Another rubbish day for trains I’m afraid. It all started from the off with the first train being delayed by 20 minutes due to the preceding train breaking down. “Tip it off the tracks” I could hear myself saying, or better still, “use my train to push it forward to the next set of points and shunt it out of the way”. Alas, no one heard me and my train was still 20 minutes late.
So, once onboard, I asked the conductor, “where should I change? Station A or B?” blank came back the stare. Maybe I’m a alter-savant and can only understand my gibberish in my head, but he had no idea. So I explained again in words of fewer syllables. The result? He didn’t know. He consulted his ‘computer’ – a PDA more like and it said change at A. But he wasn’t sure, although he knew we wouldn’t get to B for the time I was given at my starting station. I was inclined to agree with him as I knew if we missed my original time at B then the next train would go round the houses and make me very late. So A it was.
Got that connecting train OK – baring in mind that I was already late. That train promised to get me into my next change station 7 minutes ahead of the final connection. Of course I never hold out hope and so never get that upset when it goes belly up, as it invariably does for me.
I managed to get some work done on the laptop as the train was unusually empty. It was also unusually cold as the air con was on full blast. Given it was only 8 degrees outside I thought this a little over optimistic. Still, at least I was racing ahead to my changeover and it wasn’t dawdling at any station stops so far.
Then we get to my city changeover stop and wouldn’t you know it there was congestion outside the station. A journey that usually took three minutes took fifteen and so I missed my next connection. I had to say that I was not surprised, I predicted as much the night before – how those words came back to haunt me.
So I jumped off the train and made my way swiftly to the information area and found the at my train was still on the board despite it not being on the platform. This is normal I have to say as nothing is updated that quickly in this country. Still, I made my way to the platform as I noticed a rather sizeable group of people standing there for some reason. Wouldn’t you know it, the train was late – something to do with an emergency landing at an airport it serves delaying it by 10 minutes. Normally I’m not happy with delays, but this was a bonus as it should still get me to my destination at reasonable time.
The story should end there, but unbeknownst to me, we were so quick down the line that we caught up with the stopping service ahead. So we were delayed again. So I rang ahead to say I would be 10 minutes late, knowing as I did so that I would be made to eat my words.
I was still thinking that I might just do it – be only 10 minutes late – when we got the station. There was time, I felt sure. So I rushed through the barrier and launched my ticket at the collector. Making my way out to the station front I looked for my bus, only to see its rump moving away from me. But no, it was just turning round. Yes, it could happen I thought, I could make it! Alas no. despite only having been in the seat for 10 minutes (after changeover at the bus station – they always do at that time), the driver decided to stop to read the paper – this not being a terminus point, I was not amused. So I waited, and waited, and waited. Then a young lad he knew got on they started a conversation. He called to his friends and they got on, blah, blah, blah.
Eventually we got going again and I was able to get to the class just 18 minutes late. I went straight there and went into my routine without a breath or having time to take my coat off.
Another rubbish day thanks to public transport. So much for saving the planet. Give me a big gas guzzling car any day, at least you can try other routes and play music loudly and swear at all the bad decisions made by other drivers.
Originally posted Wed, 28 Mar 2007 23:57:15
