The new commute: first impressions…

Again, I haven’t made my mind up about any of this, and it will likely evolve as it becomes the new norm. Initially though…

This morning the body clock woke me up at my usual time of about 6.15am and I lay there (no eggs though) just thinking how bizarre it felt to be somewhere other than “home”. That doesn’t apply to Little Place Without A Name just yet. I got up at 7.15 and that also felt totally weird as I used to leave my house at 7.10 to walk down to Little City Central. Even with the addition of make up to the pre-leaving-house routine, I was done and ready to go at 7.33 when I slumped in front of BBC Breakfast news. (I hadn’t been able to shake my usual routine of showering/bathing in the evening last night, although it is clear that time in the mornings is unlikely to be an issue provided I keep on my Little City body clock so the morning shower looks set to become a part of it). As I caught sight of the time on the screen I involuntarily thought of my Commuter Friends in Carriage 4 and wondered how they were. I imagined My Train a third of the way between Little City Central and the next stop up where all The Suits get on and pack it out. I wondered if Sun Man was sitting with Lady and if they were chattering away. Perhaps they had even commented about me not being there anymore? Perhaps he had said that he saw me on my last commute to Little City on Tuesday? Perhaps they miss me being around, even the tiniest bit? Probably not.

Watching telly in the morning is a strange thing. I only put it on to fill time. I never had the time to even do that before as I would drag out the time in bed until the Very Last Minute and then dash around in a state of controlled chaos (as when these chaotic mornings become Just Routine it is somewhat controlled). I have decided I hate the man on Breakfast because he is just wooden and makes stupid comments like an Embarrassing Dad might. And the woman said some pretty ditzy things that made her look daft and I wondered what had happened to serious BBC news reporting. Still, it’s better than the rubbish on ITV.

By 8am I was bored. Really bored. I know that I probably don’t need to leave the house until 8.10 or 8.15 (how late is that!!! Usually at 8.10 we are somewhere between Amazingstoke and Woking!). The Transport Planner ran down the stairs at 8am and said he was off and I figured I may as well walk down to the station at Little Place Without A Name with him. Plus I had visions of my Oyster card not working (not talking to someone to buy it, and the confusion surrounding “picking up” the travelcard had resulted in complete lack of trust in it) so I wanted to have time to get mad at it and buy a (good old) paper ticket if needs be.

But the Oyster card (in its trendy wallet, only the best for my Oyster card – and I am still hoping El Pres gets me a uni wallet so that I can remember Little City everytime I use it!) worked just fine. This will take getting used to. I had a rather cool wiggle going on when I used my paper ticket. I would let it get sucked into the machine and as I collected it from where it is spat out at the top and walked through I would kinda turn my body to the left as well so that I didn’t bash myself on the gate on the walk through. It is hard to describe but it worked, and it always felt cool to do as well. So, yeah, no card problems.

The Transport Planner and I joined the crowd going up to the platform. You know, I haven’t even noticed if we go in from 1 or 2?! I ought to check that. The Metro is also available at the station at Little Place Without A Name so I could pick it up there. I didn’t today though. I wanted to minimise the changes, although small details like that wouldn’t make much difference. Difference? ALL of it is different!

The thing that really struck me about the journey in was that it all feels so much faster, so much more hectic. Ok, it is a shorter journey and it takes half the time. But what I mean is: everything feels very bam bam bam! Done! Go there! Go here! Do that! Do this! Run here! Bosh bosh bosh! Get me? The entire journey has the same crazy hectic feel that my old commute only had on the tube stretch. The old train journey with its seats and civilised Commuter Friends, the quiet, the air con, all seems leisurely and almost luxurious. That isn’t to say that today’s journey was bad. It wasn’t. It was very easy indeed. It just felt different. Different is the word of the day.

The walk to the station is 10 minutes. That is around abouts the same as the old walk. At Little City I usually had a three minute wait for the train to rock in and then a ten minute sit while the rear portion arrived, was connected and deemed safe, before we rolled out. At Little Place Without A Name we got to the platform just as a train was pulling off. No big deal, the next one was due just 3 minutes later.

Although not quite as well-defined as at Little City, those waiting on the platform do seem to start to group in little pockets near where doors stop. Not knowing where the best place to stop was, we took a guess. Or rather, I stopped and The Transport Planner (who is new to commuting full stop so probably hasn’t even thought about the need for A Spot) stopped next to me. This place turned out to be a goodish spot because when we arrived at Busiest UK Station and I had to change trains the carriage drew up right next to the stairs to the other platforms.

I dashed over the bridge (less busy than the underpass) to the next platform along and straight onto a train to New Mainline Station (shall I name it or not!?). I was off the other end and through the gates onto the Perilous Concourse (waaaaay worse than at Waterloo) by 8.30. And, as I said, I left the house at 8am!!!!!!!! At 8.30 I am usually around Surbiton! I got to the office at 8.39. As I said, I am not sure what to make of this early morning stuff. At 8.39 I am supposed to be going through Busiest UK Station (just one platform over from where I get off the Little Place Without A Name train!). I think this calls for at least an extra ten minutes at home in the morning, possibly 15. I could probably do 20 but then there is a greater chance of being late and after 11 months of being 10 mins late practically every day, I think a bit of effort is now required.

Anyway, I think I might move further up the platform at Little Place Without a Name tomorrow so that I am nearer the front of the train. Then I will use the underpass at Busiest UK Station (even though the bridge is relatively quicker as it is less congested) and will therefore be nearer the front of the second train. I want to be nearer the front because maybe I will feel less like a cow in a cattle market. That is a really big difference. Getting off a long-distance commuter service sees people walk fast, yes, but it doesn’t feel crazy like it did today. I was quite near the back of the train and ahead I could just see a mass of Office Workers walking along at the same speed, doing the same thing as always. I really missed what I was used to but I am finding it hard to explain how it was different. It was more than a different place, there’s a different atmosphere entirely.

And the new Commuter Friends? I didn’t really look at these Aliens at my new station. It was confusing enough as it was, and as I will probably be going later in future, it wouldn’t matter anyway. But the volume of people travelling from Little Place Without A Name on that one train I got suggests that the rapid movement out means that I probably will have a lot more trouble defining new people to class in that category. I think we are talking several weeks. I am also thinking that I might need to, once in a while, get the train straight through to Waterloo rather than changing. That way, if I time it right, I may get to see Sun Man at his usual spot at the end of the Jubilee platform. I know that may be odd, but it might be comforting, even if it would be a bit of a mission.