Suzy, Drinker Of Coffee

This day goes without illustrations. Part one saw me left the camera at home – so a plan to carry on up the coast was turned back on. Part two saw me with camera, but no memory card – not that there was a lot of difference to previous trips. I’d bought another £30 Stagecoach weekly Super MegaRider, on the basis of a day off today, visits over the next few days, and work. At less than a fiver a day, it works out cheap for regular users. But, at the price, it’s still a snip for infrequent users. Why? Let me explain. I count up the number of trips etc. that I would need to make. A Single Dundee – Glasgow (via Fife) is £7.00, or £9.00 for a Return. The one day Super DayRider is priced at £10.00. Allowing £10.00 for each trip out of Dundee, or £5.80 for those days I only have to use Strathtay buses, even 3 trips can work out at a saving, once you add trips to the day job, doctors and medical appointments, shop trips (even just flagging down the 72 to take you from Riverside to the bus station is around 60p single). It’s now £1.15 single to/from work. I’ll let you work it out, but suffice to say, even working for 34 hours a week, this ticket still makes me a saving. Plus if there is any week where I’m not going out of town too often, may be cheaper with a Tay MegaRider (£6.90 for the rest of this month, £9.90 thereafter), and then pay single trips/day tickets as required.

Anyway, I digress. Today, I started very early with Volvo Olympian 952 of Strathtay, on Service 20A to Kirriemuir, but I got off at Forfar. I then took Service 116 from Forfar to Montrose via Froickheim, Inverkeilor and Lunan Bay, and into Montrose, and as ever, Optare MetroRider 47939 (ex 218) was used. The same bus then continues to do Service 52, so I took one round trip to Charleton Place/Forties Road, and then back to Montrose High Street. After breakfast at Roadrunners, took 21047 (was 607) on the 39 from Montrose to Dundee. As you can see, I am trying to use new Strathtay numbers where possible – but as most of the Dundee fleet still has to be done, I may frequently fail.

I then got back into Dundee, headed home briefly, and back out again. Took Volvo PS type 20335 on the X54 Saturday extras (driver never seen a Strathtay issued Super MegaRider before!) from Dundee to Glenrothes, then Volvo interurban coach 52365 on X24 from Glenrothes to Glasgow, had a quick look around and food, before heading back on 52458 on the X26 from Glasgow to Dunfermline, then 52479 on the X54 from Dunfermline to Dundee.