I'm mostly over it now... (commute this morning)

[Moos]

...but what a Godawful commute this morning.

Anyone else try to get the 7.51 (cancelled due to 'passenger illness on a previous train' - eh??) and then have to squeeze onto the late 8.05 along with 50,000 other rain-sodden wage slaves?

And my heart went out to the poor woman who dropped her iPod onto the track and had to watch it glinting unattainably only 4 feet away.

Thanks for listening.

P.S. Not just posting this to annoy our new pal LuvSnailz.

[Horsebox]

I thought this was going to be another relationship post.

[Moos]

It can be if you like. I've got one, it's quite nice.

Only that would be non-ED specific and I might get Lounged.

[Marmora Man]

Cycle - it's the only way. Even this morning arriving at work after a wet journey that was 5 mins longer than usual I felt invigorated but damp (very). A warm shower and cup of decent coffee later and work actualy seems enjoyable.

[PeckhamRose]

Not the only way.

Motorcycle. It's the other way.

But what MarmoraMan said other than that!

[ratty]

I'm on holiday!

[Jeremy]

I was in the same situation... the same train was cancelled one day last week too, I seem to remember.

Sorry, am not about to risk life and limb by competing with the buses on a bike!

[Asset]

cycling has the added benefits of a cardio-vascular workout and no dependancy on fossil fuels.

[Marmora Man]

Sorry, am not about to risk life and limb by competing with the buses on a bike!

But man evolved to fight sabre toothed tigers - taking on the N o. 63 at the Elephant & Castle is a doddle compared to that.

[macroban]

Were men and sabre-tooths [sic] co-eval?

[Moos]

Not sure that they were, although they pop up in a lot of pre-historic, fur-bikini-wearing movies, so perhaps I'm wrong..

I usually get an earlier and more civilised train, on which I can sit down and for a few minutes read my book. Today I was late out of bed because of the evil influence of People Who Know Who They Are.

But I have to say that I'd rather get even a horrible crowded train than cycle. I don't have a means to shower and change at work and even if I did, how do you stop your suit and shirt getting crumpled in your bag? Crucially, however, cycling is fine for the fit and confident but for the unfit and wobbly it's terrifying, and I'd probably end up with a broken head.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Blaming others? Outrageous. .

[Ladygooner]

I was on the 8.05 - got a seat as normal - you need to go to the back of the train!

[capt_birdseye]

Got the 8.35 and I thought I noticed an ipod on the track! I'm sure someone could have scooped it up with a massive umbrella... I once saw a woman lose a high heel shoe off that platform too, it stared miserably back at me for the next few weeks.

[Moos]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Blaming others? Outrageous. .

I can but tell the truth.

[Moos]

I really don't think it's for me. Quite apart from logistical things like no shower at the office and how do I stop my clothes getting crumpled, cycling is just too frightening for the unfit and wobbly. I'd be bound to end up under a bus, and then how guilty would you feel, MM and PR?

I usually get an earlier train which is a lot more civilised, but due to the influence of some Forumites who Know Who They Are got up late today.

[JohnL]

Colleagues of mine leave a whole wardrobe in the office. Need some hangers mind.

Suppose they commute once a week :)

Moos Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Not sure that they were, although they pop up in a

> lot of pre-historic, fur-bikini-wearing movies, so

> perhaps I'm wrong..

>

> I usually get an earlier and more civilised train,

> on which I can sit down and for a few minutes read

> my book. Today I was late out of bed because of

> the evil influence of People Who Know Who They

> Are.

>

> But I have to say that I'd rather get even a

> horrible crowded train than cycle. I don't have a

> means to shower and change at work and even if I

> did, how do you stop your suit and shirt getting

> crumpled in your bag? Crucially, however, cycling

> is fine for the fit and confident but for the

> unfit and wobbly it's terrifying, and I'd probably

> end up with a broken head.

