The Commute

My commute takes just under 40 minutes. Including the walking at each end. Door to desk.

This morning it took rather more than that. Around three hours in fact.

The Start

The morning started well enough - the kids delighted to see snow had settled.

Normal enough then. Aside from the snow. Put the kids in the car (generally we walk but when one has an 8am start, we drive) and set off. Only a teeny bit slithery so gently does it with the loud pedal

I noticed people queuing for the bus. At 7:40am that’s pretty unusual so I hopped onto my tube status app (4G is fantastic … when you’ve got reception) and found severe delays on the Central Line. And part suspension. Of course it’s the part I need. Once the kids had been dropped (and SWMBO had decided upon her own plan B) I drove the car back home (SWMBO didn’t fancy slithering home, doesn’t find it as much fun as I).

Where now..?

With the car safely away in the warm (ish) garage I call the local cab firms. One ignores me entirely. The other has nothing for the next hour. Well, let’s be honest, I expected that.

Hmm. I hate buses at the best of times. And this isn’t the best of times.

My gut instinct in these cases is to ditch going to work and simply dial in from home. But I was due to host a two hour meeting with some external folk. No excuses then.

If the weather hadn’t been so, umm, bracing, I’d likely have cycled to Stratford. But it was pretty icy. Hang on, the tubes are only stuffed going in to town. How about I go a couple of stops out, walk to an overland station (which is around a mile away from there) and get in that way. A winning plan I thought especially as I’ve already checked trains are running to time from there.

Full of hope

I set off for the tube station again. Ah. Completely closed. Apparently the line is now stuffed both ways. And there’s no eta published for a fix.

I’m committed now. Blow it. I’ll walk all the way to the overland station. I reckon it’s about three miles - an easy hour’s walk.

The traffic is horrific for most of the walk. People who sit in those jams every day are perhaps a touch mad. They’re certainly way more patient than I. Who cares … it’s actually not a bad day (I’m wrapped up warm) and I’m trying to look on the upside: I’m getting free exercise.

Nearly there

The hour’s up and I’ve arrived, surprised at my own prediction’s accuracy, at the overland station.

But there’s clearly a problem. They’re not letting anyone down to the platform. Overcrowding apparently. Balls.

After a few minutes chatting to the bloke next to me we decide we’d like a bit more information than the platform’s overcrowded, we’ll let you down when it’s emptied out a bit. But the guard knows about as much about this situation as my (primary school age) kids do about quantum mechanics. So I ask the obvious question: are the trains coming in full? In other words, is anyone coming off the platform. Apparently he doesn’t know. I wonder, sometimes, what these staff think their jobs are about. Wondering over I give up. There’s just no point.

So I gently push my way through the crowd (now spilled out on to the pavement) spreading the joyous news as I go. It’s as if I’m the only person giving out any information. Oh, hang on, I am. After wishing my fellow non-travellers good luck, I set off back the way I came just ten minutes earlier.

Just under an hour later I walk past my parent’s front door for the second time that day. I may as well pop in and say hi.

A warm-up and comfort break later I set off for my local tube station yet again. I’ve already checked my tube app - apparently there are still severe delays but at least the line is open.

I’m in

Actually there are no sodding delays - it’s a pretty quick journey all told and I get to my desk in good time for lunch.

Twits

I got an email from the tube lot later that day. Apparently a broken rail at Mile End. These things happen I guess. But if they can send me an automated email, why can’t they automatically compensate me for the delay? Twitter discussion with @centralline is ongoing…

Guts

I should’ve listened to my gut - go home and work from home until the problem’s sorted. Ah, well, at least I got some gentle exercise…