Where's a (some) copper when you need one (some)?
Discussion
Picture the scene.
Due to meet with the very big knobs in Holburn early today to agree our 2012 budget. I turn up at Harlow Town station at 5.35am to catch the 5.47 into L'pool St to be told the trains aren't running.
'OK' says I, to the only NXEA person around, 'What's the problem and when will it be fixed? Or are we looking at buses somewhere?'
'Dunno' she says, 'supervisor will be here in an hour, he'll know what to do'. 'Where does he live?' I ask, thinking he lives in France or something, 'Harlow' she says. Well f
k me, Harlow has expanded if it takes an hour to cross it. But no, his shift doesn't start until 6.30 and no-one has spoken to him/tried to wake him. And he's the only one who can make decisions. Apparently. Mayhem reigns. Go figure, to use an Americanism.
I call the number running along the bottom of the board that is by-now informing nothing other than 'THIS TRAIN IS CANCELLED', and enquire... I'm told 'Buses should be with you at 8 or so to take you to Broxbourne'. It's 5.40AM FFS. Apparently, Harlow is a fking 'no bus zone'. Nope, let me tell you, it's a fking 'no brains zone'.
I decide I'll go home to Hadham, have a coffee, then return after 8 to make my way to London and still make the latter half of the meeting. And I'll keep watch on the NXEA website to see how things progress.
Sitting at home, looking at the website, it tells me NXEA wouldn't be running replacement buses and then advises me to drive to Stansted, take the train to Cambridge, then swap on to a train to Kings Cross, if I want to get to London. Yup, 3 hours or so, that would work...Not. You couldn't make it up.
Ah well, these things happen, right? I'll drive to Broxbourne, park up and travel from there. Erm, no.
Call a mate who advises me that the Broxbourne car park was now full, the car and pedestrian queue into the station was 'fking massive' and it was 'utter mayhem'.
At this point I also found out that some thieving g***y tt had actually knicked all the copper over-head wire between Bishops Stortford and Sawbo. Not a technical fault at all.
So, not a great day, all in all, my input to our 2012 budgets was via telephone, and I'll probably end up getting shafted for some mahooosive number next year.
NXEA, you really are fking useless.
Anyway, anyone else inconvenienced today????
Due to meet with the very big knobs in Holburn early today to agree our 2012 budget. I turn up at Harlow Town station at 5.35am to catch the 5.47 into L'pool St to be told the trains aren't running.
'OK' says I, to the only NXEA person around, 'What's the problem and when will it be fixed? Or are we looking at buses somewhere?'
'Dunno' she says, 'supervisor will be here in an hour, he'll know what to do'. 'Where does he live?' I ask, thinking he lives in France or something, 'Harlow' she says. Well f
k me, Harlow has expanded if it takes an hour to cross it. But no, his shift doesn't start until 6.30 and no-one has spoken to him/tried to wake him. And he's the only one who can make decisions. Apparently. Mayhem reigns. Go figure, to use an Americanism.I call the number running along the bottom of the board that is by-now informing nothing other than 'THIS TRAIN IS CANCELLED', and enquire... I'm told 'Buses should be with you at 8 or so to take you to Broxbourne'. It's 5.40AM FFS. Apparently, Harlow is a f
king 'no bus zone'. Nope, let me tell you, it's a fking 'no brains zone'.I decide I'll go home to Hadham, have a coffee, then return after 8 to make my way to London and still make the latter half of the meeting. And I'll keep watch on the NXEA website to see how things progress.
Sitting at home, looking at the website, it tells me NXEA wouldn't be running replacement buses and then advises me to drive to Stansted, take the train to Cambridge, then swap on to a train to Kings Cross, if I want to get to London. Yup, 3 hours or so, that would work...Not. You couldn't make it up.
Ah well, these things happen, right? I'll drive to Broxbourne, park up and travel from there. Erm, no.
Call a mate who advises me that the Broxbourne car park was now full, the car and pedestrian queue into the station was 'f
king massive' and it was 'utter mayhem'.At this point I also found out that some thieving g***y t
t had actually knicked all the copper over-head wire between Bishops Stortford and Sawbo. Not a technical fault at all.So, not a great day, all in all, my input to our 2012 budgets was via telephone, and I'll probably end up getting shafted for some mahooosive number next year.
NXEA, you really are f
king useless. Anyway, anyone else inconvenienced today????
Too right. I abhor the place. It's not even my closest station - that is Stortford - I just use it 'cos the trains are quicker and the car park is right next to the station (unlike Stortford).
S'pose I shouldn't be too surprised at how incapable they were/are, I'm guessing Harlow is not the top of the home location/destination list for anyone with half a brain, quite the opposite I would imagine...
Ah well, it's Friday
S'pose I shouldn't be too surprised at how incapable they were/are, I'm guessing Harlow is not the top of the home location/destination list for anyone with half a brain, quite the opposite I would imagine...
Ah well, it's Friday
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