Monday, 21 April 2008

Stand clear of the doors please

This morning my journey to work started quite well. I only had to wait a few minutes for a 486 to take me to North Greenwich, and the bus encountered no traffic and not too many passenger stops. I arrived at North Greenwich and to my delight found a train on platform 2 (the reversible platform where trains which terminate at North Greenwich turn round and go out again). This means that you get a seat (which you won't usually in the rush hour on a train from East London). I got on the train and settled myself down with the Metro. And we sat, and we sat... and several times the PA system encouraged as to "Stand clear of the doors please" and then nothing happened.

After about ten minutes of this the PA system struggled back into life and told us that due to technical difficulties the train was being taken out of service. Cue many moans and groans, and everyone piled back off... to join the throngs already waiting on platform 1. A train came and went without many people being able to get on. Then the station PA crackled into life and announced that the technical difficulties with the train on platform 2 had been resolved and the train was now ready to depart. I wish I'd had a video camera as everyone (literally) ran across the concourse. Barely had we all taken our seats and the doors shut and finally we were off.

What an excellent start to the week, let us hope we are not starting as we mean to go on.