Weather and public transport RANT!!!

So here we are, in mid-late January. The last five days in London (and much of the country) have been characterised by varying degrees of snow, ice and plunging temperatures. Kids love it - I don't. While all the main roads in our locality are well gritted and usable, sadly the same cannot be said of the side roads where we live, where pavements remain covered in snow and the side roads themselves are like sheet ice. Sheet ice = dropped bike, so this has meant that my beloved steed stays put and I have to resort to the horror that is public transport to get to and from work. So far, I've had three days of it and I have to say, an end to this weather cannot come quickly enough.

My journey to work consists of a 2-mile bus ride to the end of the tube line. From there it's a straight run up into Central London. With changes, it takes an average of 90 minutes to do. So that's about three hours a day - for a journey of 14 miles each way! On the bike, it takes a third of the time.

I topped up my Oyster travelcard yesterday (Monday) with £30.00. If this weather continues, that'll be gone by Thursday. But cost aside, I just find public transport in the London rush hour a thoroughly dispiriting experience. This morning the queue for the bus was 13 deep. The first bus that came along was packed to the rafters, so didn't stop. Wait for the next one then....

The tube trains have also been rammed each day. Fortunately, being at the end of the line, I do manage to get a seat. Others further up the line are not so fortunate - if they manage to get on at all. People are rude, they push and shove, they cough all over you, batter you with their rucksacks, the trains are dirty and full of stale air and germs and people just look so bloody miserable all the time - as well they might, it's a horrible horrible experience.

                                  
                                 THIS ISN'T LIVING!!!!!!!

                            WHY DO PEOPLE DO IT????
                                   
                                 I HATE IT, I HATE IT!!!!
                
                 AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
  
PS. On arriving home tonight I find that it's 'effin snowing....AGAIN!!