Railcar
Member
- Joined
- 27 Nov 2017
- Messages
- 260
CARRIE THE CAREFUL COMMUTER
Carrie was a careful commuter. She had a long way to go to work, with several changes, but if she was lucky and the connections were good, she could get there in an hour and thirty-five minutes. Carrie lived in Basildon and her journey took her from Essex, through the City, to Harlesden in North-West London where she was a clerk and progress-chaser in a warehouse.
On Monday morning it was raining. Carrie had a five-minute walk to Basildon Station. She had to cross Station Way, and she waited for the lights to turn red and for the traffic to stop because she was a careful commuter. Carrie paused at the shop in the station entrance to buy a copy of the i newspaper. She glanced at the headlines – ‘Government in turmoil’, ‘Lion escapes from London Zoo’, ‘Football star demands transfer’. She used her season ticket at the barrier (for she was a careful commuter) and climbed the stairs to the platform.
As she waited for the 0721 to Fenchurch Street, the loudspeakers boomed ‘SEE IT SAY IT SORTED’. Carrie was a careful commuter and felt that if the railway authorities needed to repeat that message endlessly they must have a good reason, but it did get a bit tiresome. Because she was a careful commuter, Carrie stayed well away from the platform edge and waited until everybody else had got on before boarding. As she did so the loudspeakers boomed out ‘STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS’. She did not get a seat.
On fine days Carrie would walk from Fenchurch Street station though Fenchurch Street and Lombard Street to Bank Station for the next part of her journey. As it was raining, she got off at Limehouse. The loudspeakers boomed ‘CHANGE AT LIMEHOUSE FOR THE DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY’. At the Limehouse DLR platform, Carrie (being a careful commuter), stayed well away from the platform edge and waited until everybody else had got on before boarding. As she did so the loudspeakers went ‘PING’ because the doors were closing. She did not get a seat.
The DLR train took her to Bank station with just one stop at Shadwell. At Bank she changed for the Central Line. Being a careful commuter, Carrie stayed well away from the platform edge and waited until everybody else had got on before boarding. As she did so the loudspeakers boomed ‘MIND THE GAP’. She did not get a seat.
The Central Line took her to Oxford Circus. She had one more change. Carrie was relieved when a nearly-empty Bakerloo Line train entered the platform. One carriage seemed particularly empty. The doors opened, she stepped inside carefully (because she was a careful commuter) and fell over the sleepy lion that had escaped from London Zoo. The lion woke up, extended its paw and made her its next meal. At that moment this announcement echoed down the platform
‘STAND CLEAR OF THE DOZING CLAWS’.
Carrie was a careful commuter. She had a long way to go to work, with several changes, but if she was lucky and the connections were good, she could get there in an hour and thirty-five minutes. Carrie lived in Basildon and her journey took her from Essex, through the City, to Harlesden in North-West London where she was a clerk and progress-chaser in a warehouse.
On Monday morning it was raining. Carrie had a five-minute walk to Basildon Station. She had to cross Station Way, and she waited for the lights to turn red and for the traffic to stop because she was a careful commuter. Carrie paused at the shop in the station entrance to buy a copy of the i newspaper. She glanced at the headlines – ‘Government in turmoil’, ‘Lion escapes from London Zoo’, ‘Football star demands transfer’. She used her season ticket at the barrier (for she was a careful commuter) and climbed the stairs to the platform.
As she waited for the 0721 to Fenchurch Street, the loudspeakers boomed ‘SEE IT SAY IT SORTED’. Carrie was a careful commuter and felt that if the railway authorities needed to repeat that message endlessly they must have a good reason, but it did get a bit tiresome. Because she was a careful commuter, Carrie stayed well away from the platform edge and waited until everybody else had got on before boarding. As she did so the loudspeakers boomed out ‘STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS’. She did not get a seat.
On fine days Carrie would walk from Fenchurch Street station though Fenchurch Street and Lombard Street to Bank Station for the next part of her journey. As it was raining, she got off at Limehouse. The loudspeakers boomed ‘CHANGE AT LIMEHOUSE FOR THE DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY’. At the Limehouse DLR platform, Carrie (being a careful commuter), stayed well away from the platform edge and waited until everybody else had got on before boarding. As she did so the loudspeakers went ‘PING’ because the doors were closing. She did not get a seat.
The DLR train took her to Bank station with just one stop at Shadwell. At Bank she changed for the Central Line. Being a careful commuter, Carrie stayed well away from the platform edge and waited until everybody else had got on before boarding. As she did so the loudspeakers boomed ‘MIND THE GAP’. She did not get a seat.
The Central Line took her to Oxford Circus. She had one more change. Carrie was relieved when a nearly-empty Bakerloo Line train entered the platform. One carriage seemed particularly empty. The doors opened, she stepped inside carefully (because she was a careful commuter) and fell over the sleepy lion that had escaped from London Zoo. The lion woke up, extended its paw and made her its next meal. At that moment this announcement echoed down the platform
‘STAND CLEAR OF THE DOZING CLAWS’.
