Exam

Today, I had an exam (it was fine, thanks, although at a couple of points I was reduced to pulling vocabulary out of thin air and I don't think it quite worked :P). Well, I say "exam", it was more a sort-of class test; but it's 10% of my final mark, so it wasn't a throwaway test. Anyway, I thought I'd better be on time, so I got out of bed promptly and arrived at ROV six or seven minutes before the 08:54 WOO train was due. Changed at WOO and noticed that there was a train in WOO sidings, which is unusual. The next train through was a WER (West Ruislip), which I took. Behind that, though, was a "special", which usually means it's out of service. Now, the WOO train did head up 21 road as usual, but I have a feeling that the "special" was destined for WOO sidings as well, since I checked the departure boards at SNA (Snaresbrook) and the special wasn't there. As I've mentioned before, to get to WOO sidings, you have to use 21 road. Therefore, if the special was destined for WOO sidings, the WOO train in 21 road would have had to vacate the siding. I'm thinking it might have gone up to LOU (or on to DEB/EPP). I don't think it went round to HAI, because - if I recall correctly - no extra train was shown as heading round to HAI on the outer rail platform at ROV. I believe the departure boards were showing the next HAI wouldn't be for nearly 20 minutes when I left; which is as per the timetable. Still, maybe they updated. Wish I could have stayed and watched but I thought, y'know, exam and all that...

Back to SNA then. Once we'd stopped our poor T/Op (who I think was on the handle, not that it's relevant, just an aside) came over the PA:

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you do drop something right by the end of the platform, please don't grab it right when I'm coming into the platform. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Honestly. I was shocked. When you've got upwards of 164 tonnes of 1992 stock train approaching, the correct thing to do is be very careful and stand well back from the platform edge. Do you want to get struck by one of those trains? Really? Because that's not gonna end well for you. The train is definitely gonna come off better in that fight, I can assure you.

Anyway, after a reminder to stand behind the yellow line as the train departs, the doors were closed and we made our - from then on uneventful - way into HOL (Holborn). I had decided to go to Russell Sq. today, to save myself the walk. Y'know, exam and all that...I'd forgotten just how busy it could get at HOL - it was mobbed. There's a sort of "junction" which you have to get through to change to the Picc. As you come up from the Central line, the Picc is directly ahead of you, across a square area of floor which I like to think of as "the crucible" :P The escalators leading to and from the entrance hall are on your right, so people are merging with you on the right. The passage leading from the Picc empties into the crucible in front of you, but on the left, so people wanting to get from there to the escalators have to cut across your path from your left. The passage to the Central line is to the left of the passage from it, which means that people wanting to get from the entrance hall to the Central line have to come across your path (from the right) as well (rather than merging with you, as people wanting to get from the entrance hall to the Picc do.) It descends into something of a mêlée at rush hour :P Still, when I did reach the Picc escalators, all was pretty clear. Walked onto an Arnos Grove train no problem at all and Russell Square was incredibly quiet. I mean, a completely full lift was departing as I arrived and the next lift, which I got, certainly left full, but I'm used to having to wait for a good five mins at Russell Square. Very nice.

For the journey home I went from Euston Square, which I much prefer. Took a Circle line train round to LIS and changed for a HAI via NEP. At STR (Stratford) three people joined me in attracting the attention of someone who seemed to have left behind a wallet containing tickets and that sort of thing. As it happened, it wasn't hers and must have been left previously. Two kind people took on the task of handing it in, but it was nice to see that a bit of kindness and consideration really can happen on the tube :P

Changed at LES (Leytonstone) for the EPP (Epping) which took me to WOO no problem. The train(s?) had gone from the sidings by the time I returned :P Gallingly, there was only 1 minute until the HAI train was due, which - ordinarily - would have been perfect. However, I had to go to the bank and consequently had to pass up the silky smooth connection and wait in the cold for a good fifteen minutes on my return to the station. Ah well, at least that's that job done.