Terrorise the Traveller 16.01.07

Robbie had a bad start this morning, he rang me before 7am to say that he was on a bus to Coventry as the line is blocked. What a joyless experience that will be!! I had the misfortune of travelling by coach to Coventry last year during the 'Terrorise the Traveller' initiative (otherwise known as the summer timetable!). We went on a stinky old bus, packed in next to the weirdest selection of passengers imaginable, with a loud and uncouth driver whose sole ambition was to enter the Guinness Book of Records by provoking motion sickness in every single passenger during a single journey. When we arrived at Coventry we parked in the station car park for 25 minutes before continuing our journey to New Street. It was such a drab and dreary and god forsaken dump that I longed to get away, even the prospect of arriving at New Street was inviting in compression - and I detest New Street! I had always wondered why the people who get off the train at Coventry look so gloomy and depresses, having travelled through that bleak and desolate landscape by coach I can only guess how miserable it must be to live there. I know some people say that parts of it are nice, but I have seen quite enough to make me give Coventry the thumbs down.

Robbie rang again at 8.10am and he was only at Rugby, at that rate he will get to work at about 11am! Oh well, I can look forward to another evening of him muttering darkly about the state of the railways. At least it will make a change from hearing about the failings of FGW, they seem to be rivalling Network Rail on the Burgess hit list recently.