FAO: Commuters to London

[Gwylan]

It does happen on the 6.41 (usually at the front coach of the 4) but happens more often on the 7.16 to victoria and very often on the 7.33 to London Bridge. It even happened on the 16.53 coming home last night with some girl wanting to save a seat for her boyfriend who will 'only be 5 mins'. The guy opposite me told her to go to another carriage (the 3 + 2 across ones) where there would be plenty of space. I kept my head down (dont do confrontation on trains )

The 6.41 is the train I usually get but I'm hardly ever in the front coach so I miss out on all the fun. I've never seen it at all, I'd be ready to bite someone's head off if they tried it with me.

I do sometimes wish that I could get a seat with three bridge players so we could get through a quick rubber or two during the course of a week - that would pass the time nicely.

 

[ROSM]

I do sometimes wish that I could get a seat with three bridge players so we could get through a quick rubber or two during the course of a week - that would pass the time nicely.

that reminds me............why is Bridge like Sex? If you cant rely on an excellent partner then you need a good hand

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I've been commuting for 11 years. It was just about bearable when there were a lot of like minded people commuting (that situation has dwindled recently with life/career changes)

Sorry mate - I'll be back on the London treadmill in the spring no doubt!!

 

[Thimble Keegan]

Without reading the entire thread, I am one of those who enjoy my commute to London as it basically gives me a chance to read, which I love doing. If I lived close to my work the time saveed not travelling I would not use to read or do anything constructive, I would just veg and watch the telly or go on t'internet.

It is also not a bad journey as it is a direct train to Victoria and then a walk to Whitehall, so no Tubes to deal with.

Another plus is I still work a flexi-time system so often I can clear off approaching 3:00pm and be home by 5:00pm.

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Rustington BHA

 

[desprateseagull]

I hada job near atwick many years ago.. drive up might have been less arduous if the car hadnt been so duff. getting stuck in the bonb scare gridlock for 5 fecking hours made my mind up to quit.

latest job is 10min walk home. maybe 2 hours, via the pub..

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

It does happen on the 6.41 (usually at the front coach of the 4) but happens more often on the 7.16 to victoria and very often on the 7.33 to London Bridge. It even happened on the 16.53 coming home last night with some girl wanting to save a seat for her boyfriend who will 'only be 5 mins'. The guy opposite me told her to go to another carriage (the 3 + 2 across ones) where there would be plenty of space. I kept my head down (dont do confrontation on trains )

Thats poor commuting form. As is, in my opinion, looking grumpy when asked to move so someone can get to a free seat.

 

[East Staffs Gull]

When I used to have a reasonably long commute to work, one advantage was that by the time that I got home I was completely switched off from work. Work and home were like two separate lives, with no overlap. I now have a much shorter journey to work and I often arrive home with my head still full of work issues.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I like my 7.20 from Hove, apart from the lady who gets on the same place that looks like she has swallowed a wasp. Normally get a good seat or a spot on the luggage rack, which is far more comfortable than the smaller seats. I'm a 5.32 man back normally as well, although the 6.16 is better for always getting a seat.

I don't mind the commute. I treat it as my time, rather than part of the working day.

Those are my normal trains too. Who is this lady you speak of, is it a girl who has rather 'bulging' eyes perchance ?

 

[terrymendez]

"The commuting's not that bad - I can catch up on my reading - but it is tiring. I'd love to take a small drop in salary and work locally but jobs down here are scarce and the ones that I've seen have been between £22k and £27k less than I'm earning now. That's not a slight drop, that's a not-being-able-to-afford-the-mortgage difference."

The above comment just makes me think that whether you go to London and earn a higher salary you still spend the majority of it each monthwhether that be on a higher mortgage or fancier holidays or better cars.

I would value those type of things on a par with being getting to footy training on time twice a week having been home had a cuppa and walked the dog or being in the pub for a midweek beer at 7pm having got home cooked dinner and had an hour or so with the missis.

Everything is worth something, I gave up commuting and would value the time i have to myself now as equal to the salary drop. You only live once and i decided I didn;t want to spend almost 15 hrs a week of mine on a train.

