Notes From A Small Island

Bryson decides to undertake his journey via public transportation, as car travel is contrary to the slow and contemplative spirit of his journey. As such, British Rail becomes a symbol both of British inefficiency and of British ingenuity. When he tells others that he plans to utilize public transportation for his trip, they respond with surprise, but “it never occurred to me to go any other way,” Bryson reports (47). He praises the British public transit system as a relative rarity, implicitly comparing it to the almost total lack of a national public transit system in the US: “The British are so lucky to have a relatively good public transportation system […] and I think we should all try harder to enjoy it while it’s still there” (47). The comment is telling both for its general praise and for its sense of impending decay. Public transportation, like many of Britain’s historical sites and natural landscapes, exists under threat from political malfeasance (he mentions the Tories), neglect, and modernization. As British Rail modernizes its lines, it often eliminates certain destinations as no longer cost-effective.

The fact that Bryson praises British Rail at various points is often undercut by his complaints about routes, connections, and awkward timing.