Random meetings

Thankfully one escapes from work at weekends and does one's best to forget the misery, drudgery and pain that goes with the working week.

There are some things that lighten the load - generally the jolly good chaps one meets on the way to and from work.

Sadly in recent months our numbers have been depleted by people finding jobs closer to home - mainly to do with not wanting to get up so early in the morning for a train service that threatens to mess up your day, every day.

The list of fallen is as follows:

Trainman
Visaman
Traintotty
Mini-crasher (has accepted a new job)
Royal Green Jacket - considering something closer to home

I am sometimes lonely on the platform. And for someone with as much verbal diohhrea as me, this is difficult.

Poor me.

TTF

Annoying announcements and excitable train managers

So there's this chap that some times runs the 7.12am train. He's ok - very contientious and so on. He has quite interesting eyebrows and a very genuine way about him when he's doing the ticket rounds.

But yesterday I had enough.

He said the following line about 700,000 times:

Morning Ladies and Gentlemen. We're on final approach to Reading now. If you are leaving us here, please ensure you have all of your personal possessions with you and retain your tickets for inspection at the barrier.
And don't forget your brollies. It is wet out there so please take your brollies with you. Once again, don't forget your brollies. Please check you haven't left your brolly behind.

I don't think he likes collecting up brollies at the end of the journey somehow.

TTF

The man at the gate

Those of us that frequent Reading station will be familiar with the 3 or 4 different faces we see at the ticket barriers every day. This is especially true for me as I can't be bothered to get my season ticket out of my wallet so I walk up to the gate and just flash my ticket at him without actually getting it out.

I always make a point of saying good morning/ evening or thankyou to these chaps because so many people pass by without so much as a smile.

I do this also because it makes me feel a bit special and better than everyone else...

Anyway, today on my way home, the chap at the gate was looking the other way. I said to him:
"Good evening chief".. he looked round in suprise, then recognition and said:
"Alright bruv?" and gave me an affectionate tap on my elbow.

I can honestly say this brought a smile to my face after a difficult day and put me in a good mood for the faultless journey home.

Aaaahhhh. Lovely

TTF.

Conversations you overhear on the train

Another classic from yesterday from a well spoken man speaking very loudly on his mobile...

"Tell John I hope his rear end isn't too sore after last night"....


Ouch.

Rain at Oxford

As we all know, the weather has been somewhat unpredicatable over the last week or so. This was exemplified by one commuter getting off the train at Oxford today with ear glued to mobile phone and mind / brain clearly in another far more important realm...

He got off, failed to notice it was lashing down and then walked in to a really really deep puddle on the platform... which he failed to notice... for a few seconds at least so engrossed was he...

And then when he did lower himself to this mortal place, he tried to pretend nothing had happened.

But we all knew. All of Oxford knew.


TrainMan has been in touch (see previous posts). It seems his experience of commuting has been a joy! Git.

TTF

To Mr Anonymous, again

See previous post for Mr Anonymous' previous comment.

Life isn't really simple because sometimes one has to travel to where the work is in order to support family and so on. One therefore makes a decision as to which way to travel. I have chosen the train because, at the moment, it is slightly better than driving. I am actually reconsidering this decision so TrainFellow may become CarFellow...

Reference comments about "accepting public transport is unreliable". Sorry. Can't do that. I've been to France, Germany etc and their systems are a dream compared with our under-invested railway.

I don't blame the staff though... generally. Unless they do something really blameworthy. Like stop at the wrong station.

I do blame middle management though as this is, I'm sure, where most of the dodgy decisions are made.

Lovely.

TTF

To the anonymous responder

I like it when people respond to this blog. It pleases me - even when people have a little go at me.

Someone anonymous responded to me telling me to get a job somewhere else. Sadly the world is not as simple as this and, if given the opportunity I would work within 1/2 a mile of my house. Sadly this is not possible as my skill set is very specific.

So that's why Mr Anonymous.

TTF