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To be so excited that.....

(62 Posts)
grannyactivist Sat 04-Nov-17 15:05:51

.... today, aged sixty four years, two months and four days old I have finally become......a Pensioner?
No, I know I'm not being unreasonable really, but I am genuinely delighted and excited that at last I can get my bus pass. I live in Devon where public transport is eye-wateringly expensive and the bus pass means that I can travel much more than I have been able to. grin
Had my birthday been on the 6th, rather than the 2nd of September I would have had to wait until next March!

cornergran Sat 04-Nov-17 15:45:55

Go for it ga. I love bus journeys, feel childlike again. What a good job you weren’t a very late baby. Be excited, you’re allowed smile.

Squiffy Sat 04-Nov-17 15:50:01

Ah, the joys of the bus pass!! Never to be underestimated! Enjoy your adventures GA smile

Auntieflo Sat 04-Nov-17 15:52:27

Have bus pass, will travel. Go girl. smile

merlotgran Sat 04-Nov-17 15:53:37

I'd love a bus pass but we don't have any buses. sad

MissAdventure Sat 04-Nov-17 15:56:37

I can't wait to get mine. There are places I've not even seen yet, which are close enough by for me to go and have a mooch around.

KatyK Sat 04-Nov-17 16:04:16

It's great. Enjoy. We have used our bus passes when we have been on holiday all over England. Not only does it save on fares but also on petrol and parking fees but also having to find somewhere to park in busy holiday places. We can also use them on local trains. smile

GrandmaMoira Sat 04-Nov-17 16:27:29

I use my bus pass all the time, often on the local trains as well. I would stay in a lot more if I didn't have it - I don't have a car.

glammanana Sat 04-Nov-17 16:47:40

I was lucky enough to get my pass when I was 60yrs 6mths as I was one of the first to be done out of the old State Pension age requirement,I was very lucky as I only lost 6mths in real monies but have never let anyone forget it when the subject comes up.
The day I got my bus pass I was waiting at our local bus stop for the 9.30am bus to Liverpool and went to travel on to Southport did some window shopping and came back on the train,what a great day out all for free.Enjoy your travels GA. XX

Auntieflo Sat 04-Nov-17 17:29:51

How lucky are you that can also travel for free on the local trains. Glammana, we were in Liverpool recently, and had a lovely time. The Anglican Cathedral is sublime.

Luckygirl Sat 04-Nov-17 17:33:21

Freedom!! smile

chelseababy Sat 04-Nov-17 18:17:36

Congratulations! I'm getting excited because I can apply for mine on 6 Nov being 4 months before mine is due - my birthday is 1st Oct!

Feelingmyage55 Sat 04-Nov-17 19:11:20

Congratulations enjoy. I was so excited to get mine and feel quite virtuous about saving petrol, pollution and being "green". I have to plan more carefully rather than just getting ready any old time but for me and DH it is working well. We all only run one car now. Absolutely no need for two. I have also noticed that when I arrange to meet friends or family that they are more punctual knowing that I am tied to bus times. Fewer texts saying "lets make it half an hour later". I love it. You will too.

lemongrove Sat 04-Nov-17 19:20:22

Have been using my bus pass for years now and still enjoy using it ( smug mode) so enjoyable to travel for free!
I hope you have a good bus service GA smile

grannyactivist Sat 04-Nov-17 20:03:43

Thanks for replies everyone. I shall enjoy mooching through local bus timetables to see where I can go - and also a bit further afield to visit my children, two of them are reasonably accessible by buses. The Wonderful Man has only just realised that he's now married to a pensioner - and he knows me well; rather than commiserate he congratulated me. grin

Smithy Sat 04-Nov-17 20:09:28

You go girl! Give that bus pass Some stick!

Jaycee5 Sun 05-Nov-17 09:52:04

You are not being unreasonable at all, especially as you had to wait for it.
I was very lucky with the dates. People born only a short time after me had to wait a lot longer.
Enjoy it. I love my bus pass. Having been self employed, I also like having a fixed income with enough to save a bit.

hildajenniJ Sun 05-Nov-17 10:04:26

Well done KatyK. I love having my bus pass too, but why is it that you can use yours in England but I can't use mine in Scotland? I would love to travel more, and live near the border but as soon as I reach it I have to pay bus fare as my pass is not accepted. It's the same with the National Trust. We got Scottish cards so we can use them in all of the UK.

Maggiemaybe Sun 05-Nov-17 10:05:09

Not at all unreasonable, I’d be giddy with excitement too! I’ll be 66 when I get mine, so still three years to go. sad

Lupatria Sun 05-Nov-17 10:15:37

I've had my bus pass for 10 years and used it 3 times! Unfortunately I can't walk as far as the bus stop so would have to drive which rather defeats the object!

Coconut Sun 05-Nov-17 10:15:38

It is a liberating feeling isn’t it ? Free bus pass, Senior railcard, theatre discounts etc I always want to laugh when I ask for a senior ticket to get in somewhere, is that really me ! .... and when a man said to me “ if you are a senior I would like some of whatever you are on” I almost skipped all the way home, then I remembered how old I was !

Elrel Sun 05-Nov-17 10:23:25

I ❤️ my bus pass and would certainly be out to protest if a government or council tried to take it away.
I also like my traincard, would get a coach card if I needed to use coaches and and appreciate Silver Screen shows and theatre discounts!
I wonder how long free prescriptions will last however. I like that Boots automatically give an over 60’s discount without my having to ask, I assume it’s linked to my card.

Juggernaut Sun 05-Nov-17 10:30:18

I'm very fortunate in that although geographically our house is in Cheshire, it's considered to be within the boundaries of Merseyside, by approx 30 yards!!!
Merseytravel still provide free travel passes for use within the Merseyside boundaries when one reaches 60. A friend who lives three houses from me is across the Cheshire boundary so can't have a free Merseytravel pass, she's furious!
DH and I have both got them now and have been all over the place.
I go shopping in Liverpool on a regular basis now...for free!
We had a lovely day out in Southport last week!
We'll be going to Ormskirk market next week, another free day out!
We can also travel into Chester but only by train, so we go far more often than we used to.
I've never seen anything good about the 1974 boundary change before, but living in 'Merseyside' rather than 'Cheshire' has finally paid dividendswink

Neilspurgeon0 Sun 05-Nov-17 10:46:35

My bus pass, I am now on my second one, is used almost daily - best thing about being a pensioner and don’t forget to take it if you go on a day out, especially in London, asyou can whizz around and do masses even in just one day.
Combine an early coach trip to Victoria coach station (dreadful place but cheap transport) have a whole day in London zooming about, and catch a late coach home - you can sleep for the next week if need be !

pollyperkins Sun 05-Nov-17 10:55:58

Merlotgran - we don't have any buses either but it's still worth getting a bus pass as we use it on holiday in lots of different towns including London. Very useful!