I got onto the 19:00 tonight - aware I've been living on 5.5 hrs sleep each night this week I went to the quiet coach - sadly it wasn't very quiet.
Why oh why is the quality of my journey compromised by people who aren't regular users and so find the simple things amusing../ challenging.... anyways a very polite polyester city suit banker type asked if he could sit next to me and within minutes I was asleep - only to be woken constantly throughout the journey by what appeared to be a primary school party whom thought sitting in the quiet coach would be a good idea. The sun was beating on my forehead and I was sweating like a rickshaw rider. Not ideal. Why oh why couldnt the team leader have exerted some control over the kids - as one little lad nearly smashed his head into my camera tripod as i got out at colchester i almost felt compelled to shout at the little people and give them a lesson which their ditzy female leaders were clearly unable to teach .... social decorum!
Thursday, 21 August 2008
cancellations
Tuesday 19th
The 19:00 to Norwich was cancelled. A customer service officer advised there was a fault on the train - classic.
Very nearly missed my appointment in Ipswich for a game of football. Clare Owens (soon to be Burley) managed to get on the 19:30 train with me altho it was so busy she couldn't move down the isle to get to me.....
The 19:00 to Norwich was cancelled. A customer service officer advised there was a fault on the train - classic.
Very nearly missed my appointment in Ipswich for a game of football. Clare Owens (soon to be Burley) managed to get on the 19:30 train with me altho it was so busy she couldn't move down the isle to get to me.....
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Not a lot of noise?
Fear not people Im sure the trains are just as unreliable as ever but my silence on matters over coming days is due to the fact I shall be exploring parts of Cornwall and Devon on a camping holiday.
I look forward massively to trying to claim back a £40 return ticket I had to buy on Friday due to misplacing my weekly pass of pain. I did attempt to claim this money back by showing the man on the ticket counter 8 weeks worth of bank statements to prove I do indeed buy a weekly ticket but that on this occasion I had made an admin error. He was having none of it and said I would need to find my ticket. Thankfully I have altho my head might explode with rage if they challenge the fact my, highly forgable, paper, railway id card, might have a number out on it when reconciled with my ticket ( on the basis that I can never remember the number and just guess it).
good luck fellow commuters and may the force be with you. As always keep an eye on Liam's blog: www.ihatenationalexpress.blogspot.com
I look forward massively to trying to claim back a £40 return ticket I had to buy on Friday due to misplacing my weekly pass of pain. I did attempt to claim this money back by showing the man on the ticket counter 8 weeks worth of bank statements to prove I do indeed buy a weekly ticket but that on this occasion I had made an admin error. He was having none of it and said I would need to find my ticket. Thankfully I have altho my head might explode with rage if they challenge the fact my, highly forgable, paper, railway id card, might have a number out on it when reconciled with my ticket ( on the basis that I can never remember the number and just guess it).
good luck fellow commuters and may the force be with you. As always keep an eye on Liam's blog: www.ihatenationalexpress.blogspot.com
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Tuesday 29th July 2008
HOT HOT HOT
the trains are painfully hot and the lighting is shit. I boarded a PM train last night but having got on close to departure it was packed and so hot it reminded me of a time spent with a friend (howard mitchell) who was sweating buckets on a peak hour central line tube - so I decided to hop of this train and try my luck on another.....
This evening's journey, and the motivation for the post, was spolit for me by the lady at Chelmsford who couldn't cope with me sitting in the door way. The train was still moving at full pace but we were close to Chelmsford, I was mildly sleepy but well aware of my need to get up and give access to people wishing to leave. Her words were pugnacious in asking me to move - I reacted a little colder than I normally would explaining I would get up when the train arrived as I had a bad back. Our conversation didn't develop....
the trains are painfully hot and the lighting is shit. I boarded a PM train last night but having got on close to departure it was packed and so hot it reminded me of a time spent with a friend (howard mitchell) who was sweating buckets on a peak hour central line tube - so I decided to hop of this train and try my luck on another.....
