Couldn't agree more
I think it's a similar state of affairs to the London transport network - we grumble about it a lot, probably because it's just The British Thing To Do, but for all its failings, it's pretty damn good.

Unfortunately it's come back to bite us on the arse, as all the Republicans picked up our whinging and nitpicking and used it to slate the idea of state-funded healthcare when the idea was being debated* in the States.

*_{I say 'debated'...I have met intelligent people who stand on either side of the argument, but most of those opposed to it just seem to be paranoid that any kind of state-funded service will lead to COMMUNISM.}
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 11 Mar 2010, 13:15, Reply)