Wednesday 23 November 2011

Falling asleep on the train

The sight of fatigued men and women fast asleep on their train journey home is not a pretty one. Beer bellied men snoring, women who look as though they are recovering from a night out with the girls, glazed expressions.  Passengers, who in the morning would have complained vociferously had their train been delayed, slump is resignation when their homeward bound train is late. The joys of the daily commute.

Most passengers rouse themselves in time to alight at the station they planned to, but a few don't.  Luckily for those travelling to the final stop of a train, railway staff are on hand to make sure passengers are not carried off to the sidings.  However should a passenger fail to alight at an intermediate station and be 'carried over',  he or she may be lucky and find a train to back-track to the desired destination.  But not always.  I wouldn't relish being stuck in Hastings for the night.

Some passengers used to display a note inviting their fellow travellers to wake them up at a particular station.

Of course being carried-over to Hastings was a ready made excuse for parties intent on a tryst in a seedy Hastings hotel.  Too far for a taxi back to Tunbridge Wells.

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