Oh we've already had the first one.
Should we collect her or should she come on the train.
Remember that she does not have to vacate her flat and that she is "in halls" with attendant security on duty throughout the vacation so what she is leaving there will be perfectly safe and is, in any event, insured.
She and Woodstock advocated car because she has Christmas Presents to bring with her.
Yeah right
A CD for her mother, Nintendo DS game each for the boys and a book for me .... would all fit in one pocket of her coat
I pointed out that it is 220 miles to the college and thus 220 miles back. Repeat maths for return journey on 8/9th Jan
Total driving time will be something close to 18 hours and total miles covered will be 900 give or take the odd detour.
Car does an average of 30 miles to the gallon thus 30 gallons of diesel will be consumed or put it another way 137 litres @ 1.39 pence per litre the cost will be £190,43. The return train fare, if pre-booked a week in advance using her student rail card, would be £79. Journey time by train is a shade over 5 hours and her flat is 10 minutes walk from the station.
So how did this resolve? ...... That's right. Woodstock has called me a miserly bastard and other names because I refuse to drive down to Surrey and back ..... TWICE and has gone herself.
Economically it makes no sense either financially or in terms of time wasted.
I did offer to pay the train fares but I cannot see the point in leaving here at stupid o'clock and not getting back until 10ish tonight, absolutely knackered and a £120 worse off when the damned child could have got her arse down to the station by 10.30 this morning and been here 7 hours sooner.
I'm sure somebody here will see my point.