British Rail Network needs counselling

A week ago I started my day with an extremely pleasant walk across London (From Victoria to Trafalgar Square via Hyde Park Corner, Green Park & St. James' Park, in the early morning sunshine.

This morning I have endured what can only me described as total travel chaos!

The 6.35am train into London didn't arrive until almost an hour later. This was due, we were told, to "sensitive rail conditions".

Now the weather this morning was a little bit chilly (but not freezing) and it was quite foggy (but trains generally travel in straightish lines, without junctions to cross or roundabouts to manoeuvre around) but I'm not sure what additional difficulties this would have caused.

In addition, whilst Science wasn't by best subject at school, I had always thought that metal, and in particular iron, was a fairly "hard" substance, a relative "skin-head" of the material world, and not one that could generally be described as "sensitive".

(Whilst 2 previous blog entries have explored the question of "What is irony?", and whilst rail tracks are "irony", I'm not sure the articles will provide a great deal of assistance.) What might have caused this level of untoward sensitivity? Could it have been by an inability to "go off the rails", (given that they are the rails), or the fact that they are always on the "straight and narrow"?

Maybe this is just petulance, and a a sign of their need to rebel once in awhile. If so, one can draw parallels with the police, who with a "no-strike"clause in their contracts, took to the streets in a fit of 'police pique' last week by way of a 20,000 strong peaceful demonstration. I have no problem with the latter, especially as their protest was made in their own time.

For that matter, if the rail network wants to freeze up or melt down or take whatever action it believes is appropriate, at any time between the hours of 2am - 5am, then I would not mind. I feel the same about caravans - let them go where they like in the very early hours of the morning as long as they don't inconvenience me!

However, today's rail sensitivity contributed to a door to door journey time of four and a half hours to travel - in a straight line - about 40miles.

Compare this to the fact that when not totally fit, and whilst somewhat overweight I managed to jog the 26.2 miles of the New York Marathon in 4hours 20 mins, and I may have identified a cheaper, greener and almost time effective method of getting to work!

Or maybe not.......