'Let the train take the strain', advised British Rail's 1970 advertisement. Unfortunately, like British Rail, the slogan is no longer used. Now it's the passengers' patience and purses that are strained.

A case in point: a pensioner friend wanted to attend a funeral in Luton, Bedfordshire, and return to York the same day. She asked about the quickest and cheapest way of getting there. A fast train to London and thence to Luton - a journey of about 230 miles; at a cost of £127.50 for a Day Return ticket, would be the quickest way. The timings were just right for her, but the fare was far too high for a state pensioner.

So, an obliging booking clerk spent ages delving through timetables and suggested she go via Sheffield and Leicester, at a cost of £46. A more reasonable fare, but the journey would take longer and there was a likelihood of her missing connections. Although aware that one should never be late for a funeral, she was obliged to take the "scenic route".

Fortunately, the trains were not delayed on the outward journey and she made the funeral on time, in the middle of a torrential downpour. The return journey took much longer but, to be fair, the storm had caused a lot of leaves to fall on the tracks.

What my friend can't understand is that her daughter recently travelled to New York - a distance of about 3,250 miles - for £110 return, and yet relatively short journeys by train cost so much more, are often delayed, even cancelled, and for what the rail companies charge for snacks and drinks, their stewards should wear masks.

Great Britain is far too small to have so many little railways, of varying standards, trundling about the country. We ought to have an efficient state railway system with one man in charge - someone like Benito Mussolini, who, if he didn't get the job done to our liking, could easily be replaced. Marks and Spencers do it all the time.

The power of the press is truly awesome, yet as much as I'd like to believe it, it's doubtful that the decision by American Airlines to remove 7,200 seats from their aircraft, to provide more space for passengers, was attributable to my article about the lack of legroom in the cheap seats.

This is great news for the "Economy Class", and makes me wish that Jean and I could be jetting off again, this time in reasonable comfort - if only.

American Airlines are selling the surplus seats, and Texans have already bought many of them for use when watching television, and it's even rumoured that presidential hopeful George Bush is thinking of putting some in the Oval Office. Don't count your chickens, George.

The seats, when spaced, are comfortable, so I've a mind to buy a couple and set them up in our sitting room to watch "in-flight" movies with our "complimentary" drinks, and imagine that we're flying to Hawaii, or some other exotic location. Aloha!

It's reported that the Army has an average recruit wastage rate of 50 per cent; because trainees can't take the "beasting" they get from their instructors.

From TV documentaries dealing with the armed forces, it seems instructors try to imitate tough US Marine sergeants, and bully, curse and humiliate their trainees. And because many of today's recruits haven't had disciplined upbringings, they find difficulty in accepting strict authority, and become military misfits.

Few pre-1960s servicemen would agree that discipline is stricter in the services today, but from my own 1940s recruit training, I cannot recall having been sworn at by NCOs. The most " beastly" thing ever said to me was: "Slap that butt, you 'orrible pen pusher."

But Cpl. Hoar had a down on white-collar workers - discrimination?