Monday, July 05, 2004
Days 13 and 14 - These things always happen to me
Well, its Monday morning here in Manchester and I wanted to give you all an update on my trip to Oxford and my Sunday in Manchester. I was just able to send out the Weblog for last week, since the internet has once again decided to visit our lovely college. Sorry for the delay?
Speaking of delays. In the year I have been coming to Manchester I have made three previous trips to Oxford. Its my hang out place ? love the museums, the cathedrals, and bookstores, the food, the pubs. I love going there, even though I had always taken the first train out in the morning (5:15) and it meant some rather expensive taxi rides. Not this time though, I was smart. I booked the 715 train out. Plenty of time to take the bus or intra-city train (which was down for repairs until last Friday). So, I awoke at 5:20, showered, packed, and said goodbye to Phil (since he was heading home that day) and headed out at 6:15. An hour to get to downtown, a mere 4 miles away. No problem?.
Problem. First, I waited for a bus (they were supposed to be running starting at 6). Well, yes they were, but unknown to me many of the bus companies in town have had problems with their unions, and the drivers have been performing a slowdown this year to bring about new negotiations. So? 6:20, 6:30, 6:35. Panic set in. I decided I had better sprint down to the train platform and catch the next train to downtown. I ran (in my dress shoes ?ouch), umbrella out (it was pouring, of course) the mile to the train platform. Run up the platform?no train. I wait, I wait. 7am, no train. Oh boy. Turns out they had some electrical issues that morning in restarting the line (don?t they test these things before they say they are ?in-service??), so, consequently, the first train did not run that morning until 7:30. Back I ran, past bustop and bustop, trying to catch the first bus I could. 7:10, 7:15?7:20. I had missed my train.
Now in years past, I would have started kicking things, hitting myself upside the head for being such a poor planner (Didn?t help that I could not access the internet Friday night to figure out alternative plans like I normally do). But, no, I just started laughing. I had been out on the street walking for over an hour, and was exactly where I had started, my train had left, and now I was wet, sweaty, and still in need of a bus. You just have to laugh. Oh well, bad starts usually turn around quickly. So, I caught the first bus I saw (the expensive line which had great relations with their drivers), and headed downtown. Arrived at 8am, checked in with the Virgin trains people. I had two options, a train leaving at 822 that had a layover in Stafford or the 915 direct (which is much quicker). So, I paid the 15 pound fee to rebook, and decided for the 915 train.
Time to relax. Not too much damage done. At 905 I walked to platform 8 to await my train. 9:10, 9:15, 9:20? still no train. Turns out the train broke down just outside the station yard. So, delayed til 9:50. The bring the train in, try and get it running?Nope ? train cancelled!!! GreatJ So, I go back to the Virgin train booth and try and re-ticket for Monday so I can get a full day. No can do they tell me, since it was not my original train that was cancelled. Now what. I get in line, meet with the nice man who tried to replan my ticket. Turns out that having stood in the other line, I missed the 10:22 train that goes to Stafford, that, after a wait, would have gotten me into Oxford at 1:15. I missed it by 1 minute!!! So, we replan, skipping the 11:15 (which does not go to Oxford, but does go to Stafford) because I would have a longer wait in Stafford, and we plan on the 11:22 going to Stafford, and then the 1:00 train to Oxford, arriving at 2:37. Well, at this point, that means four hours lost and only six hours in Oxford, but, what are you going to do. So I took it, and went to find my platform (5). Waited. Train was there, but not open yet. Then at 11:12 I heard, ?The next train on Platform 5, Great Northern to Stafford, has been cancelled.? No, this cannot be happening. There is no way this is happening. So, I look at the screen. The 11:15 that goes to Stafford is still in the station on platform 13 (about half a mile up some stairs). I run, as fast as I can. Get to platform 13. The train is still there. I run to the train?.doors close and the train leaves. Can you believe it!!!! Like I said, these things just seem to happen to me.
So from there I go back to the main terminal. And what do I see? People loading on Platform 5. And the stewards getting ready to close up the train. I run, hop on (assuming this is still the same train), and discover that the announcement was made in error because there is a system wide computer problem that is randomly cancelling trains. I made the train by two minutes, sat down, and was pleased that nothing else could go wrong on this trip.
Arrived in Stafford with 20 minutes to spare before my train to Oxford. Checked the screens, saw that it was platform 2. Sat around, waited. Noticed this nice train on Platform 6. Wait, that?s my train. They had changed platforms and forgot to announce it to anyone. So, off I ran, carrying an older ladies luggage for her since she too was caught unawares, and with literally one minute to spare, made my train to Oxford. Whoo Hooo! I would be there at 2:37, with plenty of time to see the sights I wanted to see.
Well, that assumes that the train yard controller doesn?t accidentally let a freight train on in front of your speedy train, causing us to reduce speed to something a little over a crawl. Finally, at 3:09, finally I was in Oxford. Now that is a trip.
So, now I had five and a half hours to have fun, but most of the city closes by 5. So, I went on power tourist mode. I was in and out of places in ten minutes, being reduced to doing the fast scanning of my eyes to see as much as I could. Wait, have to pick up some gifts ? quick dive into this shop and that shop. Cant miss out on going to Blackwells Bookstore ? quick scan through their incredible collection of theology books (and the purchase of a book of the Prayers of Anselm). Over to the Bird and the Baby for a pint (cant drink too fast or will get light headed), back on a bus for a quick tour of the outer parts of the college, into an Irish pub to grab some ?chips? and a pint, quick sprint to the train station, and back on the train I went. Whew.
The train ride back was smooth, except for the poor man whose one-year old would not stop crying the entire trip. I felt bad for him, because he was doing everything he could and stayed very calm (Carribean man, who had his bible with him ? guess he is not from the SouthJ), but there is no way to rest with a screaming baby (made me miss my own squiggle buns as well).
Arrived in Manchester, walked down to the bus terminal and? can you believe it, plenty of buses. Waited for a 41 bus since I didn?t want to walk the half-mile from the stop to our dorm (41 drops you off much closer), but the driver was having trouble setting his little sign that is on top of the bus, so it took a few minutes for him to take passengers. Got on board, went to the top, and got to experience night life in Manchester up close. Lots of drunk young people on and off. Nice purple hair, nice gothic clothing, nice making out in the seat next to me. Never was I so glad to be back in my dorm room.
Sunday was much quieter and much smoother. Ran into one of the other students here and his wife at church (he?s an American from Idaho who choose to live here for his Phd, though they are going back to the states next year). Was filled in on ins and outs of life in Manchester (his wife, who has her doctorate in performance piano is forced to work at a Hallmark type store here in town, and hears all about ?life? from her young co-workers). Back to school after lunch for studying (good prosperous time for once), then a quick run, watch the finals of the Euro Cup (Greece won 1-0, the biggest upset in the history of European soccer tournaments, before this tournament Greece had never won an international tournament match before). Then back to my room for a little study and light out.
So, the moral of this weblog is?hire a taxi, pay the ten pounds and get to your train as early as you can. Never trust a bus system when you have to be somewhere. And never listen to the announcements at train stations.
One more weblog before I head back (Tuesday night I will send you one) and then Wednesday I fly home!!!! Start praying now. Given my travel woes so far this trip, I may not be home til Friday!
Manchester • Summer 2004 • (6) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
