently employed to make the same journey.

Enjoy your diamond studded sandwich.

So given that my last permanant role used to provide me with 1st class travel on all transport forms (exec comp car, 1st class train, 1st class flights) then presumably I am excused from your accusations of tax avoidance am I?