Congratulations to TfL

Friday 4^th March 2011

7.30-9.45 2 hrs 15 mins -20/10

14 to Putney Bridge Road

74 to George Street

Taxi to work

This was a real lulu of a journey.  I had to wait over 15 minutes for a 14 bus, and if you can believe it they’ve dug up the road on the approach to Putney Bridge, so in fact it was 8.30 before we had crossed the bridge.  I changed to the 74 and it was not too bad apart from the permanent roadworks on the Cromwell Road and the Brompton Road.  I have to give it a black star for the timing.  Then I saw that they had managed to achieve minus 20 out of 10!  I hesitated about whether to give it a second black star for this, but then I remembered that the 74 blew ice cold air at me for the whole journey so I was chilled completely through by the time I got off it and also as it’s Friday I’m feeling generous so congratulations to TfL, they have finally achieved TWO BLACK STARS, a rare award.  I do hope they’re proud.

I see they’ve renamed the “Portman Square” stop again, and it’s now “Portman Street/Selfridges”.   How helpful for the tourists.  The real Portman Square stop is still called George Street.  Ho hum.

p.m.

Supremely bad driving

Thursday 3^rd March 2011

a.m. 7.15-9.00 1hr 45 mins 2/10

14 to Hyde Park Corner

414 to Park Lane

2 to George Street

113 to Alpha Close

Crap journey.  I left home really early and took the 14 as I particularly wanted to be in at 9 as my boss was flying overseas that morning and it still took 1 hour and 45 fucking minutes, with some very bad driving.  They’re not doing anything to close the diversion, but bearing in mind the enormous fines the contractors will have to pay to the Council I’m not surprised.  They’re all in cahoots together.

p.m. 4.30-6.35 2 hrs 5 mins -12/10

82 to Baker Street 

74 to Fulham High Street – had to wait over 10 minutes and THEN they changed the destination so hey 10 points deducted and so they get a BLACK STAR.

14 to home – after another 10 minute wait

Very bad again. 

Wacky Wednesday

Wednesday 2^nd March

a.m. 7.35-9.40 2 hrs 5 mins AGAIN -12/10

93 to Putney High Street

74 to “Portman Square”

74 to George  Street

113 to Alpha Close

That’s minus 12 out of 10 and a BLACK STAR again because once again the bastards changed the destination.  They only have themselves to blame.

p.m. 8.10-9.30 1 hr 20 mins -7/10

74 to Putney High Street

93 home

This was good as in just about acceptable, but only because I had supper with a couple of chums and didn’t even try to get home before 8.  But as there was no bloody heating on the 74 even though the journey was at night I’m taking 10 points off and giving it a BLACK STAR. 

A Special treat for 2012

On Friday I read Brightside, Wandsworth Council's comic.  It's full of useful information from our excellent Council.

At the front it described the route which the cyclists in the road race will be taking during the Olympics.  You've guessed it - they're coming through Putney!  And there will be two days of it!

Starting at the Mall, they go through Fulham & Chelsea.  There are three roads to choose from, all equally busy.  Then we get to it.  They will ride over Putney Bridge and up Putney High Street (don't laugh).  Then they will turn right in the Upper Richmond Road and ride to Priory Lane.  Then they go into the Park at Roehampton Gate, through the Park, down through Surrey through Dorking (presumably leaving it at Kingston Gate although that's not specified in which case they'll have to go over or arround Kingston Hill) to Box Hill.  They go round Box Hill four times and then back to the Mall along the same route.

I'm sure it will be a hugely exciting race but of course it will be impossible to get anywhere from Putney unless you have a tardis.  I imagine the parasites and Transport for London will take the opportunity to close the entire bus network down for a whole week but that's their problem as I shall stay at home and watch it on TV.

St David's Day and a BLACK STAR

Tuesday 1^st March, St David’s Day

a.m. 7.25-9.30 2 hrs 5 mins -12/10

93 to Putney High Street

74 to “Portman Square”

Taxi to work

That’s minus 12 out of 10 and a BLACK STAR because the bastards changed the destination.  They’re obviously Welsh and hate the London commuters.  Also it was a good journey home yesterday so we have to be punished don’t we?

There was a long queue along the Lillie Road & the Old Brompton Road from the North End Road to the junction with Finborough Road, after which there was hardly any traffic as it was so late, but still they changed the destination.  What useless dollops.No that's not right - I think they're hateful little shits.

p.m. 5.15-6.50 1 hr 35 mins 4/10

274 to Baker Street

74 to Putney Bridge

85 home

Some cretin has dug up the road at Putney Bridge, how considerate of them.

