A week of commuting

I'm now a week into my new job and thoroughly enjoying it.  Now that I've done the boring-but-important things of health and safety training (fire exits are here, here and here, don't stand on a chair on a table to change a light fitting), equality and diversity training (be kind to others) and had lots of paperwork photocopied and verified, I'm looking forward to the proper work starting in earnest next week.

My journey to work involves 50 minutes on a train each way.  All the jobs I've had before have been pretty much within walking distance of my home so I thought it might take a bit of getting used to, but so far, so good.  A friend posted a link to this Guardian article about commuting and I'm determined to use these commuting hours wisely!  Some early thoughts on this commuting lark so far, which I'm not claiming to be entirely scientific:
  • It is worth getting up 10 minutes earlier to ensure I get the earlier train which has fewer people on than the later train.  This means I tend to have two seats (two!) to myself until a couple of stops before the final station, at which point I may occasionally have someone sit next to me.
  • I'm always annoyed when I've used train stations and people have reached the ticket barriers without having their tickets ready, thus creating a bit of a queue.  I thought commuters would be different - in theory, people who commute by train go through ticket barriers twice a day, five days a week, and for my work station I've never seen the ticket barriers not be in use.  So surely commuters would be ready with their tickets.  But no, every day there are people not ready with their tickets.  These people are clearly dressed for work, and I'm beginning to recognise faces.  Be prepared! Have your ticket ready! It will be quicker for everyone.
  • I know everyone is in a rush, I know we all have to get to work/want to be home, but THERE IS NO ROOM FOR YOU ON THE TRAIN UNLESS YOU LET THE PEOPLE ON THE TRAIN GET OFF THE TRAIN!  I get the train going to/from London and my work station is the final destination - everyone has to get off the train.  So let them get off before you try to barge your way on.  Barging does not help anyone.
  • On the outward journey, more people are on their phones/tablets and reading paper documents than they are on the return journey, when more people are reading books.  I like this distinction, that in the morning people are preparing for work whereas in the evening they're winding down.  
  • The preferred type of book appears to be popular fiction.  Nothing too high brow and very little non-fiction.
  • Rob, I don't know where Dave is.  No one in this carriage knows where Dave is.  I am sorry he is going to be late, again, for your meeting, but yes, at least this time you're running late too!  I hope the person you're shouting at on the phone has located Dave by now and I also hope there aren't the technical difficulties you experienced last time when you met in that Premier Inn.  But I do wish you'd expand on 'technical difficulties', don't leave us with only half a story!
  • To the man who complained about his boss, quite loudly, in a very negative way, you may want to have such conversations in private - I could see your name and company logo on your staff ID card you were still wearing and I did a quick google, finding your department, your line manager, and the company senior management team.  Perhaps be careful, as you never know who is listening! 
Ah, commuting.  A whole new world!

Comments

  1. Haha, I love this. In always amazed at how loudly people will complain about personal issues in such a public space. Especially that man still wearing his work id... Did he not worry that other people on the train might also work there?!

    I hope things get even better for you next week when you can get more fully stuck in xx

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    1. I know, it did make me laugh! People seem to forget that they're in public, and that if they're wearing uniform/staff ID/other identifying feature then really they're still representing their company and should be professional!

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  2. This made me laugh lots - people who don't let passengers get off before they get on drive me mad. And don't get me started on mobile phone conversations....
    Also, I'm so glad the job is going well :)

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    1. Thank you! I'm looking forward to being able to get stuck into it properly, now that my identity has been verified and I've been granted access to things! I don't understand why people don't just wait a few seconds for people to disembark - and I guess I never will!

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  3. I've been commuting for my job this year and my tops tips are always carry knitting and a paperback! Your Rob and Dave bit made me giggle - so true!! Hope you have a good second week! X

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    1. Thank you! My current knitting and crochet projects are too big for commuting, but I'm hoping the birthday fairy will bring sock wool later on this month and socks I think will be the perfect commuting project!

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  4. The people on the platform not letting those on the train off is a personal bugbear. And while we're on the subject, don't let my child off the bus/train, then let them go. That is not helpful!

    Hope your second week is going well.

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    1. The train I got this evening arrived eight minutes before it was due to depart and clearly there would be enough seats for the number of people waiting on the platform. Yet STILL people pushed on. Patience! We're not going to get home any quicker as the train isn't leaving for seven and a half more minutes!

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