Morning on the Underground

[caddyman]

I have developed a philosophical disagreement with the flangehaddocks that run the Northern Line. Their definition of a ‘good service’ and my definition of a ‘good service’ diverge quite markedly.

For instance, this morning I was waiting on the platform at Totteridge and Whetstone as is my wont, surrounded by a crowd of bemused commuters that was rather larger than the time of morning might suggest to the unwary who know not the ways of London Underground Ltd. The indicator suggested that a Morden train may happen along in about nine minutes and a further nine after that a second train, possibly to Kennington, might chance by. The Morden train became a Kennington train and then switched between the two possible destinations a couple of times before settling on splitting the difference and not going further than East Finchley.

While this miracle of scheduling was taking place, the time indicator went blank for five minutes before hesitantly suggesting that the train might condescend to arrive in seven minutes. That didn’t fool me; I noticed that in switching to a useless destination, the controller had surreptitiously added a further three minutes to my wait as the second train was maintaining the same respectful time delay period behind that one.

While undertaking this little piece of not-so-subtle legerdemain, the cheerful but barely comprehensible little Indian announcer had the audacity, not once, but three times, to state baldly (and I assume with a straight face) that a good service was running on all London Underground lines.

The thirteen mile commute took an hour and a half from door to door.

Comments

[budgie-uk.livejournal.com]

announcer had the audacity, not once, but three times, to state baldly (and I assume with a straight face) that a good service was running on all London Underground lines.

As I've said before, but whenever I hear a tannoy announcement on the London Underground saying

There is a normal underground service operating on all lines.

I fully expect to immediately then hear:

We apologise for the inconvenience.

[mathcathy]

That's still better than the 1 hour and 56 minutes that the transport planners suggest is my quickest public transport route to cover the 9.5 miles from my home to the new site.

And that is 1 hr 56 without any delays.