Its funny how territorial & habitual the British people can be. Complete strangers that I see nearly every morning as I leave the house at precisely 0705. I arrive at the car park at 0710 and say good morning to the parking attendant who always greets me with a "Good Morning Sir". I now have a season parking ticket so no longer have to purchase a daily one from him. His is the only real voice I will hear for an hour.
I pass through the ticketing hall, amazed every day by the increasing numbers of people who make such a tedious journey on a daily basis. At any given moment you can count at least 20 people approaching the Station down the Stations drive.
I stop to buy a newspaper from the Newsagent booth at the Station. The same Stationer has stood there and run his small business for over 30 years. Never once does he say Good Morning or smile. He just holds his hand out in anticipation of my coins in return for my morning read.
I step down onto the Platform around 0717. One minute before the fast train is due. I have learned after 20 weeks of this journey that there is never a single seat on the 0717. It’s a four carriage Train (And I pay £265 a month for this service). By the time it pulls into Broxbourne and the doors open with a hiss the Train is already Standing room only. Often there is not even enough room to squeeze on in. A Journey I would have once attempted. No more. The foolish man takes the 0718. The wise man waits till 0721 when the slower train (Stopping at 2 more stops) but has a full 8 carriages arrives. I am guaranteed a seat on the 0721. So I take my usual spot, Carriage 2, door 2 on the platform. Surrounded by the same faces I see every morning. Nobody talks. In fact its almost Taboo to be talking on the train in the mornings. People scowl if your mobile rings and you literally rush to get the person off the phone so as not to break one of socials great taboo’s.
The train arrives, almost 100 people are standing along the length of the platform. Standing where they believe the doors will stop allowing them first entry to the train. It reminds me of an animal about to stalk its prey. Standing motionless, its eyes moving quickly back and forth. Still no one smiling, talking not even acknowledging one another. A recorded voice comes over the tannoy. "The Train now approaching Platform 2 is the 0721 One Service to London Liverpool Street. Calling at Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Enfield Lock, Tottenham Hale & Liverpool Street.
The 0721 One Service to London Liverpool Street". Its seems stupid that they are allowed to call the Train Company One. It makes the announcements rather confusing.
The Train hisses in and pulls to a stop and those that are not aligned directly to the doors shuffle their feet as though a stampeded is about to commence. Its not surprising really. The reward is a seat the full 30 plus minutes into London. Failing your stamped could leave you standing the full journey with nothing but a dirty bar to hold to for support. Sitting down is the only option if you don’t want to arrive at work, stressed, sweaty and worn out. Even in the middle of winter with carriages packed with 300 people the heat is unbearable. No-one dares to open a window, despite nearly everyone sweating in the heat.
I survive my journey by playing my Ipod and blocking out the entire journey and everyone around me as I sit peacefully and read my newspaper. With any luck I am at Liverpool Street on time and can once again, stampede for the exit. 8 Carriages of several hundred people are pouring out onto a platform to then squeeze through an electronic barrier if your ticket is working correctly. Of course, before you can pass the barrier, into what is almost like freedom, you are faced with the miserable faces of the soldiers that man the Berlin Wall. It seems as such. They stand their with a look like a mad man about to make a kill daring anyone to approach without a fully paid ticket. It doesn’t matter if the machine was broken or there was no-one at the ticket office. If you fail to have a vaild ticket "The Mob" will attack you with a minimum of a fine. Of course they now days, due to their brutality are often backed up by the British Transport Police. If they were perhaps less forceful perhaps people would be less aggressive back. Its only in human nature to be defensive when attacked.
I’ve made it. A 5 minute drive, ten minute walk, 35 minute train drive and I’m through the mob and the electric fence (Automatic ticket barrier) into relative safety. The Station is already crowded despite it being not even 0800 in the morning. Thousands of suits walk rush through the terminal building out to offices, trading floors and beyond. I stop to purchase my breakfast at a vendor in the Station and as always are infuriated by the slowness of the tourists that are not only in the way but persistently slow as they reach through their bag sifting through dozens of coins not sure the value of each exactly. "Just hand over a note", I think impatiently. There are 3 people working in the vendor today. The same three as yesterday. Despite the fact that I have bought the same item for the past 20 weeks, I never get a friendly "Hello" or the usual. At least at Starbucks they recognise you. One of the two staff is busy cleaning, despite the growing queue of people waiting for service while the other slowly works the coffee machine. Is there no such thing as customer service anymore?
Finally I shove my breakfast in my bag and climb the escalator to the street ahead. Another mine field as I have to press through the now ever present street trader who is thrusting a free magazine or newspaper into the face of every passer.
I’m now out on the main road where I make a quick left onto a side street and finally, I am alone. My music playing, walking the remaining 10 minutes to my office where I arrive just after 0800. My back is wet, my brow is too despite the chill in the air from the overnight low. The shops are mainly closed at this hour but it’s a peaceful moment in the stressful day. As stressful as this may seem, it’s a dream compared to other offices I occasionally have to work at further into London’s West End and Beyond.
While looking through the schedule yesterday I noticed my three weeks later in the year in Birmingham had been moved. No longer would I be in the Midlands for what I can describe as the "niceties" of the project. When I am provided with a Hotel close to the office and can literally walk to work in less than ten minutes. It’s a pure dream and I arrive stress free. No instead I have been moved to Wimbledon. When I query this I am told, "Don’t you prefer London?". I had to point out that while the City was quite okay, I don’t actually class Wimbledon as London. In fact it is almost about as far away from where I live as you could get. It necessitates me getting off my train after 10 Minutes at Tottenham Hale and fighting my way down on the underground. Despite the fact its only 0730 in the morning and I am boarding a train only 2 stops from the end of the line, it is Standing room only. If you have never been, the London underground is not air-conditioned. The Tunnels and Trains emit heat from friction causing the temperature to rise and as the trains pack fuller and fuller the heat becomes unbearable. Standing for 40 – 50 minutes (If there are no delays) I have to commute to Vauxhall and change for a 20 minute over ground train journey all the way to Wimbledon. Needless to say I was not in the best of moods when I made the call to enquire as to why I had been changed. The lovely lady on Scheduling swapped me forthwith. Phew. A narrow escape.
I’m now dreading the journey in winter. Especially as everyone will be packed into those same trains but wearing bulkier warmer clothes. They cough, they splutter and many do not have the courtesy to even cover their mouths. The germs spread quickly and it is not uncommon for large numbers of any office to go down with influenza at any time. Having said that there is no contingency at work for any sickness.
I may have moaned and groaned in the past about sitting on the M25 for over 2 hours to do just forty miles but at least I have avoided the stress and germs of London Commute. Now all I have to do is last till 6 PM when my reverse journey begins. The only difference being you can actually talk on the return route without the dagger eyes!
I just pray I can move before the end of the year when the weather worsens the journey. To think some people do this everyday of their working life!
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