Got up, got dressed, made breakfast, cleaned up and put any valuables away (not sure if housekeeping is coming today but just in case). This simplified living has its pros and cons. Fast, efficient and carefree for the most part. But sometimes, when I want something or think I need something, it is at home because I didn’t have enough room to bring it with me.
I left the flat at around 8:40 then went to the Tube station near me. For some reason, I could have sworn I took another train to the a different station on Jubilee line but, I will just take the one to another station and transfer a little North. No problem, I am totally London flex, it’s all good.
The trains are beyond packed and I had to wait for one to pass, squeezed onto another and wasn’t sure my pack was going to make it in and not be smashed in the door. I heard announcements on the platform that there was some crowd control measures so some lines might be experiencing delays. Okay, don’t know what that means but it is better than the PA address on Thursday night that said “Expect delays due to addressing a body on the tracks” Lynette explained that you never know if someone fell, jumped or was pushed onto the tracks into the oncoming train. I REALLY hope I don’t see anything like that.
I get to London Bridge and when I try to walk through the tunnels to Jubilee line, it still feels really unfamiliar, not just because I don’t know it but is just feels wrong. And before I know it, I am now at the platform and need to “Tap Out” (Tube lingo, for taping your Oyster card on the reader to exit the turnstile, leave the tube station and go to the street ). I only want to change trains. What just happened? Well, I see that is a huge line (queue) for the train and everyone had to “Tap Out” So they must have closed the tunnel I usually go through. So there are hundreds of people waiting outside the turnstile to go back in to get to Jubilee line. Then the PA Address says “Jubilee line closed from London Bridge to Waterloo for 15- 20 minutes due to crowd management.” I am at London Bridge and the office is at Waterloo. Great, not what I really want to deal with but I will wait. Other people start to scramble to the outside area to find alternate routes. I don’t know any so I am staying where I am.
Then some policemen come through with bright vests and they are yelling and waving their arms were saying get out of the way and they ran through with a woman on a small gurney/wheelbarrow and she wrapped up with her head laying to the side, she looks unconscious as the wheeled her right past me. Then another PA Address “Jubilee Line closed from London Bridget to Waterloo for the forseeable future due to a passenger illness on the train at London Bridge Station.”
Now what do I do? How long is the forseeable future and was the lady that just passed the one that got sick or was another person sick? I really have no idea how to find an alternate route. I pull out my blackberry to email some of my co-workers because they may be able to help me and the battery is dead. Totally forgot to charge it. I still haven’t purchased a local phone yet so, no way to contact them and I don’t have any numbers on my iphone. I am waiting to try to figure out what to do, then a lady comes from the tunnels coming from the Jubilee line. I guess I didn’t really think the might be people still in the tunnels and stuck on the train. She said, “Do NOT go down there, there are people in the tunnels and platforms and it is really hot. Try another route.” Okay, got it, thanks sister.
So, I decided to get a cab. I heard from Tony (from the Trinity the other night) only take Black Taxicabs because they are licensed and there have been incidents of the other cabs taking women off, drugging them and attacking them. I remembered that little tip. So I hail a Black Taxicab and ask if I can hire him to get me to Waterloo Station to Elizabeth House on York Road. He says, “The queue is down there.” There is a line all the way down the sidewalk of people waiting to hire taxis. I thought that was too simple. So I got in the queue and waited.
London Bridge is a really big transit center where there are city busses, the Tube, trains and cabs that you can take within and outside of the city so, to me, this is like being at Lovefield Airport in Dallas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge_station
I wait for about 20 minutes for a cab and the line is not moving AT ALL and all the cabbies already have passengers and some are getting on where I had originally asked to the first cab driver. I should have offered him money but I don’t have any actual cash.
I whip out the iphone (I have got to purchase a wi-fi package, this little thing is keeping me sane). I can’t live without the maps! I try to route the bus lines and really can’t seem to follow what it says. There are tons of busses on the other side of the road barrier but because of:
1. not knowing which way the office is
2. what side of the street I should be on
3. what bus to take
This is looking a little harder for me to figure out than I had anticipated. Then I see a Bus Transit Assistance station. They tell me to get on one that leads to Waterloo and it was just leaving. Yipee. That was easy enough.
I get on and it really is a great way to see the city. We go through so many districts and it twists and turns, I will have to try to take the bus again. It did take another 30 -40 minutes to finally arrive at Waterloo but the first stop is right at the river and I have no idea how to cross the streets to get to Elizabeth House. You know my crossing-the-street- almost-getting- hit-by-something- history so you see where I am coming from here. I decided the stops have not been too far so I will take the next one and just double back. The next one was the perfect spot, on the same side of the river and street as my office.
When I arrive at the ground floor of the office (10:15 now), I tell the security guard that the Jubilee line is down. He is really nice, he sounds like he is from somewhere in the West Indies and he said he is planning a trip to the States to visit with some family to San Francisco and he has been to Maryland also.
When I arrive at the office, my co-workers were worried that something had happened to me so I had to filled them in. By the time I left, I had walking directions, bus directions and phone numbers from people. They said the train doesn’t usually close like that so that was new for some of them also.
On the way home that day, I went to Bond Street in search of a flat iron. Success! It was not the one I wanted but it was there so I grabbed it. I still went to 2 Boots on that street alone but the second one was a win!
I didn’t spend as much time as I would like on Bond Street. It was out of control busy with shoppers from around the world. I stopped in at a few stores but I had a long day and want to really experience this place when I have more time and energy. It was about 8:00 PM now. Bond Street seems like a multi-day experience.
http://www.bondstreetassociation.com/
http://www.streetsensation.co.uk/mayfair/bs_intro.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bond_Street
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bond_Street
There was a store, Selfridges & Co http://www.selfridges.com/ that reminded me of Neiman Marcus that had some interesting displays in the windows so I would love to go in there next time.
When I passed by the Trinity, it was hoppin’ but I was too tired to grab a drink and see if Tony, Eddy and the Chef were there.
I was so exhausted that I ate something quick there and took the tube home and was in the bed by 9:30 and read for a while. Time really speeds by here. Because it was still daylight out by the time I went to bed, it was hard to wrap my head around it being so late.
Cheers,
Erika
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