Other peoples priorities are different, if i was single again I would most definately commute again.

Its a task to pack it in, but with some thought it can happen.

 

[Bozza]

I like to read too. But I like to read when I want to not between 7:06 and 8:27, exactly (unless the train is running late) every morning and then between 17:32 and 18:59 every evening only. Maybe it's just me, but I don't find a problem finding time to read if and when I want to, on my terms: when and where I want to. Curled up on the sofa with the fire burning, out on a rug in the garden, wherever it happens to be, there are better places than a commuting train to enjoy a good book.

When it comes down to it, I'd be amazed if anyone commuted for a reason other than money. And, as I said, having taken a significant paycut to get out to escape my own personal commuting hell, I understand the psychological difficulty in taking a pay drop.

Yesterday I walked out of the office at 16:00. A little after 16:30 I was playing 'Guess who?' with my daughter. With that old commuting lifestyle I'd only see her awake if she was struggling to get to sleep, and the time I'd have with her would be a few minutes. No amount of money will ever buy the time back I spend with her by not commuting.

 

[Bozza]

...but to answer a question I've asked myself before: Would I commute again? Yes, I would, but only if I really had to.

That's 'really had to' as in 'no other work available' and certainly not 'the pay is too good to turn down'.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Those are my normal trains too. Who is this lady you speak of, is it a girl who has rather 'bulging' eyes perchance ?

Don't think so. Gets on around about the entrance to the waiting room with 2 other women, who both seem happy sorts. She's thin probably middle late 30's, with black hair. Don't think I've see her smile once.

 

[Bozza]

She's thin probably middle late 30's, with black hair. Don't think I've see her smile once.

Sounds like a witch. Keep an eye out around Halloween.

 

[Dave the OAP]

"The commuting's not that bad - I can catch up on my reading - but it is tiring. I'd love to take a small drop in salary and work locally but jobs down here are scarce and the ones that I've seen have been between £22k and £27k less than I'm earning now. That's not a slight drop, that's a not-being-able-to-afford-the-mortgage difference."

The above comment just makes me think that whether you go to London and earn a higher salary you still spend the majority of it each monthwhether that be on a higher mortgage or fancier holidays or better cars.

I would value those type of things on a par with being getting to footy training on time twice a week having been home had a cuppa and walked the dog or being in the pub for a midweek beer at 7pm having got home cooked dinner and had an hour or so with the missis.

Everything is worth something, I gave up commuting and would value the time i have to myself now as equal to the salary drop. You only live once and i decided I didn;t want to spend almost 15 hrs a week of mine on a train.

Other peoples priorities are different, if i was single again I would most definately commute again.

Its a task to pack it in, but with some thought it can happen.

#
I see where you are coming from although i tend to agree with Gwynlan. My problem is I was trained as an accountant ( never qualified) but rose quite high in industry ( acting FD) and so my salary was based on that position. When I "fell" into this job in London, and I did fall into it, my salary doubled and as with most things, when it first happens you have shed loads of money spare...you then live up to that salary and taking a drop makes it impossible.

Yes, we do like our holidays, have a nice car, two kids at Uni etc etc , but my mortgage finishes the middle of next year and if I knocked commuting on the head, I would be a grand better off a month....that could be the incentive to move down to sussex and take something less...BUT you then have to think about pension provision etc etc....

I do miss those days when there was 8 or 10 of us all together omn the train, but as Ade said, peoples lives have changed, friendships move on or sour( which a very great shame) and to be honset I do not enjoy it a smuch as I used to....Friday night on the train going home with good mates and load of beers was great.

 

[aftershavedave]

It does happen on the 6.41 (usually at the front coach of the 4) but happens more often on the 7.16 to victoria and very often on the 7.33 to London Bridge. It even happened on the 16.53 coming home last night with some girl wanting to save a seat for her boyfriend who will 'only be 5 mins'. The guy opposite me told her to go to another carriage (the 3 + 2 across ones) where there would be plenty of space. I kept my head down (dont do confrontation on trains )

i've noticed exactly that.

and now you mention it, there is something else that brightens the journey: what you call "confrontation on trains", great fun!

