Olympic Walking Routes
Yet again last night, I feel victim to the badly laid out walking routes away from Olympic sites.
From the Olympic park, they always assume you want to get away on the Jubilee line to the centre of London, so late at night they always ban you from going to Stratford, where they funnel everybody across the bridge to the station. As I want the Overground out of Stratford, it’s very difficult for me. They want everybody to walk to West Ham. It’s probably quicker and easier to get to Dalston from Welwyn Garden City, than it is from West Ham.
Let’s face it, the Jubilee line is about as useful to me, as a chocolate teapot.
In the end last night, I walked to Eaton Manor Gate and then found I just missed the W15 bus, I needed to get to Hackney Central for any number of welcoming buses home. I should have taken the Victoria Gate and walked through the park for a 277 or 30. But hindsight is a wonderful thing.
I had a similar problem at ExCel trying to get to the cable-car, where you had to walk twice the length of the Excel building to get going in the right direction. Wasn’t the Emirates Air-Line supposed to be an important part of the Olympic transport network?
I can only assume that Olympic travel routes were drawn up by someone who doesn’t walk or use a bus and probably lives in Houston. They certainly didn’t bring the 488 bus into their thinking, despite the fact that Transport for London said they extended the route to Dalston for Olympic purposes.
They certainly made it difficult for those who live close to the stadium and just a couple of Overground or Underground stops away difficult.
To The Olympics The Back Way
Yesterday, I went to the Olympics to see the morning’s athletics.
I didn’t go the normal way, but took a 30 bus from where I live to the northern side of Victoria Park and then walked. It was about half past seven and the big red taxi wasn’t exactly full.
A Big Red Taxi To The Olympics
The front seats at the top were of course taken. This way I pass C’s bus stop.
C’s Bus Stop
Although she wasn’t Cecelia but Celia, her maiden name was Roads. I wonder how many people have their own bus stop!
I got off at Wick Lane and then it was a walk through Victoria Park to the Greenway Gate of the Olympic Park. The pictures for this are shown in a separate gallery post.
Sochi 2014 Advertises On London Buses
I caught this advert for the Winter Olympics in 2014 at Sochi on a 56 bus.
Sochi 2014 Advertises On London Buses
No offence to the Russians and I did enjoy a day trip to Moscow once, but I won’t be going.
Skiing is just not my scene, except on the television.
Death Of A Cyclist
It is always very sad when someone dies, but the death of a cyclist outside the Olympic Stadium is creating a few waves as well.
He was knocked off his bike and killed by a media bus, at a place that cyclists have said was dangerous for years. It was the typical cyclist under a turning vehicle accident, if any accident is typical.
I know it doesn’t help his family, but Bradley Wiggins has made strong statements about safety and said that all cyclists should wear helmets at all times.
One subsidiary point, was that quite a few of the soldiers guarding the Olympics were about but sadly couldn’t save the victim. Surely, this in itself is an argument for using soldiers at big events, as I suspect their emergency medical skills are a lot better than your average security guard.
Walthamstow To Excel By Public Transport
I’m putting in this journey as it illustrates how good the public transport is for the Games.
Most would take the Victoria line and then fiddle round to Bank for the DLR. Or perhaps go into Liverpool Street and then either walk or take one stop to Bank.
But I wouldn’t!
I’d take the 69 bus or big red taxi as they are known this summer to Canning Town station and then take the DLR two stops from there.
A Big Red Taxi
This 29 bus was totally empty except for a postman going off shift and myself, as I took it away from Trafalgar Square.
A Big Red Taxi
But then it was mid afternoon. Afterwards, I went to Waitrose and Starbucks at the Angel and they were quiet too!
The Silver Routemaster
First are running SRM 3, a silver Routemaster on one of London’s two heritage routes; number 9.
The Silver Routemaster
I use route 9, occasionally to get from Bank to Trafalgar Square. The last time, I used a Routemaster and was surprised at how many working people were on the bus.
How many museum pieces are still working full time on a normal cost public service?
How To Not Lose A Wallet
I should say that I keep one credit card, my rail passes and my Freedom Pass in a little folder that I keep in my pocket, so I can just pull it out to touch the various Oyster readers on buses, trains and tubes.
On Saturday, I managed to lose the folder on a bus, as my nose was running so much, that I must have dragged it out with a tissue, which I was using every minute or so.
I’d just cancelled the credit card and reported the Freedom Pass as lost, when the bus driver phoned to say, he’d got the folder and would take it to the depot at the end of his shift at 19:00. He had got the number from a card I keep in the folder containing my e-mail address and mobile number.
So I went to the garage at Leyton at the time he said and after a few minutes he turned up and gave me the folder. So job done! Stagecoach didn’t even have a charity box for a reward, but I rectified that on-line to one of the charities I support.
By Monday, my Freedom Pass was reactivated and then yesterday, I got a new AMEX card.
So we may complain about service, but I can’t fault anybody here.
Where Are The People?
I went up to Islington Green this morning to see the Olympic Torch Relay at Islington Green. The bus was virtually empty on the way up and totally so on the way back.
It was like having a personal large red taxi.
The Anonymous Widower 