The only thing worse than a Metro SMS advising that your train has been cancelled is a Metro SMS advising that your line has been "suspended". This doesn't mean that a mythical giant has lifted the tracks from the ground, creating a new travel experience. It actually means that your train line is stuffed. And that a replacement bus will arrive in an hour, or about three seconds before the line re-opens (and becomes unsuspended).
Poor commuters on the Sandringham line had a horrible start to their Tuesday. Two hour commutes from Sandringham to Flinders Street were commonplace. I'm no athlete, but I could have jogged to the city in that time.
A consequence of the suspension is that I avoided the trains altogether today. Not an unpleasant feeling, but it leaves me light on data. Whilst good for my sanity,avoiding the trains today gives Metro a free kick -imagne how much impact today's lateness data would have had on my statistics! But, I'm only going to record data for trips that I take - without integrity, this blog is not credible.
I have noticed a very bad patch of cancellations over the last few days, as follows:
07 April - 6:24pm to Sandringham
08 April - 6:12pm to Sandringham
11 April - 7:58am to Flinders Street
12 April - 6:12pm to Sandringham
I just don't understand how cancellations can occur so frequently. What is the cause? Defective trains? Drivers taking sickies? Vanishing trains? I have no idea, because Metro doesn't tell us anything these days.
I hope it's not the drivers taking sickies. But it wouldn't be a big shock. They are not the most health conscious bunch of workers in Melbourne, if the rabble that I see each day at Flinders Street is anything to go by.
I climb up from the dungeon like Platform 12/13, navigate the crowded ticket gates, hindered by queues thanks to Myki cards scanning at dial-up speeds. Then, I'm out of the station, but still under cover. As we know, smoking within the bounds of stations is banned (hurrah), but for some stupid reason, it is ok to light up the second that you are through the barriers, even though you are still under the cover of the station roof.
And so it is that every day I see a bunch of Metro train drivers sitting on milk crates, right next to the barriers on St Kilda Road, puffing away as though there was a prize for the first driver to get lung cancer. No doubt, the last few drags on the fag take priority over getting a train away on time. And hey, why not get Metro to give commuters complimentary passive smoking exposure in addition to late running trains. I know that you can't always judge a book by its cover, but that bunch of drivers don't seem to give a toss about how the public perceives them, which makes me think that they probably don't give too much of a toss about driving their trains on time.
This leads onto another grumble that I have about drivers. On very many occasions, I have been on a train at Flinders Street, ready to get on my way home, and the train just sits there. The doors don't close, and it gets more packed by the second. The scheduled departure time drifts by, and still no movement. And then, the driver saunters past, as though out for a Sunday morning stroll, with not a care in the world, not the briefest of glances at his watch, not giving a monkey's about the several hundred people just waiting on him being bothered to do what he is generously paid for. He may well have a coffee in his hand, or be talking on the phone. But he's sure not rushing.
I've seen bus and train drivers in other countries running to get into the drivers seat, to avoid delaying passengers. They seem to pride themselves on running their services on time. What a contrast to our drivers. I'm sure there are plenty of drivers in Melbourne who do the right thing, but there are plenty who don't seem to give a stuff. So drivers, here's an idea, when the train is late because it's awaiting a driver: walk bloody faster! You might even get a cheer of appreciation from the hundreds of people waiting for your appearance.