[SeanMacGabhann]

When I moved to ED at the turn of the century, I was looking forward to having just an 11 minute journey. And I did the train for about a year. I used to look at people getting on the bus at ED station and think "why????". I used to get a seat on the train but what stopped me was a combination of:

Train cancellations

4 carriages instead of 8 turning up

The journey TO the station wasn't inconsiderable

11 minutes is no time for reading and then I had to get from London Bridge to where I was going anyway

In the end I settled for the bus of for a number of reasons: 40 bus is pretty empty when I get on early in the morning. Door to door takes about 45 minutes if I stay on the bus all the way to town but I've gotten in to the habit of walking from E&C...

On the rare occassions when traffic is doing something weird I now know that it's just an extra couple of hundred yards to walk - amount of stress = zero. Ever

I like the idea of cycling generally but for many of the reasons already outlined by Moos and others I think "naaah"

As for Moo's horrible experience yesterday. I would normally commiserate a lot more if I wasn't implicated ;-)

[djfitz]

Is that two mornings in a row you've got up late now? Sounds like it's time to play "Change The Day".

[CamberwellOz]

I woke up this morning. I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Made some piping hot coffee and went and picked myself some fresh figs for breakfast.

Being on holiday in Spain is great.

I agree with MMan - riding is the only way. You may start off wobbly but give it two months. You?ll be beating people at the lights.

[Moos]

djfitz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Is that two mornings in a row you've got up late

> now? Sounds like it's time to play "Change The

> Day".

Was that for me? No. Normal time today - 6.

Tempted by SeanMac's 'take the bus' theory but that would mean getting up earlier, and for me 6 is a kind of watershed. Anything earlier than that (except for a plane) is just bleugh.

And CambyOz I'd really like to be one of those fit, steel-bottomed people. I just don't think I'd survive the first 2 months... :)

[Pierre]

Another vote for commuting by bike (not just because I have a vested interest!) - as long as you assume everyone else on the road is deliberately ignoring you, I always found it much less stressful. There are all sorts of other debates about stopping at lights, riding on the pavement and sundry other law-breaking activities, but just pootling along the myriad cycle paths linking East Dulwich with most of the middle of London can be a much more enjoyable experience than standing in a packed tube train with your nose in someone else's armpit.

Now's a good time to take up cycle commuting, while the weather's still not too bad. It does get colder and soggier at times (although your main enemy is not hills, traffic or cold weather, but wind!) but you can always spend some of the money you save on nicer waterproof clothing.

JohnL, I know quite a few people who get the train in on Mondays with a change of clothes and a couple of shirts then cycle in from Tuesday to Thursday (not needing to carry extra clothing on the bike ride) and commute by train with the bag home on Fridays. Seems to work for them.

Also, as long as the journey isn't too long or arduous (and you don't become a Competitive Commuter), you can usually afford to take it relatively easy on the ride in so you won't need a shower when you get there and if you're super-keen you can hender it home at the end of the day and shower then...

: P

[SeanMacGabhann]

On BBC London this morning they were promoting next week's leave a car at home day

Predictably some people contacted them to say things like "If I drive it takes half an hour and costs a fiver - if I take the bus it takes 2 hours and costs ?8"

What idiot pays ?8 for a day's bus journey(s) - my weekly pass costs about ?14 - so that's my travel for the week pegged at ?2 a day - bargain

I accept that most journeys will be quicker by car but it's a lost battle if car drivers delude themselves with costings like that

[Pierre]

I accept that most journeys will be quicker by car but it's a lost battle if car drivers delude themselves with costings like that

I've had to drive into the middle of London a few times recently during rush hour and each time it's taken me longer than it would have done by bus, train or bike, and it's been more frustrating and tiring inching through traffic at a crawl. Of course, I wouldn't have been able to take a portable workshop-load of equipment by any of the other methods, but I'm working on a cycle trailer for it!

Also, car drivers delude themselves that they're only paying the cost of petrol and the Congestion Charge - annual VED ("road tax"), insurance, servicing and breakdown cover seems to get conveniently forgotten when many people try to justify the costs of driving. Don't get me wrong, to quote someone else, I'm not anti-car, I'm pro-bike.

: P

[Asset]

Anyone living in Southwark is entitled to a FREE 2 hour session on bike training: how to take the safest position on the road etc. Great for boosting confidence if you are a nervous cyclist.

Pierre's advice of imagining no other road user is aware of you is good.