13 Feb - What's a connecting service? Physical Abuse, and Getting Tired

Another bad day. I am so tired that I have just made my gin and tonic in a wine glass. Things are getting bad.

Caugth the 0612 Bath-Padders train, but had to get off at Swindon to catch the 0649 to Padders train as it stopped at Didcot. I didn't really want to get off at Swindon as carriage B was an old First Class carriage and I enjoyed having an extra-wide chair and table all to myself! However, after having got off at Swindon the 0649 was delayed by a few mins and we were slowed down on the track for a while. So of course, yet again, we missed the 0714 from Didcot to Oxford. So, yet again, we had to wait for 40 mins for the next train to Oxford. 40 mins! Yes, 40 mins. What, although Oxford is only 12 miles away and it is rush hour? Yes, it is only 12 miles away, I could probably cycle it quicker, and it is rush hour.

While we were in Didcot, we bumped into DT and he told us that someone had nearly barged him off the platform at Bath while he was trying to get on a train. Apparently, everyone was moving slowly towards the door and as DT approached the door, someone pushed him from behind. DT called him an idiot, which he obviously was, but fortunately, there were no fisty-cuffs.

I also found time to write to the station manager asking him to hold the 0714 for the 0649 from Swindon in the hope that that connection may one day work.

So I arrived at work 45 mins late - again.

Journey home was not as bad. 1653 from Oxford to Didcot then 1741 to Bath. And the 1721 from Oxford connected with it today (I could tell by the stream of latecomers on to the train who were slightly out of breath).


---

Journey to work punctuality: 83%, 33/40
Journey home punctuality: 77%, 31/40

---

FGW alerts:
0544 H'ford to Padd cancelled, train fault. 0710 Bri TM to Padd cancelled, train fault. 0752 Oxf to Padd cancelled, staff sickness. (There seems to be a lot of staff sickness in this half-term week.)
Full advertised service. No problems reported. (What nobody's sick or there's no train fault?)