Sunday 1 April 2007

return ticket

I had a lovely and fun time in london with group of fellow bloggers. But I had to leave early to catch the last train home which would take a couple of hours. This journey began quite uneventfully as the train pulled out of the station it was quite full. I text HMU that I was on the train going home but there was nothing exciting to look at. It only took half an hour before we had to leave our train and board a coach for the remainder of the journey. None of the coaches had signs saying where they were going. Eventually I reached the coach at the top of the rank. No driver in sight......someone asked the passengers already on board where the coach was going. Glasgow they said. finally a south west rail employee appeared he confirmed that this coach was going to the right place. But he had no idea where the driver was. There was a group of around a dozen men in their early to mid twenties, who kept getting on and off the coach with cans of beer in hand. Finally we have a driver and we set off in the general direction of home. By this time it was 12.25am, had I been driving I could have been home from there by about 1.15am. we had not been travelling much more than five minutes before I heard the driver cursing (I was only about 3 rows back). He slammed on the brakes and we skidded to a halt. he was angry that there was an argument going on at the rear of the coach. He called out that he wanted all the group at the back off his coach or he would call the police. The group at the back made it clear that it was just one guy who was causing a nuisance to the rest of them. He ordered them to get rid of their beer cans. One guy came down to the front and threw 2 cans out onto the grass verge. I knew there were other beer cans asI had seen them earleir. the fraccas at the back settles down and we are off again. but not for long. Another screech of brakes and this time someone had lit a cigarette. We move off again so presumably the offending cigarette has been exstinguished. Next we pull into a petrol station. The driver orders all those at the back to get off his coach or he will call the police. One man comes down to the front reiterating that it is just one man. either he has to get off the coach or they all do. the lads all get off but begin fighting each other as the driver walks away mobile in hand. the fighting lads manage to persuade their mate that he needs the police to get him home. Once the police have arrive the driver returns to take us the rest of the way. The next part of our journey was fairly quiet compared to the start of itself. We reach the next station where I ahd expected to catch another train but there were no other trains the coach would take us the rest of the way. there was some confusion as there were two coaches one going directt o the end of the line and the one I was on which would be stopping. There was some toing and froing as peopel got on the right coach, while this was happening the driver was talking a to the police who were waiting at the station when we arrived. there had been trouble on both coaches. When at last everything has settled down we set off again. We have gone perhaps 2 minutes down the road when we find we are in the tesco carpark (driver got lost). More heckling but nothing major. another mile or so and we stop again!! Someone at the back has lit a cigarette and is odered to leave the coach. He doesnt want any burn marks or any of his passengers injured. A man sitting across the aisle from me probably in his late 50s suggests that maybe the driver could have a little patience and just get the guy to put the cigarette out as it has been a long night and wea ll just want to get home. This sparks an argument between driver and this passenger who is not happy he has been working since 3pm and had to clean up sick as well as having a fight on his coach. By now it was nearly 2pm. The argument lasts a few minutes then he simmers down and we continue our journey in peace. Finnally I get to my station and make my way home it was 2.45am when I walked though my door. I suspect that by that time the rest of the bloggers I had spent the evening with were fast asleep. I was wide awake so logged onto pc. I had been online about 5 minutes if that when my mentor - The man with a secret came online we chatted for a while. He is very sad which makes me feel bad for him, I try to be supportive and hopefully make him feel a little better.

4 comments:

S said...

good grief! I would drive next time!
glad you had a good time though:)

Anonymous said...

I thought that I had quite an interesting train journey home...until I read that little lot.

Ordinary Girl said...

Blimey! Not a good end to a good night! Though more details about the night please Lady :-)

Anonymous said...

what a nightmare, shame I could not make it, would love to have met you,
you will have to stay over next time,
wink, wink, x