The Very British Struggles of a 20-Something Commuter – #2

Title says it all.

Struggle #1 : Seating Arrangements

Struggle #2: The Lack of Beautiful Objects

Sunday 11th October An attractive man got on the train at Moreton and sat down a few rows down in the same carriage, on an opposite facing seat (i.e. facing me). However, seconds later he got up and moved further down to the far end of the carriage in a seat positioned with its back to me.

Maybe he did not like the seat he was in, maybe he was too stunned by my beautiful looks, but either way way I’ve now lost my eye candy for the train journey. Dam you First Great Western for providing handsome passengers with too much choice over seats.

Life on the Tracks: The Very British Struggles of a 20-Something Commuter

Most weekends I commute from place of life/work, Swindon, to place of family, Mickleton (aka the Cotswolds). On a good weekend the commute can be dull, on a bad day truly awful. No words can explain how felt when my train was delayed on New Year’s Day due to, according to the automated robot announcer, “a member of train staff failing to show for work”. For the record Network Rail no one accepts that excuse for being delayed by 45 minutes. We all know train guard Bob had a few too many gin and tonics the night before and now he’s hungover/pulling a sickie. Just tell me that rather than being so very British and making out that your way of phrasing the delay makes it a valid excuse. It’s not.

As you can see, I get very easily wound up on my weekly commute home. In order to keep myself sane I started to put my observations on digital paper and save them onto my phone. The result, random trails of thought from the mind of a irritated, baffled and bored 20-something trying to stay sane on the commute from Swindon to Honeybourne.

#1

Sunday 7th June: Everyone in this carriage on the train from Didcot Parkway is sitting individually on the paired seats, tending to opt for the window seat. This is indeed a very British train carriage. I like it, I think Network Rail should work on the idea. it’s so quiet maybe I might even finish this chapter of Wild Swans, yay! Oh, actually, should I say yay when accomplishing anything linked to Wild Swans? I mean the main accomplishment with this book is surely “I’ve finished this book and I’m still alive. Sure, I’m a fat bourgeois capitalist, but I’m still alive.” Anyway, gotta get back to reading.

Some of these will be tiny, but I thought I start of with this one.

Ps, on a random note this song was in the pub quiz last night but I’ve had it stuck in my head all day:

MAKE IT STOP!!!