This evening's journey, and the motivation for the post, was spolit for me by the lady at Chelmsford who couldn't cope with me sitting in the door way. The train was still moving at full pace but we were close to Chelmsford, I was mildly sleepy but well aware of my need to get up and give access to people wishing to leave. Her words were pugnacious in asking me to move - I reacted a little colder than I normally would explaining I would get up when the train arrived as I had a bad back. Our conversation didn't develop....
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Tuesday 15th July 2008-A JOURNEY OF SWEAT
Getting into work was painless this morning. Obviously I had a seat next to the toilet door (on the floor) but could be worse.
This evening wasn't so smooth. The 19:00 train had a late boarding time, an engineer was inspecting the train, in the end we were allowed to board a train on platform 9 at one minute to seven. Departing six minutes late I was sitting with my face towards London next to a chap who sheepishly was tucking into a burger king. The sun was beating my face with all its power, my shades were on but nothing could stop the sweat dripping into my ears. I became rather self-conscious and it prevented me from nodding off. The only good thing was that my shades were so steamed up I couldn't see people's reactions to my state. Man I hate humid Britain conditions at times. Its a skanky heat and not even my organic socks and 100% cotton boxers could cope....
The train wasn't moving very fast and stopped for nearly ten minutes just past Witham as there was a report of a "burning smell" (we were advised over the tannoy). Excellent stuff - convo broke out with my neighbour, nice chap from the IPCC living in Ipswich.
Arrived at Ipswich at 8:42pm noting en route, with my neighbour, how special the Dedham Vale is - albeit for the slightly strange collection of transitional residents 'living' in the field at Manningtree station.
This evening wasn't so smooth. The 19:00 train had a late boarding time, an engineer was inspecting the train, in the end we were allowed to board a train on platform 9 at one minute to seven. Departing six minutes late I was sitting with my face towards London next to a chap who sheepishly was tucking into a burger king. The sun was beating my face with all its power, my shades were on but nothing could stop the sweat dripping into my ears. I became rather self-conscious and it prevented me from nodding off. The only good thing was that my shades were so steamed up I couldn't see people's reactions to my state. Man I hate humid Britain conditions at times. Its a skanky heat and not even my organic socks and 100% cotton boxers could cope....
The train wasn't moving very fast and stopped for nearly ten minutes just past Witham as there was a report of a "burning smell" (we were advised over the tannoy). Excellent stuff - convo broke out with my neighbour, nice chap from the IPCC living in Ipswich.
Arrived at Ipswich at 8:42pm noting en route, with my neighbour, how special the Dedham Vale is - albeit for the slightly strange collection of transitional residents 'living' in the field at Manningtree station.
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Friday 11th July 2008
I was trying to read my book Rum old buoys (an East Anglian Classic) but was being constantly irritated by some chavs repeat playing distorted video on their phones and calling mate to advise how "pissed off" they were because it was raining.
The tube journey to Liverpool St was smooth and I managed to resist the urge of the golden arches and a brew to find myself sitting on my suit case on a train to Clacton via Colchester. The 23:30 to Norwich had been cancelled. Standing next to me were three 'rum old' suffolk lads, late 30s and tucking into the smelliest cornish pasties possible. They weren't happy with having to change at Colchester (to get to Ipswich presumably) - this led to a conversation about "shouting down" Col U fans in the work place, as well as a convo about a hatred of Spurs FC. This man who hated Spurs put it down to his fathers love of the Gunners and that was it. What seemed like the slowest train in Europe arrived in Colchester sometime before 1am - after 2 days on the road it was good to be back.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Wednesday 9th July 2008
AM
Incredible I got a seat in the quiet coach on the 07:30. Read the metro in about 8.5 seconds and fell asleep. Train arrived on time and there wasn't too much stress/congestion at the gates. Fantastic.
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