Had to travel by public transport today and leave the car behind. I was petrified. It wasn't just a normal trip down the jubilee line ... it was a tube ride, followed by a train ride, followed by a bus ride to get to Kingston. Tried my utmost to get out of this meeting but was glad I went in the end.
Watching the news every day leaves you with a sense of loneliness in London and a "they are all weirdo's and violent maniacs out there" attitude. So the prospect of having to travel on public transport was a little menacing at first. After my panic attack subsided, I mapped out my journey and figured that if I dropped Zoo off early and got to Wembley Park by 8.10am, then I'd be fine.
Of course I didn't plan that my alarm wouldn't go off, or that it was an event day and I couldn't get parked within two miles of Wembley Park tube. So I returned home and running already 20 minutes late prepared myself mentally for a bus ride. Had to ring Cream for moral support and to check which bus I needed and had to cough up an astounding £2. (Yes I know ... before you mention Oyster, I have two good reasons not to use one ... 1. I safely stored my Oyster card somewhere so I wouldn't lose it and now no longer know where it is, and 2. Work will only reimburse travel expenses with a ticket and receipt.)
Anyhow I nervously got on the bus and realised I had no idea where it would drop me off and tried to catch the eyes of the sanest looking person on the bus. Found one girl who was prepared to meet with my eye and she even politely removed her headphones to check what I was muttering about.
At the station, after having been disgusted by the cost of the 20 minute bus ride, I almost fainted at the £13.50 cost of a return, but managed to get onto the platform and into Waterloo in what seemed like no time. I jumped onto South West trains and again nervously checked I was going in the right direction and finally reached Surbiton where a very nice rail employee directed me to the busstop that I needed and the lovely bus driver provided me with a lengthy but accurate detail of where I should get off as several passengers patiently waited to scan their oyster cards behind me.
Having arrived at my destination with 10 minutes to spare, I contemplated how people took similar journeys every day to work and just what a sheltered life I lived with my ten minute solo commute to work.
On the journey back home, I had summonsed up enough courage to strike up a conversation with an elderly lady, a Japanese tourist and a suited commuter whilst we all waited for the 83 bus. I probably spoke to more people that day than I had in the last month and it was actually a pleasurable experience. So if you spot a crazy woman on public transport asking for directions, it could well be me!!
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