When I got to Cannon Street at about 5:30, I could tell there was no way Id be getting a train from there, so walked to London Bridge and jumped on a train that was just pulling in.
Even got a seat, and got treated to a show from the lovely ladys on the 6 seater. One decided to wear a see-through top and thought it was too hot for a bra... I wasnt complaining...
All in all, 15 mins late, but I did get a 10 min walk to London Bridge which means I wont need to hit the gym for the next couple of weeks.
I have often wondered why they don't sack all the executives and employ model train enthusiasts and train spotters instead - they would work for the love of it and if a train was late they would be suicidal. We currently have a load of tossers running our railways who have no interest in the customers aside from how they can relieve customers of as much of their hard earned money as possible for a terrible service\.
One tip in these far to regular situations- ask a memeber of staff on the platform what you should do to best get home and do the exact opposite. It is always the best way.
Rant over.
My experience from working at TfL is that those executives ARE model railway enthusiasts and trainspotters!
lets have a charlton life train club!!! ;-) everyone writes down what train the get on and then we can all wear our badges and sit together on the train and discuss our journeys!!
6.39am Barnehurst to cannon street (Southeastern)
7.17am new cross gate to crystal palace (london overground)
4.30pm crystal palace to peckham rye (Southern)
4.51 peckham rye to Barnehurst. (southeastern)
thats my daily routine when i dont have the company van.
(Cut to an upper-class drawing room. An elderly man lies dead on the floor. Enter Jasmina and John.)
Jasmina: Anyway, John, you can catch the 11.30 from Hornchurch and be in Basingstoke by one o'clock, oh, and there's a buffet car and... (sees corpse) Oh! Daddy!
John (Eric Idle): My hat! Sir Horace!
Jasmina: (not daring to look) Has he been...
John: Yes - after breakfast. But that doesn't matter now, he's dead.
Jasmina: Oh! Poor daddy!
John: Looks like I shan't be catching the 11:30 now.
Jasmina: Oh no, John, you mustn't miss your train.
John: How could I think of catching a train when I should be here helping you?
Jasmina: Oh, John, thank you. Anyway you could always catch the 9:30 tomorrow - it goes via Caterham and Chipstead.
John: Or the 9:45's even better.
Jasmina: Oh, but you'd have to change at Lambs Green.
John: Yes, but there's only a seven-minute wait now.
Jasmina: Oh, yes, of course, I'd forgotten it was Friday. Oh, who could have done this?
(Enter Lady Partridge.)
Lady Partridge (Graham Chapman): Oh, do hurry Sir Horace, your train leaves in twenty-eight minutes, and if you miss the 10:15 you won't catch the 3:45 which means... oh!
John: I'm afraid Sir Horace won't be catching the 10:15, Lady Partridge.
Lady Partridge: Has he been... ?
Jasmina: Yes - after breakfast.
John: Lady Partridge, I'm afraid you can cancel his seat reservation.
Lady Partridge: Oh, and it was back to the engine - fourth coach along so that he could see the gradient signs outside Swanborough.
John: Not any more Lady Partridge, the line's been closed.
Lady Partridge: Closed! Not Swanborough!
John: I'm afraid so.
(Enter Inspector Davis.)
Inspector (Terry Jones: All right, nobody move. I'm Inspector Davis of Scotland Yard.
John: My word, you were here quickly, inspector.
Inspector: Yeah, I got the 8:55 Pullman Express from King's Cross and missed that bit around Hornchurch.
Lady Partridge: It's a very good train.
All: Excellent, very good, delightful.
(Tony runs in through the french windows. He wears white flannels and boater and is jolly upper-class.)
Tony (Michael Palin0: Hello everyone.
All: Tony!
Tony: Where's daddy? (seeing him) Oh golly! Has he been... ?
John and Jasmina: Yes, after breakfast.
Tony: Then he... won't be needing his reservation on the 10:15.
John: Exactly.
Tony: And I suppose as his eldest son it must go to me.
Inspector: Just a minute, Tony. There's a small matter of... murder.
Tony: Oh, but surely he simply shot himself and then hid the gun.
