Posted: Sun 17 December, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Travel, Work-related |
Tomorrow, I’m in a two-day training course. In Poole.
So tonight I’m meeting up with the colleague that I’m attending the first two days with – it’s a conglomeration of courses, with my stuff being Monday & Tuesday, hers being Monday Tuesday and Wednesday, with the other two people in the team coming for Tuesday and Wednesday’s courses. She’s got another appointment first, so I won’t be leaving Cambridge ’til at least 10pm, if not 10.30.
The AA’s routefinder reckons it’ll take me three hours to do the journey – and at that time of night, it’d better take me a bit less than that.
All the same, things will be quiet here for the next couple of days…
Posted: Sat 16 December, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Travel, Work-related |
Oh dear, oh dear. I’m at a course in Poole on Monday and Tuesday, and have hired a car that’ll get me and a colleague down there on Sunday night.
Avis have given me….
A Renault Laguna Estate. 2.0L.
Oh dear, oh dear. I’m going to have fun.
Posted: Tue 12 December, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Travel, Work-related |
What a day.
Left at 7.55, and got to Cambridge fine, then paid for my ticket in one of the ticket machnes. Transaction authorised, and ten the fucking machine kept my bastard card. No reason – other than that the machine was buggered.
Luckily the train I wanted was also delayed, so I still caught it, and spent some of the journey calling the credit card company, telling them that the card was ‘lost’. (i.e. I knew precisely where it was, I just couldn’t get to the bugger) And then I noticed that the stylus for my phone was gone.
It’s been one of those days, really.
At the end of it, I left in plenty of time to get the train back to Cambridge, and then a connecting one to home. Got there with tons of time to spare, got on the tube train, and stood there for twenty minutes. So I missed the train I wanted, ended up getting to Cambridge at 6.15, and then the next train wasn’t til 7.25.
So eventually got home at 8.15pm. Knackered – and definitely one of those days…
Posted: Tue 12 December, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Travel, Work-related |
There’s not going to be much posted here today. I’m away from the office (again) for a meeting in London, so it’s all going to be a bit quiet.
And do I expect the meeting to be productive? Do I bollocks.
Still, it makes for a fairly easy day…
Posted: Mon 11 December, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 1BEM, Cynicism, Travel |
Look, dear, if you’re really cold enough to be wearing a big long fluffy scarf, and Ugg® boots, don’t you think it might help to not be wearing a top that’s leaving your belly and both shoulders bare, and no jacket?
After all, how shall I put this delicately, it does make you look like a bit of a fuckwit.
Posted: Fri 8 December, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Customer Services, Cynicism, Travel, Weirdness |
Can someone tell me, just what is the point of buying a first class ticket when you’re on a regional train?
I can understand it (up to a point) on the big long cross-country jobs – I used to take advantage of club class, first voyager, or whatever the feck they called it when I was travelling reguarly between Manchester and Reading, because most of the time it was the only way to guarantee getting a seat. Even better, it was normally a seat that wasn’t dead opposite a squealing child, or some mad git trying to talk to everyone. And you make sure you take advantage of the free snacky things and so on that come as part of the “benefits” of ‘first class’ when you have to pay that much extra, so it kind of works out. (well, it doesn’t, but if you get enough freebies off them, you can almost convince yourself it’s worth paying double the price – and having a seat for four+ hours is a definite advantage over standing for the entire journey.)
But when it comes to the small regional trains, the only difference between first and standard class is that you’re in a different spot on the train. There’s absolutely no extra benefit. Well, maybe again you get a seat – but on all the services I’ve used of late (whether it’s London – Bracknell, Cambridge-London, or Cambridge-Attleborough) have all had free “normal” seats.
So what is the point of the first class bit on these little local services? Other than, of course, to fleece egotistical twats who think it makes them special, and to fill the coffers of yet another train company? </cynicism>
Posted: Tue 5 December, 2006 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Getting Organised, Travel, Work-related |
Well, all is back to normal. I’m back in work, having done the commute from Attleborough for the first time.
It’s an hour long, but it’s not too bad, and gives me plenty of time to geek out on the laptop, or read a book. There’s There are worse ways to wake up…