Bloody tubes!

Bloody idiot tube management!

I took the coach into London yesterday. It dropped me off at Marble Arch, so then i travelled right across the central line to meet up with my brother. Later yesterday evening I took the overground in to Liverpool street and the tube right into the west end, then back out again at the end of the evening. That covered a fair bit of london throughout a fair bit of Saturday.

I am a competent tube travellor. i know my way around all the major stations without worry. I do not have to concentrate or search where I am going. I have time to look around me at the people and places and pretty murals.

I was travelling either with my mother or my sister. Both Londoners who use the tubes pretty regularly.

NONE OF US SAW ANY SIGNS suggesting that there was any planned works this weekend.

So when it was time to return to Marble Arch to catch the coach back home again today, I confidently left a full hour to do a 20 minute journey. My mother dropped me off at the station, and even waited while I looked in to see if there were any problems. Nothing. No signs, no tannay announcments. Nothing. I waved goodbye and she drove off as i walked over the footbridge, and paid to go onto the correct platform.

THERE, after I had paid, there was a notice board up telling me that half the central line was not running today due to planned engineering works!

It was too late to go to another station and take a different line. I was stuck with going a couple fo stops then taking the train replacement bus to Stratford. Time was ticking by - I had to wait for the train from the first station, wait for the bus, wait in the traffic.... I thought there might have been a bus from Stratford to Marcle Arch, but apparently not, so I had to wait for the next train to Liverpool Street. It was looking unlikely that i would make it to the coach on time.

I got to Liverpool street and there they had put up a sign telling us that half the whole bloody network was cancelled for planned engineering works! I couldn't get anywhere without at least another few changes. I had no hope of making it anywhere near Marble Arch in time to catch my bus.

I thought about gouing as far west as possible and hitching home, but it was already getting dark and Aggie was not happy with that idea at all, so in the end I trundled around pretty much every bit of London transport that was still working to get to Paddington and caught a train home. It cost £50.

£50 on top of the £30 I had already paid for the coach that i couldn't get to because they couldn't be bothered to put signs up about PLANNED works the day before.

I am VERY VERY VERY pissed of now.