Lady Partridge: How could anyone shoot himself and then hide the gun without first cancelling his reservation.
Tony: Ha, ha! Well, I must dash or I'll be late for the 10:15.
Inspector: I suggest you murdered your father for his seat reservation.
Tony: I may have had the motive, inspector, but I could not have done it, for I have only just arrived from Gillingham on the 8:13 and here's my restaurant car ticket to prove it.
Jasmina: The 8:13 from Gillingham doesn't have a restaurant car.
John: It's a standing buffet only.
Tony: Oh, er... did I say the 8:13, I meant the 7:58 stopping train.
Lady Partridge: But the 7:58 stopping train arrived at Swindon at 8:19 owing to annual point maintenance at Wisborough Junction.
John: So how did you make the connection with the 8:13 which left six minutes earlier?
Tony: Oh, er, simple! I caught the 7:16 Football Special arriving at Swindon at 8:09.
Jasmina: But the 7:16 Football Special only stops at Swindon on alternate Saturdays.
Lady Partridge: Yes, surely you mean the Holidaymaker Special.
Tony: Oh, yes! How daft of me. Of course, I came on the Holidaymaker Special calling at Bedford, Colmworth, Fen Dinon, Sutton, Wallington and Gillingham.
Inspector: That's Sundays only!
Tony: Damn. All right, I confess I did it. I killed him for his reservation, but you won't take me alive! I'm going to throw myself under the 10:12 from Reading.
John: Don't be a fool, Tony, don't do it, the 10:12 has the new narrow traction bogies, you wouldn't stand a chance.
is this the 21st Century?- I ask becuase I thought we'd be teleporting to work by now when I was a boy reading my Blue Peter Annual, not it taking longer for massive amounts of money.
There is a major unfairness in the fare system. The Government thinks that it is reasonable for all train customers to pay for the service they use, but most of them - rush hour commuters- are actually using and contributing to the highly profitable aspect of train travel. Where the money is lost is running a service throughout the day with empty trains. The rush hour commuters don't use this service that needs subsidising as they are at work paying their taxes but the Government thinks it is fine to sting them for as much of the cost of the country's rail system as they can.
As a tax payer I am more than happy to pay my share for this 'service' as it is something every civilised country should have but at present, commuters are paying much more than their reasonable share - simply because they have no other option - Due to the cost of parking and congestion, it isn't even remotely viable to use my car to get to work.
Commuter misery rail chaos bendy bus union inferno delivery disaster red ken asylum seeking network hell leaf disaster? Missed it, was in the car yesterday.
my season ticket is nearly 2 grand a year!! thats 2 grand of my wages gone to southeastern,i dont have a car nor can afford to run one, thats 2 grand i could spend on my son and pay bills and be comfortable, i should therfore be entitled to a service that runs on time clean trains that dont smell of piss as of most mornings and no rubbish on the floors and forgive me for being so bold but a seat would be nice!!!
any other business that took this amount of money of somone and gave such a piss poor return would be out of business within a month, but sadly its either pay it or face a 2hr bus journey each morning. they have us over a barrell.
Comments
It's started!
The new season of disruption is underway.
This morning stuck at Lewisham due to "unfavourable track conditions"
That's a new one!
To be fair though it did rain last night, very unusual for this country in October.
Jasmina: Anyway, John, you can catch the 11.30 from Hornchurch and be in Basingstoke by one o'clock, oh, and there's a buffet car and... (sees corpse) Oh! Daddy!
John (Eric Idle): My hat! Sir Horace!
Jasmina: (not daring to look) Has he been...
John: Yes - after breakfast. But that doesn't matter now, he's dead.
Jasmina: Oh! Poor daddy!
John: Looks like I shan't be catching the 11:30 now.
Jasmina: Oh no, John, you mustn't miss your train.
John: How could I think of catching a train when I should be here helping you?
Jasmina: Oh, John, thank you. Anyway you could always catch the 9:30 tomorrow - it goes via Caterham and Chipstead.
John: Or the 9:45's even better.
