seasons of joy

it’s season ticket renewal day today. my ticket includes free travel on all parts of the london underground.
here is the man renewing my ticket:

because service was so bad last year i got 5% off. i think this is a little unfair as the only way of getting the 5% off is to renew your season ticket, so you are trapped in a cycle of renewals. the idea of the 5% is that it is an apology for the last year’s poor performance, but to qualify you have to sit through another year’s misery. hey ho.
but, i’m not hear to be miserable. not me. no no no. in fact when i was renewing my ticket i gave the man behind the desk a knowing grin and cheerily said “i’m very excited to be renewing my ticket, and the 5% off makes it even better”.
he matched my missing irony by saying “i bet you are sir, you don’t get much for nothing these days”. he was a genuinely happy ticket dispensing man !
but how much does it cost i hear you say ?
my season ticket cost £2211.60. i’ve decided to renew without the underground pass as:
1) i tend to walk anywhere less than an hour away if it’s at the beginning or end of the working day
2) i don’t like travelling by tube as it’s too hot, crowded and generally miserable. and i didn’t want to take any risks
3) it’s often quicker to walk anyway (and always less stressful)
4) i can save £400 on my annual ticket
The funniest thing about my season ticket is my identity photo which was taken when i first started commuting in to London 6 years ago and i had long hair. one day i might show you. if you ask nicely