(13 Sep 2013, 1:24 pm)Andreos1 wrote 'Synonyms of force: force, compel, coerce,
constrain, oblige, obligate These verbs mean to cause a person or thing to follow a prescribed or dictated course'
So unless I am missing something, people living in the Tyne Valley, without access to public transport are forced to follow a prescribed course in getting into Hexham to continue their onward journey...
"Constrain" I will grant you. But lack of a bus does not compel, coerce, oblige or obligate anyone into a prescribed or dictated course.
I've often thought that a very interesting and useful bus route would start in Newcastle and operate once a day (and return) via Shotley Bridge to Edmundbyers, Stanhope, Middleton in Teessdale, Kirkby Stephen, Dent, Settle, Burnley and Bury to Manchester. To the best of my knowledge, such a complete route has never existed and I doubt it ever will. But it would be wrong to say that without this bus service people are "forced" into any other course of action; they are simply constrained by lack of one particular choice from many. In this case, the constraint has always existed, so people's choices have always been limited by one less option. This is not to deny the right of anyone living along this particular route to ask for it, but even the most optimistic bus enthusiast would probably admit that there couldn't ever be a sustainable demand for such a thing. Neither is this to deny the right of local authorities along such a route to provide it should they so choose. But you can't turn the absence of such a bus into people being "forced" to do anything other than consider the other options... unless, of course, you're a journalist looking for a catchy headline.