Darren McGARVEY

It’s politically easier to get tough on vulnerable like immigrants and the homeless

DOES anyone else feel nostalgic about the days when you could complain about trains and not get accused of hating Scotland? I miss those days. As a proud Scot, it’s my God-given right to moan about trains whenever I’m on one – which is a lot. A few months ago, I glimpsed the survey data measuring public satisfaction with Scotrail. I was shocked to see a worryingly high number of commuters think Queen Street station in Glasgow is something other than a meteor crater.

With Scotrail, the cost of a ticket appears to be linked to how unpleasant the experience of travelling will be.

I recall boarding a train only to be informed it was a replacement service because the original train had been “lost”. Yes, lost. Because in Scotland trains are not just late, over-crowded and too expensive, they can also go missing.

How can so many people be “satisfied” by what is clearly a terrible service?

Suddenly it dawned on me. For some, Scotrail are an extension of the Scottish Government, who are an extension of Scottish independence.

Moaning about trains means you hate Scotland. Simple. This principle also applies to comments about children who can’t read and the windows and roofs falling off hospitals.