Trains not running between HH and Brighton until possibily 18.30

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Its this bit I don't quite get.

You were stuck at PP for 2 hours...so you gave up and got a train. Huh ?

Maybe it's a binman thing?

 

[pearl]

Maybe it's a binman thing?

well the recycling mob have binned any idea of taking two steps to collect my black boxes these days

 

[Brovion]

I am SO glad that in May 2015, after 20 years of commuting by public transport, the stress of train travel got too much and I bought a car. (I had one on and off in that period, but I never used it for commuting)

All those of you crammed onto inadequate trains, tubes and buses in this weather have my complete sympathy.

 

[The Clamp]

Its this bit I don't quite get.

You were stuck at PP for 2 hours...so you gave up and got a train. Huh ?

Ah! I do beg your pardon. My mistake I meant to type taxi. Apologies

 

[Guinness Boy]

I am SO glad that in May 2015, after 20 years of commuting by public transport, the stress of train travel got too much and I bought a car. (I had one on and off in that period, but I never used it for commuting)

All those of you crammed onto inadequate trains, tubes and buses in this weather have my complete sympathy.

"Inadequate" being the operative word. Not all of them are.

I am now regularly going to Birmingham by train for meetings. The Southern bit can be a PITA (but I get the first train out which is normally ok) and the tubes are hot and overcrowded but then you find yourself in the fortunate position of jumping on a Virgin (and heading against the tide for good measure). I have never had to reserve a seat up for this reason and have been on time to within 5 minutes every trip. Coming home I do reserve a seat but can sit and chill reading a book, finish more work off, tit about on NSC or Twitter, even have a cheeky beer, none of which I could do in a car. My colleague, meanwhile, goes there from Bournemouth by car and regularly gets stuck on the A38. Last time out he didn't get to the office till 10.

This all goes to shit once you get to Victoria of course. Two and a half hours from there to Portslade last night on a fairly crowded Gatwick "Express" and a packed Southern.

The population density and creaking infrastructure are hugely to blame of course but you're still left with the impression that Charlie Horton ain't no Richard Branson.

 

[Brovion]

"Inadequate" being the operative word. Not all of them are.

I am now regularly going to Birmingham by train for meetings. The Southern bit can be a PITA (but I get the first train out which is normally ok) and the tubes are hot and overcrowded but then you find yourself in the fortunate position of jumping on a Virgin (and heading against the tide for good measure). I have never had to reserve a seat up for this reason and have been on time to within 5 minutes every trip. Coming home I do reserve a seat but can sit and chill reading a book, finish more work off, tit about on NSC or Twitter, even have a cheeky beer, none of which I could do in a car. My colleague, meanwhile, goes there from Bournemouth by car and regularly gets stuck on the A38. Last time out he didn't get to the office till 10.

This all goes to shit once you get to Victoria of course. Two and a half hours from there to Portslade last night on a fairly crowded Gatwick "Express" and a packed Southern.

The population density and creaking infrastructure are hugely to blame of course but you're still left with the impression that Charlie Horton ain't no Richard Branson.

Yeah there are 'good' routes I used to like the morning Southwestern train from Clapham Junction to Basingstoke when I worked there, which as you say was like a 'reverse commute'. Sadly though it was outweighed by the absolute HELL of the return journey, and overall I was glad it was only a three month contract.

As you say the ever-increasing population means that all transport systems creak, and a single failure means misery. The south of England needs more roads and more railways, and any demented Ruralist with their head stuck in the 19th century who disagrees needs to be shot.

 

[boik]

"Inadequate" being the operative word. Not all of them are.

I am now regularly going to Birmingham by train for meetings. The Southern bit can be a PITA (but I get the first train out which is normally ok) and the tubes are hot and overcrowded but then you find yourself in the fortunate position of jumping on a Virgin (and heading against the tide for good measure). I have never had to reserve a seat up for this reason and have been on time to within 5 minutes every trip. Coming home I do reserve a seat but can sit and chill reading a book, finish more work off, tit about on NSC or Twitter, even have a cheeky beer, none of which I could do in a car. My colleague, meanwhile, goes there from Bournemouth by car and regularly gets stuck on the A38. Last time out he didn't get to the office till 10.

This all goes to shit once you get to Victoria of course. Two and a half hours from there to Portslade last night on a fairly crowded Gatwick "Express" and a packed Southern.

The population density and creaking infrastructure are hugely to blame of course but you're still left with the impression that Charlie Horton ain't no Richard Branson.

Surely part of the problem is people going all over the place for "meetings". I retired years ago, but even then we were using videoconferencing for meetings.

 

[Weststander]

"Inadequate" being the operative word. Not all of them are.

I am now regularly going to Birmingham by train for meetings. The Southern bit can be a PITA (but I get the first train out which is normally ok) and the tubes are hot and overcrowded but then you find yourself in the fortunate position of jumping on a Virgin (and heading against the tide for good measure). I have never had to reserve a seat up for this reason and have been on time to within 5 minutes every trip. Coming home I do reserve a seat but can sit and chill reading a book, finish more work off, tit about on NSC or Twitter, even have a cheeky beer, none of which I could do in a car. My colleague, meanwhile, goes there from Bournemouth by car and regularly gets stuck on the A38. Last time out he didn't get to the office till 10.

This all goes to shit once you get to Victoria of course. Two and a half hours from there to Portslade last night on a fairly crowded Gatwick "Express" and a packed Southern.

The population density and creaking infrastructure are hugely to blame of course but you're still left with the impression that Charlie Horton ain't no Richard Branson.

Not a commuting comment, more a trains one. We travelled by Virgin Trains to some Albion away games in the North West.

What a pleasant revelation, a complete contrast to shite Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express, London & SE.

Virgin trains leave on time, have proper large seats, space, never seem overcrowded and their staff seem to have the time to be polite.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Not a commuting comment, more a trains one. We travelled by Virgin Trains to some Albion away games in the North West.

What a pleasant revelation, a complete contrast to shite Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express, London & SE.

Virgin trains leave on time, have proper large seats, space, never seem overcrowded and their staff seem to have the time to be polite.

Absolutely!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Surely part of the problem is people going all over the place for "meetings". I retired years ago, but even then we were using videoconferencing for meetings.

It depends on the meeting TBH. The ones I tend to have in my new job are more workshops that last all day and involve demos of software and process mapping. Short things are dealt with by Skype or Go To Meeting.

Video conferencing can also be shite. You only need one laggy internet connection to screw it up completely. Then there was the time when one of my current colleagues was working in South America and conferencing between Argentina and Brazil. She suddenly realised through split screen that the camera in her office was zooming in on her cleavage.....