Commuting: A Game of Two Halves
Saturday, 1 December 2007
So, I got the job at PC Pro. I'm now a Staff Writer on the UK's biggest-selling monthly computing magazine.
Which is, obviously, brilliant!
I'm loving the job and the people, and really enjoying it at the moment. I also feel like I'm learning all the time, which is really fun too.
I am commuting, at the moment, from home to the offices in London which can be quite good or quite bad, depending on how you look at it. And my views on it often change depending on the journey or how I'm feeling that day anyway.
Yesterday was by far my worst journey so far - in my extensive and far-reaching commuting experience of, say, five days. My plan is to leave work around 6 and take 2 or three tubes to Paddington Station. My initial tube route didn't get me there in time, but my current one does - and I've helpfully been pointed in the direction of an even faster route that I'll have to look up at some point today or tomorrow, too.
Anyway.
Left work at 6:05 yesterday and was in time to get the 6:33 fast train to Twyford until I got to Baker Street, and the carriage doors didn't open. For several minutes. Then there was announcement that no-one could really hear that, as far as we could make out, involved the British Transport Police. They then showed up, all hi-vis jackets with hundreds of bulging pockets, marching down the platform and evacuating everyone who wanted to get on the train, locking them behind the doors. Eventually it emerged that a suspect - wanted for what, we don't know - was on the train, and half an hour later someone was reprimanded - and off we went.
I now know that tube carriages get awfully hot after a while.
Eventually, at Paddington, I found a train. It wasn't the fast one but only had 1 extra stop, so should have been fine - so I climbed aboard and started to read. 20 minutes later, we hadn't left the station and we were told that the service had been cancelled, without being given a reason. The consequence of this was that 1 full train of people had to try and get onto another train going in the same direction that was also full. When everyone had crammed on, it was literally impossible to move an inch left or right for three or four stations. It quietened down then, thankfully.
Like I said, that was the worst journey, and the rest have been largely without incident. I leave at 8:45 from Twyford and am beginning to recognise the various jaded faces in suits and ties that turn up every morning and sneer at me because I'm in jeans and a hoodie, although the actual travelling isn't too bad. Hopefully, now I've found a quicker tube route, I can even get to work on time when the train is late.
It's not too busy either, so I can sit and read without being bumped about by other people. Getting a seat on the tube is rarer, but the journeys are shorter.
I do find it strangely relaxing though, which is odd, given the amount of horror tales that are spun about getting to work every day. Perhaps it'll get worse with time, who knows.
In the meantime: fantastic job. woo!.
Which is, obviously, brilliant!
I'm loving the job and the people, and really enjoying it at the moment. I also feel like I'm learning all the time, which is really fun too.
I am commuting, at the moment, from home to the offices in London which can be quite good or quite bad, depending on how you look at it. And my views on it often change depending on the journey or how I'm feeling that day anyway.
Yesterday was by far my worst journey so far - in my extensive and far-reaching commuting experience of, say, five days. My plan is to leave work around 6 and take 2 or three tubes to Paddington Station. My initial tube route didn't get me there in time, but my current one does - and I've helpfully been pointed in the direction of an even faster route that I'll have to look up at some point today or tomorrow, too.
Anyway.
Left work at 6:05 yesterday and was in time to get the 6:33 fast train to Twyford until I got to Baker Street, and the carriage doors didn't open. For several minutes. Then there was announcement that no-one could really hear that, as far as we could make out, involved the British Transport Police. They then showed up, all hi-vis jackets with hundreds of bulging pockets, marching down the platform and evacuating everyone who wanted to get on the train, locking them behind the doors. Eventually it emerged that a suspect - wanted for what, we don't know - was on the train, and half an hour later someone was reprimanded - and off we went.
I now know that tube carriages get awfully hot after a while.
Eventually, at Paddington, I found a train. It wasn't the fast one but only had 1 extra stop, so should have been fine - so I climbed aboard and started to read. 20 minutes later, we hadn't left the station and we were told that the service had been cancelled, without being given a reason. The consequence of this was that 1 full train of people had to try and get onto another train going in the same direction that was also full. When everyone had crammed on, it was literally impossible to move an inch left or right for three or four stations. It quietened down then, thankfully.
Like I said, that was the worst journey, and the rest have been largely without incident. I leave at 8:45 from Twyford and am beginning to recognise the various jaded faces in suits and ties that turn up every morning and sneer at me because I'm in jeans and a hoodie, although the actual travelling isn't too bad. Hopefully, now I've found a quicker tube route, I can even get to work on time when the train is late.
It's not too busy either, so I can sit and read without being bumped about by other people. Getting a seat on the tube is rarer, but the journeys are shorter.
I do find it strangely relaxing though, which is odd, given the amount of horror tales that are spun about getting to work every day. Perhaps it'll get worse with time, who knows.
In the meantime: fantastic job. woo!.
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