Back from Holiday

I've just had a wonderful week off without the hell of the London buses. Of course I had a nice long journey towork...

Monday 28^th February 2011

a.m. 7.30-9.15 1hr 45mins 2/10

There were road-works on both the Fulham Palace Road (Hammersmith end) AND the Fulham Road with the collapsing building, just in case anyone thought they might have an easy journey to work on a Monday morning.  What a treat.  I wonder if the contractors will ever make the building safe.  It’s a shame they didn’t just pull the whole thing down, it’s not even a little bit good-looking.  I must say, though, that I was surprised that the façade of the old Abbey HQ in Baker Street didn’t collapse when the building behind was demolished.  It made me rather nervous about standing at the bus stop on the other side of the road and I was jolly glad when they finally finished the building work last year.  That took about 4-5 years and I imagine the Fulham Road one will take about the same.  I’ll probably have retired by the time things get back to normal.  Whatever normal is.

p.m. 5.35-7.00 1hr 25 mins 6/10

Gosh a normal journey.  First time in ages.  The parasites must be dozing.

POETS day

10 February 2011

a.m. 7.10-8.35 1 hr 25 mins 6/10 but only because I left early

14 to Hyde Park Corner

10 to Park Lane

2 to Portman Square aka George Street

13 or 113 to Alpha Close

That was a good journey no thanks to the cretins on the Fulham Road.  I left home early as I wanted to make up enough time at work so I can leave early and having endured such bad delays getting to work I was a bit short of hours worked.  See why I hate TfL.   

Yesterday....

9 February 2011

a.m. 7.25-9.15 1 hr 50 mins 1/10

14 to South Kensington

74 to Portman Square

113 to Alpha Close

p.m. 4.40-7.20 1 hr 40 mins -2/10

274 to Baker Street

74 to Fulham High Street – SUDDEN UNANNOUNCED CHANGE OF DESTINATION subtract 5

14 to home

Not good but what can one do?  Well I wrote to the GLA member who has responsibility for travel and he passed it on TfL who sent a very insolent and illiterate reply.  I am composing my response to this egregious bore and parasite.  He had the nerve to ask me to modify my language, having totally failed to appreciate that I had already done so.

Fulham Bloody Road

Well the Fulham Road diversion is still in place and looks likely to last all spring.  If I take the 14 I have the diversion to contend with, but the 74 is slower and less frequent so it looks as if I'm condemned to a 1 3/4 hour journey for the time being.  Ho hum.  What a load of crooks.

8 February 2011

a.m. 7.25-8.55 1 hr 30 minutes 5/10

93 to Putney Bridge Road

74 to Portman Square

113 to Alpha Close

p.m. 4.50-6.25 1 hr 35 mins 4/10

113 to Baker Street

74 to Putney Bridge

93 home

What a difference a weekend makes

7 February 2011

 a.m. 7.30-9.10 1 hr 40 mins 3/10

14 to Hyde Park Corner

10 to Park Lane

82 to Alpha Close

p.m. 4.50-6.25 1 hr 35 minutes 4/10

113 to Baker Street

74 to Putney Bridge

93 home

Still pretty grim but I've had a good weekend and I don't feel quite as bitter as last week.  But why oh why can't the BBC keep their traffic reports up-to-date?  I'm sure they're in cahoots with the crooks at Transport for London aiming to deceive us.  If you look at their website you won't see many roadworks marked, but the Fulham Road is STILL closed and I'm sure there will still be huge roadworks along the Cromwell Road. 

wish me luck for the trek home.

I'll never buy shares in British Gas

4th February

a.m. 7.30-9.10, 1 hr 40 mins 3/10
14 to Hyde Park Corner
414 to Park Lane
74 to Portman Square
82 to Alpha Close

What a bloody palaver.  The diversion on the Fulham Road is still in place but does the bloody BBC show this on its website.  Not likely.

The gas works on the Cromwell Road are still there.  I actually saw some men working at the Exhibition Road bit.  I can't believe they've been allowed to clog up the traffic for so long.  I guess some little jobsworth will whine about elf'n safety and say they're essential works.  If they're so important then why don't they got on with them?  They've been causing delays along the Cromwell Road, the Old Brompton Road, and Knightsbridge for about 3 years now.  I've never seen anything so incompetent, apart from the South Kensington fiasco which I'll tell you about next week.

