"A sense of exclusion"

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 03 Aug 2005, 10:37

In the Scotsman this morning our local Councillor, Lawrence Marshall, is taken to task on the letters page from a Borders lady who accuses him of manufacturing a "sense of exclusion" a feeling he says is felt by many people in the Borders. Violet Baillie, for it is she, suggests that this sense of exclusion is a myth. The debate centres around the Border Railway proposal.

Myself and others have previoulsy, and quite recently, expressed concern about Lawrence's "senses" of peoples wishes, desires and needs. He seems to use this strategy instead of anything tangible or quanitfiable and I think its dangerous. We riisk using the "hunches" of local representatives to implement expensive schemes.

I wonder if there is a tangible basis to the "sense of exclusion" Lawrence claims is felt by many Borders people or is Violet correct in her assertion that this is a myth?

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 03 Aug 2005, 11:01

I sense you are not too happy when you sense his policies are based on senses!

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 03 Aug 2005, 12:15

"We recognise that there is a feeling of exclusion from the rest of Scotland that exists in the Borders, an exclusion that the railway would aim to redress."

So said Scottish Nationalist MSP Tricia Marwick, convener of a committee of MSPs set up to investigate re-opening the Edinburgh to Borders rail line.

Looks like Lawrence isn't the only one to apply the phrase "feeling of exclusion" to this issue then?

Post by **wangi** » 03 Aug 2005, 12:20

A feeling of exclusion I'm sure a half-baked railway line that will take an age to get to/from Edinburgh will do little to address!

1 hour to/from Tweedbank/Galashiels - Aye, great for commuting.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 03 Aug 2005, 14:12

Lots of people travel more than an hour to work every day Wangi. An hour is seen by many (until recently I was one of them) as a normal commute.

At the moment the fastest First Bus service between Edinburgh and Galashiels takes 1hr 15 mins.

An hour's rail journey would be more reliable in the Winter and stress free compared to a drive. A friend of mine commutes between Dumbarton and Edinburgh every day and enjoys (at least so he claims!

) his 3 hrs spent daily on trains, reading or watching a DVD.

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 03 Aug 2005, 18:27

Marya wrote: An hour's rail journey would be more reliable in the Winter

ROFLMAO!

As someone who commuted via train for three years, that's one of the funniest things I've heard in a while, M! Much more reliable - as long as there are no leaves on the line, or "the wrong sort of snow"...

Other half got stranded in Pitlochry the other day because a nasty guard wouldn't allow her on the train with her bike. She was told she was supposed to book. Funny how she was never told that for the train going and was just expected to mysteriously "know" that. Instead of getting home at 6.45 she got home at 10.55. Trains. Huh.

Agree with you about an hour or so being a normal commute, though.

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 03 Aug 2005, 19:19

I am now extremely fortunate to undertake one of the few reliable methods of commuting to work - I walk!

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 03 Aug 2005, 19:22

I walk too and it's heaven compared to the time I used to spend on buses. Recently was on a course and had to get to Longstone for 9am - total nightmare - could never go back to doing that again.

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 10 Aug 2005, 16:48

It takes me an hour just to get from Portobello to central Edinburgh by bus,

when I'm in work! But I'm afraid I can't walk that far, so I have to use the bus. To be fair, Edinburgh doesn't have a bad bus service compared with London (12 years of that!

) - except for the Loanhead bus which is a nightmare!