One thing I love about the public transport system is the chaos that surrounds me. Today, for example, I'm returning home from the city and board the Werribee bound train at Flinders St. On the way, I start reading my new book and am quickly immersed in a foreign land. I glance up and see that the next station, according to the flashing message inside the carriage, is Macauley. Huh? I don't ride the train very often, but I don't ever remember going through Macauley station. Probably an error, I think, and return to the book, but when I feel the train slowing, I glance up at the station sign: Macauley. I'm still in denial at this stage. The train heads out. Next stop: Flemington Bridge. Huh? So I get out, along with half a dozen other confused looking people. Here's the view at Flemington Bridge, which was different to the normal suburban views I was expecting.
Someone asks me whether I know how to get to the other platform as the ramps look a bit deceiving. I say, no, I thought I was on the Werribee train. So did they. And so did the older man who's looking worried. We head off to the other platform, and wait for a train back to the city. At North Melbourne, we're joined by about 20 other people, who've obviously jumped off at Macauley or at whatever came after Flemington Bridge. I can hear much muttering, but the really funny thing is the suspicion we all greet the next train with.
It all makes me remember those New Year's Eve fireworks we went to a few years ago. We went to the early fireworks to get the kids home early, then the train was cancelled, and then because it ran so late they decided to save time by running it express, but neglected to tell anyone. Yeah, saved lots of time if you wanted to get off at one of those bypassed stations, as we did. By the time we got off at the next station and waited for the same train to go all the way to the end of the line and back again, we'd run out of NYE, and ended up seeing the New Year in on the train. What a letdown. The journey home took the better part of two hours.
26 August 2007
The chaos that is Connex
Posted by Tracey at 11:09 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
ahh melbourne! i miss connex hehe NOT!
i have found since living in sydney the train system is so much better here, though people still complain about it! :) i look forward to more melbourne pics from u though.. i miss melbourne!
Hi, Donna. I'll see if I can oblige. Yeah, it's funny what you said about Sydney -- it seems that no matter how well off we are, we never appreciate it.
I do know that when I was doing my science degree (in Melb) I used to catch the train that was in the Guinness book of records for being the world's latest train. That was a distinction I could live without!
Post a Comment