A Good Reason For Not Owning A Car
As I walked to get the paper today, someone had broken down in an almost brand-new BMW X-5. The service van had just arrived and the driver of the BMW had that About-Time-To look on his face. As I walked back the service van was leaving.
I suddenly realised that doesn’t happen to me anymore! It must be a good reason to not own a car!
If my bus or train breaks down, it’s not my problem! When a train was an hour late recently, they sent me some vouchers, which I might use for a trip to somewhere exciting like Margate or Brighton. It might actually be Birmingham, as that appears to be hay-fever free at the moment.
Why Did London Ever Buy the Bendy Buses?
One of the bus routes, the 141, near me, has some double-deck buses that are about ten years old. So they are not in the best of condition, but they don’t break down and take passengers, both able-bodied and disabled with ease.
Today, I was on a new Dennis Trident and from where I sat in the front, I could see the warranty plate. The chassis and bodywork got twelve years, the engine three and the gear-box five, which struck me as a firm statement of reliability by the manufacturer.
I also have the 73 or seventy-free near me, which are younger than the older 141s and are starting to look rather tatty. Given their accident record and the fact that passengers, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians don’t like them, it always puzzles me, why anybody would be stupid enough to buy the damn things in the first place?
Especially, as they are Spanish-built, whereas both Wright and Dennis Alexander buses are assembled in the UK.
What really shows up the bendy bus to me, is when I go shopping at Upper Street. I have a choice of six direct routes home, but I rarely catch a 73. I usually go in the morning, when bus loads are low, so on return on a double deck bus, I usually am able to walk easily to the back of the bus and sit with my shopping bag on the seat next to me. So I have comfortable ride home. On a bendy bus, space is so much more cramped, that I either put the bag on my lap or block the aisle with it. I have heard that new London buses will have seats wider than the legal minimum at 440 mm. For a small person like me, that means I can sit on a window seat with my shopping outside and not block the aisle seat.
The Sign Goes Up At Dalston Junction
They’ve now put up the sign at the Southern entrance to Dalston Junction station.
Dalston Junction Sign
But the barriers are still in place, with no sign of an opening.
Struggling To IKEA
Well not really struggling, but you wouldn’t have thought that getting a few simple baskets would be so difficult.
IKEA Branas Basket
The picture shows one of their Branas baskets.
To fit out my bedroom I need eight. So I thought I’d buy them on-line when I bought the storage frames that will hold them. But and this annoys me so much about IKEA, they were one of the products that can’t be bought on-line. But they did have lots in stock at Edmonton. As I did have a couple of spare hours and I wanted to take some pictures close to their store. I decided to go and get some this afternoon.
So I took the Victoria line to Tottenham Hale and then got a 192 bus to IKEA.
I had worried that the boxes might not be flat-pack, in which case they would be difficult to manage on the bus, back to either Tottenham Hale or almost to home if a 341 turned up.
But my worst fears were unfounded as the boxes were flat and I reckoned I could carry four, in two IKEA blue bags. So perhaps half-an-hour soon after arriving and after perhaps ten minutes in the queue to pay, I was back at the bus stop, waiting for a 341 to move up to the departure stop.
Shopping on the 341 Bus
As you can see from the picture, the two bags with their cargo of boxes fitted in the luggage space on the bus, which sped me to within two hundred or so metres from my house.
Three boxes were quickly put together, but the fourth lacked a bottom and will have to be returned.
I did phone the store to see if they could post me a bottom, but rules is rules and it will have to go back to store with the till receipt.
So instead of two trips for eight boxes, it will now be three!
At least though, I don’t pay the fares for the bus and tube.
More Works At Dalston Junction
The pavement at Dalston Junction station was partially blocked again yesterday and the bus-stop had been moved back a hundred metres.
More Roadworks at Dalston Junction Station
But at least it appears there are only putting in new kerbs. Hopefully, to make a permanent bus stop outside the station.
Visiting the Lee Valley Park
Today, I needed to get to Blackhorse Road station for lunch nearby, and as Arsenal were at home around the same time, and this would mean a lot of people at Highbury and Islington station, I decided to take a more roundabout route.
