As a part of my misadventures as a graduate I travel up to London quite frequently to see my boyfriend. As it was the start of my Easter break I thought this would be the perfect time for a visit. However almost everything that could go wrong with my journey, went wrong.
My first train leaving Bath was cancelled and I waited along with a train load of people for the next train. As I pushed my way to get on the train with the rest of the people waiting for this train and the leftovers from the cancelled train, I found a seat. Just over an hour and a half later we pulled into London and I headed for a tube.
Little did I know, I would be stuck on the tube for just over an hour due to a bomb scare at the next stop along. At the start of this we were stuck between Paddington and Edgware Road for 20 minutes with no information, 30 minutes later we were told we were being held at a red light. Then as we started moving we were told: "we will not be stopping at Edgware Road, do not make any attempt to get off the tube. I repeat do not make any attempt to get off the tube. The station has been evacuated and we will be stopping at Edgware Road for a new driver then be moving on". We were reminded a few more times to not try and get off the tube. As we pulled into Edgware Road the whole station was deserted apart from a selection of police officers. Tubes were leaving the station empty and we could hear over the tannoy that the station was being evacuated due to an emergency.
After a 10 minute wait at the station we were told the tube would carry on its normal route. We were held for another 20 minutes between the next stations. Someone found out through twitter that there has been a bomb scare, five people were detained and suspicious packages removed from the station. As we moved on there was little sign that anyone else, apart from those on the tube, knew anything that was happening just happening one stop away from them.
Whilst stuck between stations I couldn't get signal on my phone to tell my boyfriend that I was going to be late and that I was panicking. I have a serious fear of being stuck between tube stations, it happened once over the summer and a man which a child, no older than 5, was telling me in a very soothing tone that the tube would be moving soon. I maintain he was telling his daughter, even though she didn't seem bothered, but me over hearing it was calming me down a little bit.
The atmosphere on the stuck tube was very odd, the couple next to me were all to happy for everyone to over hear their plans they were making for the weekend. As well as reading aloud what they had found on twitter, and happily making jokes about it. A woman opposite me who was visiting, was a lot more friendly as we made jokes about the inconvenience about being stuck and how it was a little scarey. Two people who were standing were in high spirits even though they were pretty sure the hour delay was going to make them miss their check in for their flights, I think heading towards India. As soon as the carriage filled again out of Edgware Road it returned to its normal state.
Once in, I checked TFL and they had shut down half a tube line, and there was more news about it on twitter rather than the actual news. For a little while anyway I'm pretty sure I will be worried about going on the tube, I managed to avoid them this weekend. But tomorrow I go back to Bath and unless I decide to get the bus to the train station, I will be reattempting the tube and I'm already worried about it!!
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