Another Day, Another Delay

Apparently I am cursed, or at least the woman who sat opposite me on the train home claimed. Each time she sits next to, or opposite me, the train is delayed.

Today, we were sitting on the 17:53 to Eastbourne and Hastings at London Victoria waiting to depart, when the announcement came...

The train is currently being delayed due to a fault with the cab heater at the front of the train. The station engineer is in attendance and we hope to have you underway shortly.

Everyone looked at each other, and some had a quick giggle.

A fatal mistake...

The driver must have heard, as we were then told that the train was being cancelled and taken out of service because of a fault that cannot be rectified.

No mention of a faulty heater this time. It's nice to know they let passengers freeze all winter with no heating, but the driver can't cope with it.

Anyway, we all had to disembark and head over to platform 16 to catch the 18:17 service.

I found James on the train with his new lady friend, so there was some company for me on the way home.

The cancelled train was 12 carriages, this one is only 8 long, and always packed. True to form, it was standing room only for most people.

Unfortunately for us, they were unable to find a driver for the service. When they eventually found one we were over half an hour late.

Conditions on the train were so bad the guard gave a personal apology for the appalling conditions aboard this service this evening.

When we got to Clapham Junction the station announcers were pleading with people who were only going as far as East Croydon not to board the service so those of us with longer journies could get home tonight.

In the end I finally made it home 65 minutes late.