UK Snow

Four hours into a journey that should take less than two, I am told to get off my train as there is some kind of ‘signalling failure’ which means I cannot continue my journey to its rightful end.

Shocked, horrified, I pile out of the train far from home, carrying my bags, wondering what to do.  I hurry towards the welcoming sign of ‘Customer Information’ where I am informed by a laid back(literally, almost laying all the way back in his chair as he doles out platform information with ease, a sense of pride in his every word as we, the sad, cold, unfortunate passengers hang on his every word as though they are dripping gold) Network Rail person that Platform 4c is the one I want. 

Off I go to 4c and unsurprisingly, 4c is NOT the one I want. Oh no! There is no platform that I want, as no train is going my way anytime soon.  Off I venture to another customer service official and he tries to empathise with me but how can he?  Is he a breastfeeding mother who has been miles away from her child all day?  No, I think not! So despite his attempts at levity, I am irritated by his inability to give me any solid clue as to how long it will be. 

Aargh! The lovely UK Snow!

Each year, the same thing, each year the same routine, I suppose I must be the one to learn from this and never leave the house or trust public transport when there is even a hint of snow.  As the rail service surely is not learning any lessons! One would think it did not happen all the time, about the same time every year and yet each time, the result remains the same -the world stops, the transport system becomes null and void.  You are stranded and wonder what on earth you are to do but why moan? It is Snow in the UK.

How is it possible that a country so well known throughout the world can be so annoyingly rubbish at maintaining the travel systems when there is even a hint of snow?  And somehow, we are expected to use the travel system more!  Why on earth would we, if we have any choice?

So here I sit, in a train station, surrounded by the cacophony of voices as frustration levels rise and we all try not to burst into tears as again, the sky has chosen to open up and there is a hint of snow on the roads.

Were we warned that there might be snow? Yes.  Did the rail services prepare for snow? Somehow, NO; not this year and not any year before. Year after year, the same old story. Delayed trains, people packed like sardines in rail stations all over the country as suddenly, everything shuts down with continual vague assurances of bringing the services back up to scratch but no telling when this will actually happen.

So here I sit, fed up and hungry. Bosom full to breaking point as they yearn for my baby to suckle.  Queues as long as a mile for a taxi so nowhere to go, noise all around and fed up.

What can I say? It's Snow in the UK