North of the Stupid Line

Am I the only commuter in London who absolutely detests the Transport for London’s JourneyPlanner?

It is seriously pathetic. Okay, it’ll tell you how to get somewhere. But jeeeeeeez, I’m sure it tries to make you change as much as is humanely possible at this or that station, walk here, walk there, blaaah.

Another thing: it never tells you the easiest routes. I have found routes to places that TfL JourneyPlanner never even remotely comes near to mentioning. I usually find routes myself that require the least amount of changes to get to a certain place, and which are actually quite pleasant journeys. For example:

• Liverpool Street : TfL tells you to get a train from East Croydon to London Bridge, go on the Northern Line to Bank (one stop) and get on the Central Line to Liverpool Street (one stop).

I just get a direct train to Farringdon and get the Metropolitan, Hammersmith & Shitty Line or Circle line from there to Liverpool Street!

• East Ham : TfL tells you to get a train from East Croydon to London Bridge, go on the Northern Line to Bank (one stop) and get on the Central Line to Mile End (three stops) and then District or Hammersmith & City Line to East Ham.

I just get a direct train to Blackfriars and get the District line from there!

I wonder what TfL are trying to achieve. I don’t think they make more money out of making gullible fools change umpteen times; or do they?

I had a most pleasant journey home from London Paddington last night. The FGW train left more or less on time at 1745, and arrived at Bristol Parkway at, wait for it, 2315.

Yes, you read right, 2315. FOUR hours late. And that was only to BP, not Newport. I arranged for Rachel and my dad to come pick me up at BP as the train I was on terminated there, and I wasn’t going to risk waiting for another train to go the final hurdle to Newport. I got home eventually at 0035.

Why such massive delays? Well, about FIVE minutes before the 1745 train was due to arrive at BP, it stopped. Something wrong with the wheels, or the track. Could have been something to do with the sensors along the track that stop a train automatically (I didn’t know they could do that) if a fault with the train is detected. Well, a fault was detected with the train I was on, and it was stopped, and was not allowed to go above a certain speed. We had to wait for engineers to come and inspect the fault, and as we were in the middle of nowhere, in pitch blackness, they had to get the train to BP so that people could at least get off.

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.

Three positive things about this fiasco:

1. I got a complimentary cup of tea and chocolate muffin;
2. I’ll be able to claim a refund of 50% of my ticket fare as the delays were more than one hour; and
3. I taught Natalie (the girl who was in the seat next to mine) the BSL alphabet.

I would just like to extend a hearty congratulations to FGW for actually delivering me on time to Newport train station from London Paddington this morning. Shock, horror. It’s a miracle! Hallelujah! *angelic harps and chorus in background*

I don’t usually come home on a Saturday, but I was asked to present a talk about property law at the Deaf Clubs Conference today, and I duly obliged. It was quite an interesting experience, explaining legal terms in BSL to a mostly Deaf audience.

I’ve been doing a bit of research this afternoon on the daily commutes to the four main places I go to: Paddington, Royal Oak, Romford and Brixton.

Paddington
I can either get the overland train from East Croydon to Charing Cross and then the Bakerloo Line direct to Paddington (45 minutes), or go to Victoria and get the 36 or 436 bus to Paddington (50 mins).

Romford
I can get the overland train from East Croydon to London Bridge, and then either get the Northern Line to Bank and change for the Central to Stratford, or get the Jubilee Line to Stratford, and then an overland train to Romford (1 hour 13 mins via Jubilee, or 1 hour 8 mins via Northern and Central).

Royal Oak
Overland train from East Croydon to Victoria, and then the 36 bus to Royal Oak (58 mins).

Brixton
East Croydon to Victoria, and then the Victoria Line to Brixton (39 mins), or from East Croydon to Herne Hill, and then overland to Brixton (35 mins).

Of course, if I’m working at the Law Centre in Croydon on Park Lane, it’s about 10 mins altogether! ;o)

Working at WCAB has made me realise just how shitty the Hammersmith & City line is. The trains are so infrequent it just makes you laugh at the idiocy of it all.

I get the Northern Line to King’s Cross St Pancras from Highgate, and then change amongst a maze of escalators, stairs and platforms; oh yeah, don’t forget the commuters as well – that station is always chock-a-block. Unfortunately, it’s the only way to get to Royal Oak via Tube. Ok, I could get the bus from somewhere, but it just means a longer commute to work.