Jasmina: Oh, but you'd have to change at Lambs Green.
John: Yes, but there's only a seven-minute wait now.
Jasmina: Oh, yes, of course, I'd forgotten it was Friday. Oh, who could have done this?
(Enter Lady Partridge.)
Lady Partridge (Graham Chapman): Oh, do hurry Sir Horace, your train leaves in twenty-eight minutes, and if you miss the 10:15 you won't catch the 3:45 which means... oh!
John: I'm afraid Sir Horace won't be catching the 10:15, Lady Partridge.
Lady Partridge: Has he been... ?
Jasmina: Yes - after breakfast.
John: Lady Partridge, I'm afraid you can cancel his seat reservation.
Lady Partridge: Oh, and it was back to the engine - fourth coach along so that he could see the gradient signs outside Swanborough.
John: Not any more Lady Partridge, the line's been closed.
Lady Partridge: Closed! Not Swanborough!
John: I'm afraid so.
(Enter Inspector Davis.)
Inspector (Terry Jones: All right, nobody move. I'm Inspector Davis of Scotland Yard.
John: My word, you were here quickly, inspector.
Inspector: Yeah, I got the 8:55 Pullman Express from King's Cross and missed that bit around Hornchurch.
Lady Partridge: It's a very good train.
All: Excellent, very good, delightful.
(Tony runs in through the french windows. He wears white flannels and boater and is jolly upper-class.)
Tony (Michael Palin0: Hello everyone.
All: Tony!
Tony: Where's daddy? (seeing him) Oh golly! Has he been... ?
John and Jasmina: Yes, after breakfast.
Tony: Then he... won't be needing his reservation on the 10:15.
John: Exactly.
Tony: And I suppose as his eldest son it must go to me.
Inspector: Just a minute, Tony. There's a small matter of... murder.
Tony: Oh, but surely he simply shot himself and then hid the gun.
Lady Partridge: How could anyone shoot himself and then hide the gun without first cancelling his reservation.
Tony: Ha, ha! Well, I must dash or I'll be late for the 10:15.
Inspector: I suggest you murdered your father for his seat reservation.
Tony: I may have had the motive, inspector, but I could not have done it, for I have only just arrived from Gillingham on the 8:13 and here's my restaurant car ticket to prove it.
Jasmina: The 8:13 from Gillingham doesn't have a restaurant car.
John: It's a standing buffet only.
Tony: Oh, er... did I say the 8:13, I meant the 7:58 stopping train.
Lady Partridge: But the 7:58 stopping train arrived at Swindon at 8:19 owing to annual point maintenance at Wisborough Junction.
John: So how did you make the connection with the 8:13 which left six minutes earlier?
Tony: Oh, er, simple! I caught the 7:16 Football Special arriving at Swindon at 8:09.
Jasmina: But the 7:16 Football Special only stops at Swindon on alternate Saturdays.
Lady Partridge: Yes, surely you mean the Holidaymaker Special.
Tony: Oh, yes! How daft of me. Of course, I came on the Holidaymaker Special calling at Bedford, Colmworth, Fen Dinon, Sutton, Wallington and Gillingham.
Inspector: That's Sundays only!
Tony: Damn. All right, I confess I did it. I killed him for his reservation, but you won't take me alive! I'm going to throw myself under the 10:12 from Reading.
John: Don't be a fool, Tony, don't do it, the 10:12 has the new narrow traction bogies, you wouldn't stand a chance.
Tony: Exactly.
Watch it on YouTube. It's very funny. If you like Monty Python that is....http://uk.wrs.yahoo.com/_ylt=A7x9Qb9qT51OlFoAi0lLBQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTE1cnNtaG1sBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMgRjb2xvA2lyZAR2dGlkA1NNRVVLMDhfNzc-/SIG=120otc5au/EXP=1318961130/**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTVDOx35FNg
Take it either:
a) you dont use the trains
b) you are so minted you think over a grand to travel less than 10 miles crammed into carriages in a manner cattle wouldnt be allowed is peanuts
c) you're a politician/ director of Southeastern
d) you're deluded/ a WUM