Social StudentI spend so much time trains and buses that I should buy shares in public transport! However for students they are so useful for the many trips made to and from university.
However despite the handiness of public transport – if you live in a large town/ city then often routes are fairly frequent, with railcards the cost can be reduced as with buying weekly/ monthly or yearly passes and it’s a great way of meeting people– it is often complained about: for those who rely on public transport to get to work/ important meetings, etc, even the slightest delay can be a hindrance.
Unfortunately my blog is coming to a moan, the train has stopped in Manchester Oxford Road and THE passengers are getting on. Yes, I mean those passengers that screech and are generally an annoyance to travel with. Sadly I can’t say that I’ve never been an annoying passenger myself as I do have a bit of a ‘gob’ on me. Fortunately though, this is the exact reason why I carry my headphones with me to block out the world around me.
For me, this is the best part of travelling – sit back, relax and block out everything around you especially at night when you can enjoy the lit-up world outside. There’s something beautiful about a landscape lit up at night by dots of light, don’t you think? Extremely wasteful to the environment yet beautiful.
Anyway here are my top ten rules of travelling:
1. NEVER forget your headphones – as explained above, they come in handy for blocking out screaming toddlers, chanting football fans and rowdy teenagers.
2. WEAR comfy clothing – chafing + long journey = hell.
3. DO NOT fall asleep (unless you set an alarm on your phone) as no-one wants to miss their stop.
4. SIT near a window on buses, just in case you need to ventilate any smells coming your way.
5. ENSURE you have written all your travel details down – platform number, destination name and time, connecting times, reserved seat number (if relevant), train/ coach/ plane operator, etc. This will make your life so much easier, especially if you have little time!
6. BRING snacks and a bottle of water for train journeys (essential for those that are long-distance) as train station prices are ridiculous.
7. ACTIVITIES will help to pass the time – magazines/ newspaper or even games. My personal favourite is Temple Run, which I have as an app on my phone and I can not stop playing it!
8. Try to travel as light as possible although this often can’t be helped. If you’ve ever sprinted through a train station to catch a connecting train then you’ll understand this point. Usain Bolt doesn’t sprint the 100m while carrying 3 loaded bags for a reason.
9. TRAVEL SICKNESS TABLETS. Need I say more?
10. Failing all else, eavesdrop – it’s amazing what people talk about when they are bored on public transport. You never know you may get your next blog idea, learn something new or just some giggles. Don’t say I told you though!