 

[pasty]

It does happen on the 6.41 (usually at the front coach of the 4) but happens more often on the 7.16 to victoria

Guilty

I get the 7.16 most mornings, and yes, I do tend to sit in the same seat everyday, amongst the same other people who also sit in the same seat every day. Must say though, with me it's more out of pure habit than anything else, and if someone else happens to be sat there, I quite happily sit elsewhere.

 

[Scoffers]

"The commuting's not that bad - I can catch up on my reading - but it is tiring. I'd love to take a small drop in salary and work locally but jobs down here are scarce and the ones that I've seen have been between £22k and £27k less than I'm earning now. That's not a slight drop, that's a not-being-able-to-afford-the-mortgage difference."

The above comment just makes me think that whether you go to London and earn a higher salary you still spend the majority of it each monthwhether that be on a higher mortgage or fancier holidays or better cars.

I would value those type of things on a par with being getting to footy training on time twice a week having been home had a cuppa and walked the dog or being in the pub for a midweek beer at 7pm having got home cooked dinner and had an hour or so with the missis.

Everything is worth something, I gave up commuting and would value the time i have to myself now as equal to the salary drop. You only live once and i decided I didn;t want to spend almost 15 hrs a week of mine on a train.

Other peoples priorities are different, if i was single again I would most definately commute again.

Its a task to pack it in, but with some thought it can happen.

Well written terry my boy, you make some good points there.

 

[Bozza]

Guilty

I get the 7.16 most mornings, and yes, I do tend to sit in the same seat everyday, amongst the same other people who also sit in the same seat every day. Must say though, with me it's more out of pure habit than anything else, and if someone else happens to be sat there, I quite happily sit elsewhere.

You're weak. You'd let this newcomer, this Johnny-come-lately, this charlatan sit in YOUR seat. f*** that for a game of soldiers/commuters - you need to make this imposter know his place. He's probably only on the train today for a job interview. He is merely flirting with the jet-set lifestyle and the bright lights of Londinium. Before you know it he'll have his feet up, lording it in YOUR carriage. God, he might even turn up with The Sun (no commuters buy The Sun, have you noticed?) and knock one out over Page 3.

No, you need to take action. Spit at him, sit next to him and rub his legs (there's nothing wrong with being gay), hell - chuck the fecker from the train. But do anything, ANYTHING to get your seat back.

(Or did commuter seat territory work differently in my day?)

 

[Perry Milkins]

I have the joyless task of commuting in from Purley. I have to change at East Croydon which means scrambling for seats with the unwashed, illegal masses. It is properly horrible. And FAT PEOPLE on trains really gets me going. The seats are tight enough as it is without having some huge, bulbous, porker who stinks like rotten meat pies trying to stuff his or her hideous mass into the carriage. It's disgusting. And why do fat people breathe so bloody loudly? Honestly, they should be sent to camps until they're ready to join regular society.

What time do you change at EC? I am there between 7.15 and 7.30 most mornings.

 

[Gwylan]

You're weak. You'd let this newcomer, this Johnny-come-lately, this charlatan sit in YOUR seat. f*** that for a game of soldiers/commuters - you need to make this imposter know his place. He's probably only on the train today for a job interview. He is merely flirting with the jet-set lifestyle and the bright lights of Londinium. Before you know it he'll have his feet up, lording it in YOUR carriage. God, he might even turn up with The Sun (no commuters buy The Sun, have you noticed?) and knock one out over Page 3.

No, you need to take action. Spit at him, sit next to him and rub his legs (there's nothing wrong with being gay), hell - chuck the fecker from the train. But do anything, ANYTHING to get your seat back.

(Or did commuter seat territory work differently in my day?)

It's true about the Sun. It's the most popular paper in England, yet hardly anyone on the Brighton line reads it. In fact, I'd say about three times as many people read the Guardian than read the Sun.

Although, sadly, most people seem to read Metro.