The Coffee Shop is a forum. 

It's a discussion place where we exchange thoughts and views and for the most part that's in public where everyone can read them.  That doesn't mean that the moderators, the admins, the webmaster agree with all the ideas expressed - though it is natural in any "club" type environment as we have developed for similar minds to club together, and those minds all tend to look forward sometimes with critical review to a better railway.

It's a friendly place. New members are welcome (and welcomed) when they join, however little (or however much) knowledge they have. If you are reading this as a guest, please sign up and ask the question that's been buggin' you for years. Chances are someone will know, and the ethos here is that you'll be greeted warmly and get an answer.  And probability is that others will have been wondering the same thing too, and the answer will be there for them too.

It's also an archive.  Continuing the "coffee shop" analogy, valuable resource is retained such as the oft-repeated activities at Central Perk (the coffee shop in 'Friends'). Our search engine is in need of tender loving care, so this resource isn't used as much as it might be.   The forum has been running 12 years so there's a lot there, and as regulars will know is moving forward and planning for the next 12 years which incudes improving archive access. In the meantime, old hands can help more recent members (or those who have better things to remember than what was posted in 2009!) find old but still-valid content.

P.S. We're free to join, free to use ... you do need to register before you make your first post ... that helps us ensure the forum remains - well - the sort of place described in the three paragraphs above, and legal, decent and honest as well.

Our area of interest is the Thames Valley through to the South West of England and South Wales, spilling northwards through the Cotswold and the rest of Wales, eastwards into London and somewhat southwards too. And we're looking at public transport - mostly trains but space for buses, ferries, and flying gets the odd mention too. Cycling and walking, though not "public" transport, very much appear on our radar too - I suspect that most of our members walk to the station sometimes, though I've not polled to check. Private cars very much have their place too - we tend not to be a motoring forum though.

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"There have to be rules and limits".  Yeah, yeah... but this place is naturally self-policing, and we have an excellent team of moderators who can (but rarely have to) step in and gently steer our ship of discussion gently back on a course and away from the rocks. Take a look at http://www.passenger.chat/1761 which includes your agreement when you join, our guidelines, links to resources and our constitution.  But basically ... B friendly, B roughly on topic , and you'll B very welcome.

I have posted the above to compare (and help the reader contrast) the Coffee Shop to campaigning web sites and groups which require all content to be on message; I suppose we do have that requirement, but it's one level abstracted in that our message is anything with a transport connection or lesson.

 
Exactly 5 years on, I'm simply going to 'bump' this topic, to offer that information again to our more recent readers - and to encourage them to register.

Chris from Nailsea.