London Transit on a Monday

Hiya!

Happy First Day of Summer! Though you would never know it by the way London's weather is behaving. This morning the rain was plentiful and strong, everyone on the street sought shelter with their umbrella, and I practised my ninja skills by avoiding all those pointy sticks and rain dripping off everyone's 'brollies'.

I can't complain about my commute at all. It's a mere 30-35 minute trip from home to work, with one transfer and an entire ride taken above ground. Even on a rainy day, it's nice to get that extra bit of daylight and keep my circadian rhythm in check. The wonderful thing about London is ease of transport (delays, cancellations, and construction aside!). I know people who live in Zone 6 - which is wildly far from the centre - and they can make it into the city in 25 minutes flat. There is no shortage of transport options if you have an Oyster card and a bit of extra time to cushion for delays.

Today's rain made my commute a little less than awesome, though still a wonderful time all in all.


There is no clamminess comparable to the feeling of being packed side by side, shoulder to shoulder on a train, everyone's outerwear slick with wet. And, that same principle that makes your jacket waterproof also traps a lot of moisture on the inside of your jacket too. Breath-ability and waterproof generally don't go well together. Find me a company that can change that, and I will buy 5 jackets, one for every day of the week it rains here in London.

Every morning I catch a bus from Waterloo station, and there is always a line up. Without fail, at least 10 people lined up waiting for the bus. On a bad day, there might be 30 people lined up. Today, I can confidently say I was #49 in a long line of rain-soaked and wet passengers. I roughly calculated that number using the maximum passenger guidelines posted inside the bus. I was one of the last people to board and get some standing space, and the sign states the bus has a maximum occupancy of ~55.

Standing so close to the beginning of the bus, I was also granted the early morning opportunity of listening to the bus driver grill another passenger about her decision to vote 'Stay' in the Brexit referendum. She handled it quite well.

I haven't ventured back outside yet, but the intermittent sun coming in through my office window is starting to temple me for a quick little coffee break or fresh air stroll.

Hope you are enjoying a dryer, sunnier, warmer First Day of Summer than I am!