Minimalist poet, minimalist lifestyle

I've just bought three pairs of trousers for £4 each in the sale; a black pair, a dark gray pair and a brown pair. These seem to be a real bargain to me, considering that it also costs me £4 to make a return bus journey of only fifteen miles to visit my parents.

I can't recall even approximate figures; but over twenty years ago a pair of trousers would have certainly cost several/many times more than a return bus trip into town.

I'm aware of the economics of the situation whereby the trousers are manufactured in China where the workers receive very low wages, whereas in Doncaster the bus driver probably gets something like a living wage and the cost of fuel, insurance etc. is relatively high; but I'm personally convinced that the real cost of public transport [taking into account wages and inflation] has increased a lot.

I already knew about this, but yesterday I was reading a report online and so thought I'd mention it.

Transport For London isn't self-financing and so the annual shortfall is funded by a central government grant; meaning that the rest of the country subsidises public transport in the capital.

Why is this so, and how can it be justified?