This morning started like any other. My alarm shrieked music at me at six o’clock mentally translating to “GET THE HELL OUT OF BED!!!” so I dutifully dragged myself into the shower, successfully worked my way through my morning bathroom routine without faceplanting the wall , and somewhat sleepily/sulkily got myself dressed and ready to go. Being the lovely person that I am, and given that he reads this blog and isn’t allowed to disagree, I made my husband’s coffee, did the whole “have a good day darling” bit and got myself outside to face the day.
For starters, holy crap when did it get this cold?! And also, note to self to buy a proper jacket, given that my denim is pretty much all that comfortably fits pregnant me and it’s short and not exactly designed for six degree temperatures… So, picture painted. I’m tired, cold, grumpy, and pregnant; fun times! ;)
Oh and I’m now waiting for the bus. I used to walk up to the station in the morning (when I wasn’t feeling lazy) but now I’m coming up for seven months gone I walk at the speed that would embarrass a severely arthritic ninety year old who’s just had a hip replacement… So bus it is. There’s only ten minutes between it being due in the morning and the train that I get on, but at quarter to seven in the morning the thing is de-sert-ed! So it literally goes straight there without stopping and only takes like three minutes, so score! Quarter to seven comes and goes, so does ten to, then five to, and then my other half walks over as he’s ready to get on his seven o’clock bus. And there has been nothing go past, BUT I overhear a conversation a woman is having on her phone about our road being closed. “Ridiculous, “ thinks I, “There’s no signs or anything!” But that little seed of doubt has been sown, and it’s growing…
Hubby and I finally decide to bite the bullet and walk down to the next stop, only a few minutes walk and if the bus drives past we’ll wave like loonies and argue that it’s late so we started walking and get them to stop. At least that’s my cunning logic, not sure about his, but hey it should work!
At the next stop there’s a guy waiting who hasn’t had a bus come past either, and we start looking down the high street with very much of a “I’m not seeing much traffic coming this way down that street” feeling dawning on us. By this point though I’m about half an hour late, I’m freezing my proverbials off and I’m ready to lynch someone if I have to walk! So just to be on the safe side we decide to quickly buzz down to the next stop, as traffic looks to be flowing that way, better safe than sorry sort of thing. Literally just start walking and oh what’s that ahead? Oh that’d be the LAST BUS FOR HALF AN HOUR COME DOWN BYPASSING US! AAAAAAAAAAAAH, RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!
Bless him, thankfully the hubs was with me, because I don’t know how many of you have tried running at seven months pregnant, but it’s severly un-fucking-pleasant! I could practically hear the baby going “Mum, WTF?!” as I wan (waddle ran) down to the bus stop where they were waiting for me, only pausing to pick my bloody iphone up from where it landed on the poxy bloody ground after bouncing out of my pocket! Oh goodie, could this morning get much more fun?! Oh wait, yeah it can because instead of taking our money and driving us to the bloody train station like his job kinda entails the frickin bus driver is now on the phone to another bus driver checking to see if he knows about the road closures… I DON’T CARE! I know now, and I need to get to work! Phone him later, phone him on the move, send a bastard bloody carrier pigeon, I don’t give a tiny rat’s tushy but if I miss another train you’ll be like a squirrel who’s experienced a burglary – MISSING YOUR NUTS!!!
Thankfully I think he managed to pick up on the murderous vibes that were emanating from me, and probably everyone stood behind me, and he finally decided to get moving. All I can say is it’s a good thing that no one pushed that stupid stop button between there and the train station because I’m not entirely convinced I could’ve avoided physical injury to them at that point! Even had time for a two minute chill out before going to get on the train, which was beautifully packed out, including the charming man mountain I ended up next to in first class who insisted on taking up half of my seat as well. I’m wound up, but he’s kinda big and growly looking so maybe at this point I’ll just keep my mouth shut. Could’ve been worse, at least I got a seat, unlike my poor husband who had to stand squished up in steerage, okay so my pregnancy upgrade does have a handy side effect once in a while… ;)
Not being funny, I get that roadworks happen, and that this means a road closure here or there at times, but how about a tiny bit of information actually being passed on?! Nothing on the bus stop, no signage up on the road anywhere, not a single thing telling us what the hell is going on. In fact, if it wasn’t for overhearing a phone conversation someone I don’t know was having I’d have probably stayed at our usual bus stop and would probably still be there! I would dearly love to complain to someone about this fact, but I know what’s going to happen if I do. It’ll go something like this –
Abellio – It’s Surrey County Council’s responsibility to notify people of road closures.
Surrey County Council – It’s Abellio’s responsibility to notify people of adjustments to bus routes.
Now all that is going to happen by getting those responses is my blood pressure increasing, and I really don’t think it’s worth it. So I’ll settle for a little rant about my morning on here, with the hopeful side effect of having made a couple of people smile along the way, and it does make a nice change from harbouring murderous thoughts at Southwest Trains! So hey, hi ho silver lining! But be warned Surrey Council and Abellio, I am NOT amused, and I’m watching you…!
