A complaint about Britain’s unutterably weird (and expensive) rail ticket system sent this old Tim Vine and Lee Mack clip viral and it’s hideously relatable

Poke Reporter. Updated November 14th, 2025

Irt all started when @AvaSantina went on Twitter to point out how incredibly overpriced rail tickets are, with this trip to Wigan costing a blooming king’s ransom, frankly.

colleague was meant to go to Wigan this week but this bargain stands in the way pic.twitter.com/4Z6d0J4FWR

— Ava-Santina (@AvaSantina) November 11, 2025

It prompted no end of people to reply suggesting how they could travel cheaper, which in turn led @RossMcCaff to share this totally on-point observation.

one of the reasons we can’t have nice thinks in the UK is because every time someone posts an obviously scandalous train ticket price, 300 pedants come out the woodwork to say ‘actually if you book at midnight on a tuesday on a full moon while whistling dixie you can save 3%” https://t.co/s8oIriiznP

— Ross McCafferty (@RossMcCaff) November 12, 2025

That didn’t stop people still pointing out how they could travel there cheaper, surely doing Ross’s work for him.

I accept the challenge. I just priced tomorrow’s fare. £64.35. pic.twitter.com/cLYmhPxPsp

— Stuart Shrugged (@StuartShrugged) November 12, 2025

you’re proving the point stuart

— Ross McCafferty (@RossMcCaff) November 12, 2025

Anyway, the reason we mention it – finally! – is because it sent this old Tim Vine and Lee Mack sketch viral, and it’s a hot contender for this week’s most relatable thing.

It would also be this week’s oldest, if only we hadn’t also written about this Countdown clip.

I find it beautifully British that we already have a sketch for this exact scenario. https://t.co/0nnQ4vgTom pic.twitter.com/veMLRRw8vd

— Russian Garbage Human (@RusGarbageHuman) November 12, 2025

Boom!

Lee Mack has always had a unique talent for playing obnoxious knobheads you just want to defenestrate.

— Xenimme (@Xenimme) November 13, 2025

Literally first time using an English bus and I got a ticket to get to a grocery store. When I got back to go where I needed to go next I gave the ticket and he said I should have gotten the day pass would be cheaper. Im like why did you not sell me that one??????

— Kevin C. (@Natterforme) November 13, 2025

It’s the “Nope, you tell me” that gets me every time

— Paladin Jōzen (常善) (@BlossomLord) November 13, 2025

And that sketch was first broadcast nearly 25 years ago. Still relevant.

— The Earlham Review (@EarlhamThe) November 13, 2025

And in case you were wondering, it’s from The Sketch Show, an ITV series that proved to be short-lived despite winning the best comedy Bafta back in the day (at the beginning of the century, since you ask).

H/T @RusGarbageHuman