A high percentage of workers commute to work every weekday, and many choose to do so by train – and many more may be forced to do so in the future also in the wake of extortionate petrol costs. Trains are often over crowded and full of people who are hardly thrilled to be on the way to work, mixed with the stark contrast of the hoards of happy, yet-to-experience-the-real-world school children who also share the same trains.
So how can you survive the grim confines and demoralising atmosphere of the train on a daily basis? Heed the following advice and you’ll be on your way to happier rail journeys – though I cannot guarantee your train will not be delayed!
Entertainment required!
Meeting eyes with your fellow commuters is not recommended, or least, expected in this day and age. For most people, the method of train commute survival is dependant on plugging in and tuning out, or “listening to music” if you want the boring description! Packing a book, some intellectual word or number puzzles, a handheld games console or a 3G mobile phone that comprises several modes of entertainment will help see your journeys fly by and will prove indispensable should there be a significant delay to your service.
Doing something that you love during commutes will also prevent you from feeling that your are just simply wasting time – even if you are just collecting stars on that Angry Birds game!
Seat wars!
On trains, everyone wants their own seat – or two seats to be more accurate! Most people do not wish to have a stranger sit down beside them and as such, they will place a bag or rucksack on the adjacent seat. Many others do not even want people sat opposite them and these people often put their feet up on the seats (warning; this really irks train staff!). If you are lucky enough to have to board a train from the first stop of a line then the best thing you can do is to get to the station and board your train as early as possible so that you can “mark your territory.”
If you really do not want someone to sit next to you then I suggest you select a seat facing the opposite direction to which the train is travelling – forward facing seats are the most sought after!
Advance tickets
Queuing for rail tickets on Monday morning is quite simply; Hell. Getting your tickets in advance means you won’t have to join the inevitable huge and slow moving queue at the start of each week. Rushing against the clock in order to reach the station in time in the mornings in order to fit in the task of acquiring tickets will make you hot and flustered – so not a good look and an awfully manic way to start your day.
Calm starts will see you thinking more collectively during the working day.
Pack some munch!
Do you ever find yourself on the train thinking “I can have [food item] as soon as I get home” and then find your train substantially delayed? I would recommend that all commuters have a bottle of water and a snack of some kind packed for these types of eventualities! Staying well hydrated will also mean that you will be more alert when you reach the office and will therefore have a higher ability to concentrate. I also like to carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer with me so that I can cleanse my hands after eating and protect myself from micro nasties other commuters may be leaving on hand rails and the like!
Alexandra Cole runs a company specialising in serviced offices in London Victoria and Soho by day and is a keen live music attendee in the evenings. She has to commute for almost 3 hours each day!
Authors bio is coming up shortly.
