Wednesday, January 16, 2008

First Capital Disconnect

I sometimes consider myself to be a little bit unlucky. Indeed, to paraphrase Shakespeare: "As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; They piss us about for their sport."

Take this evening:
  • I cycle to Kings Cross from Charlotte Street and congratulate myself for reaching the station in time to catch the 18.36 to Welwyn Garden City
  • Find, to my chagrin, that all services in and out of Kings Cross are suspended due to "massive signal failure". I'm told to make my way to Finsbury Park, where services are now terminating and departing.
  • I count myself lucky having my bike with me, as they've closed the tube station at Kings Cross due to overcrowding (no doubt due to the masses of people trying to head north via the underground).
  • Start cycling up Caledonian Road to Finsbury Park, passing kids on mountain bikes trying to destroy a bin by ramming it with their vehicles
  • Get to Holloway Road, thinking that at least I'm getting some extra cardiovascular exercise, and my fucking tyre gets punctured
  • Cursing like a Tourettes sufferer with piles sitting on a spike, I trudge up the Seven Sisters Road to Finsbury Park
  • Get to the station and find police turning passengers away. A copper tells me that no trains at all are running from Finsbury Park. He has no suggestions for what the fuck I do next
  • I see loads of people still getting into station, so nip past police and get to platform
  • The announcer seems as confused as everyone else, but tells us that there IS now a bloody train running from Kings Cross - rendering my cycle ride and walk entirely pointless
  • Fold up bike, train eventually arrives and I join the crush of people desperate to get home. Despite the train already being rammed, we all make it onto the carriage
  • Finally - two hours later - get home
Now, what infuriates me is not this country's crap transport infrastructure, it's the muddled communications and sheer cluelessness of First Capital Connect. I wonder if they're planning to form a partnership with Virgin Media?


3 comments:

Steve said...

If they did at least their "I have no idea what's going on" standard response would be more honest than all the glossy speil that the Virginites come out with...

Dilesh Lalloo said...

It is quite amusing how a mob of confused commuters gathers pace and slowly brews anger from within - usually taking it out on the even more confused rail staff...

BTW - you could have popped in to see Helen & myself in Finsbury park... but you didn't know we lived there did you?

Tristan said...

I'll tell you Dil - it was the Spirit of the Blitz on the platform - we were practically singing Gracie Fields numbers together.

Steve - there was no possible way that even Virgin Media could put a gloss on this fuck-up!