The plan was essentially simple.
- Take a 73 or more preferably a 476 bus, as I hate the bendy ones, to Seven Sisters station.
- Take a National Express train from that station to Cheshunt.
- Walk through the Lee Valley Park, looking at the new Lee Valley White Water Centre for the London Olympics.
- Walk to Waltham Cross station for a train to Tottenham Hale and then to Blackhorse Road.
It wasn’t as easy as it should have been, as although the park was pleasant, there was an event going on and the public weren’t allowed into the White Water Centre.
But I was running late, so I had to get to Waltham Cross station. But don’t go there on a Sunday, as trains are only one an hour. I’d also been sold the wrong ticket at Seven Sisters, so I had to buy another. but it was only £1.30, so it wasn’t a problem.
It does look though, that they’ve got a good venue for the Olympics, as set where it is, you could take a picnic there on a train from Central London. I’ve put in for some tickets.
Another Truck Runs Into a Coach
There was another horrendous crash on the two lane section of the M11 last night, in which two people were killed and many were injured.
There was also the Sudbury train crash, where a truck crossed the line and derailed a train and the incident where a cement mixer fell on top of a train.
You have to question why accidents like this happen.
When I used to fly private aircraft, I had to take various competency checks every year and professional drivers do a lot more. Do the drivers of trucks have to take these sort of checks?
Also, as many drivers are from outside of the UK and may well be licensed in their own country, do they have proper checks?
But we mustn’t get xenophobic here, as there have been several accidents involving British coaches on the continent. There was also at least one in the UK, where the driver had been thought to be drinking.
I think that the best we can do at present, is to analyse all of the accidents and make recommendations.
One thing that is a common factor in many accidents involving trains and other vehicles is level crossings. And this is not just a British problem, but one that occurs everywhere there are level crossings. I stood by the level crossing at Northumberland Park last week and was surprised at how many times it opened and closed in the half hour I was there. No-one tried anything silly while I was watching, but this is a classic crossing that could be closed to road traffic, as there is a bridge fairly nearby. It might cause inconvenience for a couple of months, but closing the crossing, might save a few lives. How many other crossings could be closed?
Today’s accident happened on an unlighted two-lane section of motorway. Should we light more of the dangerous sections of roads?
Other factors are also involved in many traffic accidents.
We should analyse and act!
Northumberland Park Station
I made a mistake to get off the 341 bus and take the train from Northumberland Park station.
It might better be called No Rthumberland Park, as it had no staff, no timetables on the wall, no train information indicators and no trains for an hour. I actually had to phone rail information on 08457484950 to find out when the next train would arrive. There was though a betting shop on the corner and one of London’s last level crossings inside the M25.
Eventually, a train did turn up and I went all the way to Stratford for interest, rather than a quick journey. I then took the North London line and a bus home. If I’d stayed on the 341 bus, I’d have been home thirty minutes earlier. I will travel from Tottenham Hale to Stratford again, as it gives good views of the Olympic site, HS1 and the train sheds for Eurostar and the fast trains to Kent from St. Pancras.
How To Get A Chair Home From IKEA on a 341 Bus
I went to IKEA today to see if they had any suitable lights. I did buy one and it might be suitable, but I’ve got to buy some bulbs first.
However, when I went to get the bus home, this chap was taking home a basket chair on the 341 bus, by sitting on it in the wheelchair space.
How To Carry a Basket Chair on a 341 Bus
I hope he got home without any trouble from Health and Safety. He seemed happy enough when I got off the bus at Northumberland Park.
Improvements at Dalston Junction
The Southern entrance to Dalston Junction station is still not open, but at least there has been some progress at the Northern one.
The New Temporary Bus Stop at Dalston Junction
Today, I took a train back from Highbury and Islington and there was a queue of four buses at the new temporary stop outside the station.
This gives a good route for anybody, who wants to go say from Canada Water or Shadwell to the Essex Road or the Angel at Islington. Just change at Dalston Junction to the 38 or 56 bus.
The Anonymous Widower 