Commuting, commuting commuting.
What is it that makes people lose all common sense, regard for others, manners and any sign of happiness when they commute. Do they purposely get up late every morning so they have to run at every leg of their journey. Perhaps they constantly forget to set their alarm clocks when they go to bed, so they have to arrange their clothes and do their make up while on the bus. Just what is it about commuters that seems to transform them from perfectly normal, cheerful human beings into high speed growling monsters.
Ive been working in the city (no I haven't become an evil banker or high powered business man, just an office tea boy ;-) ) for almost a month, commuting for the first time in my life by public transport. The first day I tried the train but since then I've opted for tube and bus. I get up at just before six and I'm out of the door by seven. In this time I will often iron my shirt, make my lunch, have a shower (calm down ladies) get boogie out of her cot, make her milk and my dear wife's morning coffee. I am still at the bus stop by just after 7, on the tube by half past and walking into work by 5 to 8. Yet on my journey I see, on a daily basis, people running from the bus stop to the tube station, pouncing down the escalator and diving onto the train. Even ramming their arm into the tube doors to stop them closing. WHY?!
My journey takes me up the northern line from Tooting Broadway to the Embankment. Sometimes, as some of you will know, I will have to change at Kennington where the Northern line splits into two. At this point it is not uncommon to see people charge out of the doors of one tube and run as fast as they can to the other tube in order to get a seat, EVEN IF THEY ARE GETTING OF AT THE NEXT STOP!!!!!!!
The crazy thing is people will cram onto the first train they can even if it means they have to change at Kennington, while I always check the board to see where the next train is going and if that one goes past Embankment then I will wait for that one. Now this one will arrive usually 2 to 3 minutes after the one Ive opted not to get on and guess what. I always get a seat, and their are always seats left when it leaves the station. On my morning journey the only place I usually have to stand is when I catch the District line from Embankment to Temple , 1 stop so even if their was a seat I wouldn't use it.
The journey back is even more ridiculous. On the short jump from Temple to Embankment I always stand as I do in the morning, but then the fun begins. As I wait for the Northern line train the platform slowly gets more crowded, but never to the point where we can barely move. When the train arrives it usually only goes as far as Kennington where everyone must change. But, if you check the board the train that goes all the way is usually only a few minutes behind so, like in the morning, if its on the board I wait. While I'm standing their the train will arrive and I'll watch as people cram themselves into the train like sardines in a tin, pushing and shoving and ramming their news papers in people faces. I always find it baffling why people step on the train and immediately stand right there instead of moving down the carriage. Why do they do this? They could be going all the way to the end and yet they will stand right by the door causing people to squeeze by them when they get off and others to squeeze past them as they get on. Any way, I digress.
So there they are shoving and pushing to get on a train that most of them will have to change from anyway once they reach Kennington. I on the other hand, exercising a little patience, wait for the train that goes all the way and 9 out of 10 times I will walk right into a seat when it arrives. So this leads me to ask the question, why do people feel the need to rush like idiots when they commute??
In the morning I get up just over an hour before I leave, patiently travel to work and always get their on time. On an evening I have to get home in time to pick Boogie up from nursery, does this mean i rush like a deranged lunatic, hell no. I travel with patience once again and always get to the nursery with at least 20 minutes to spare. So what is it that I am doing differently to everyone else? and Why don't they change the way they travel? I mean people seem so stressed out in the morning, running from here to their, pushing and shoving any body that gets in their way. All that stress and they haven't even got to work yet, what the hell are they like when they finish work? Especially if it has been a stressful day for them.
So to finish off.
If you have to commute, if your stuck using public transport to get to and from work every day then don't be a moron. Don't get stressed out before your day has even started. If you don't have enough time in the morning then just set your alarm a few minutes earlier. If you feel like you must push and shove your way through the journey home then just stop and question why, your home will still be there if you arrive 10 minutes later that usual. The food won't go off if your 20 minutes late in starting to cook your tea. Your kids aren't going to abandon you if your a little later that you used to be. The world won't end if you decide to just take things a little slower. In short, RELAX, its not the end of the world. In a 100 years no body's going to give a damn if you suddenly decide to take it easy and enjoy the journey, hell no body is going to care next week never mind in 100 years.
So here's wishing a good journey to you all.
Till next time....
The Voice has spoken
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