So now you know why I'll never buy shares in British Gas.

p.m. 4.30-6.20 1 hr 50 1/10

113 to Baker Street

74 to Putney Bridge

39 home

They never make any effort to help us get home quickly on Friday.  Swine.

I've had enough

I've had enough.  This is war.  

I travel every day from Putney Heath to Baker street by bus.  This journey used to be quite easy but ever since they set up Transport for London and improved the buses (not) it's got worse and worse.  We all know how ghastly it was before Christmas and in the snow, when hardly any buses actually went to their displayed destination.

In the last week alone I have had 2 journeys lasting over 2 hours.  So I've decided to record each day's journey and add a few pithy comments of my own. 

Here are the ground rules. I mark each journey out of 10.  1 ½ hours (which I think is really crap) gets 5 out of 10: a point is deducted for every 5 minutes longer, so 2 hours gets -1/10, and, conversely, a point is added for every 5 minutes shorter.   5 points are deducted if the destination is changed.  Points can be added or subtracted for good or bad service, it’s up to me, I’m paying for it.  Anything getting minus 10/10 or worse becomes a BLACK STAR JOURNEY.

Here are the last week's little efforts.

24 January - ill with Norovirus

25 January

a.m. – 7.35-9.45 – 2 hrs 10 mins -8/10

14 to Hyde Park Corner – 45 minute diversion from Fulham Road via Redcliffe Gardens, NO ANNOUNCEMENT FROM EITHER DRIVER OR AUTOMATED ANNOUNCER.

10 to Park Lane – long wait – 82 stopped 100 yards from stop, would not stop at stop itself.

2 to George Street – 274 behind, did not stop, long wait again.

13 to Alpha Close

p.m. – 5.30-7.05 – 1 hr 35 mins 4/10

13 to Baker Street

74 to Putney Bridge

39 to Lytton Grove

26 January

a.m. – 7.20-9.00 1 hr 40 mins -2/10

93 to Putney High Street

74 to Marble Arch SUDDEN UNANNOUNCED CHANGE OF DESTINATION subtract 5

82 to Alpha Close

p.m. – 5.00-6.30 1 hr 30 mins 5/10

113 to Baker Street

74 to Putney Bridge

14 to Lytton Grove

27 January

a.m. 7.35-9.35 2 hours!!!! -1/10

93 to Putney High Street

74 to George Street

Taxi to work

p.m. 5.15-7.10 1 hour 55 0/10

113 to Baker Street

74 to Putney Bridge

14 to Lytton Grove

28 January

a.m. 7.30-9.15 1 hour 45 2/10 but 10 points deducted for NO HEATING

85 to Putney High Street

74 to George Street

274 to Alpha Close

p.m. 9.45-10.25 40 minutes!  Unmarked because I took a taxi from South Kensington.

74 to South Kensington

Taxi home.

31 January

a.m. 7.25-9.00 1 hour 35 minutes 4/10

93 to Barclays

74 to George Street

113 to Alpha Close

p.m. 5.00-6.45 1 hour 45 minutes 2/10

13 to Baker Street

74 to Putney Bridge

14 home

1 February

a.m. 7.25-9.10 1 hour 35 minutes 4/10

14 to Hyde Park Corner

10 to Park Lane

82 to Alpha Close

p.m. 4.50-6.15 1 hour 25 minutes 6/10

13 to Baker Street

74 to Putney Bridge

14 home

2 February—a real BLACK STAR JOURNEY

a.m. 7.25-10 2 hours 35 minutes 18/10

39 to Putney Station – SUDDEN CHANGE OF DESTINATION subtract 5

85 to Putney Bridge Road

74 to South Kensington – SUDDEN UNANNOUNCED CHANGE OF DESTINATION subtract 5

74 to George Street, overtaken by 82 which refused to wait for a woman who ran from the 74 to wave at the driver.

13 to Alpha Close

p.m. 5.30-7.10 1 hr 40 mins  3/10

82 to Baker Street

74 to Putney Bridge

85 home

3 February 2011

a.m. 7.30-9.15 1 hr 45 mins -7/10

14 to Putney Bridge Road

74 to Portman Street (renamed the bus stop again I see) – SUDDEN UNANNOUNCED CHANGE OF DESTINATION subtract 5

74 to Portman Square which they call George Street

274 to Alpha Close

p.m.
I had supper with a friend and left late
7.50-8.10 1 hr 20 mins see they can do it if they try but it doesn't count as although the bus was quick  took a taxi from Putney High Street. So no score this time.