How do you fill the time when delays occur or you have a gap between services

[infobleep]

Following Deepgreen, missing his hourly connection at Redhill last night by 3 minutes, due to delays, I wondered what do people do when they miss trains or have waiting time?

Do you wait at the stations or go for a walk.

Reading station is great for heading into town, if there's a gap.

When I use to have a daily 20 minute wait at Clapham Junction between trains, before they reopened any waiting rooms, I use to visit near by stations such as Wandsworth Common and Queens Town Road (Battersea). Filled the time and I got to look at the architecture. Only worked as I had a season ticket travel card covering London.

I once missed an hourly train from Axminster to Woking due to a late bus from Seaton. I then filled the time visiting Axminster. However I got so engrossed in an antique shop, where I bought a former Axminster station sign, I missed the next train too!

 

[deltic1989]

If I have a gap between trains I tend to hang around and watch the trains go by.
On my usual fortnightly journey from Nottingham to Lincoln, both stations are good for a wander round town to fill the waiting time.
If I get bored I nip for a cigarette, or a cup of very expensive mud. (It's sold as Coffee, but I have my doubts at some stations. )

 

[fowler9]

Depends what mood I'm in, where I am and the time of day. Hang around the station and see what passes through, have a look around town or go the pub.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Following Deepgreen, missing his hourly connection at Redhill last night by 3 minutes, due to delays, I wondered what do people do when they miss trains or have waiting time?

Do you wait at the stations or go for a walk.

Reading station is great for heading into town, if there's a gap.

When I use to have a daily 20 minute wait at Clapham Junction between trains, before they reopened any waiting rooms, I use to visit near by stations such as Wandsworth Common and Queens Town Road (Battersea). Filled the time and I got to look at the architecture. Only worked as I had a season ticket travel card covering London.

I once missed an hourly train from Axminster to Woking due to a late bus from Seaton. I then filled the time visiting Axminster. However I got so engrossed in an antique shop, where I bought a former Axminster station sign, I missed the next train too!

I'll usually stay at the station, though if I have a couple of hours for my next train I might go for a wander... Shrewsbury is one where I have walked into town having missed an Aber service.

Regarding the Axminster story above, at least you could use your sign for hitch-hiking if needs be!

 

[GodAtum]

I cannnot stand it, even for 10 mins. I pace up and down the platform. Once I was at the end of a platform when a saff member came over to chat to me. It later transpired he had thought I was going to commit suicide.

I always count down the seconds because I am very impatient. This obviously stresses me out a lot. Sometimes I cry, especially if a train is cancelled.

I would love to pop out and see the sights but some people have to get to work.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Depends what mood I'm in, where I am and the time of day. Hang around the station and see what passes through, have a look around town or go the pub.

Going to the pub has a bad habit of making you miss the next one!

 

[jon91]

Going to the pub has a bad habit of making you miss the next one!

Never affected me when in the Sheffield Tap waiting for a Lincoln service...

 

[les.]

Find the nearest pub.

This last happened on my way back from Scotland a couple of weeks ago. I had to change at Doncaster and had a scheduled 40 minute wait, as there is only 1 train an hour back to Grimsby. This train just happened to be cancelled so I had another hour to wait.

Luckily I know of 2 or 3 pubs within walking distance of Doncaster station. They do say though that everything happens for a reason and after buying a drink I put my £2 change in the fruit machine and won the £100 jackpot!

 

[TDK]

As a driver if you miss a train you either have to work or pass on you normally wait until your next working, have a taxi provided or cover someone elses turn, this is called stepping up. Failing that I have a brew and stay well away from trains.

 

[DarloRich]

Always take a book and find out where there is a decent pub.................

 

[Tetchytyke]

The pub?

 

[TheEdge]

I change my headcode to 1Z99 and proceed to the nearest pub...

 

[steamybrian]

Following Deepgreen, missing his hourly connection at Redhill last night by 3 minutes, due to delays, I wondered what do people do when they miss trains or have waiting time?

Done that..! Redhill station is a cold windy desolate station and not the place to spend 57 minutes particularly during dark evenings.
Time to warm up with a pint in the "Home Cottage" about one minute from the station. I have normally allowed plenty of time to return to the station

 

[LexyBoy]

Pub. I tend to file away good pubs (and cafes to a lesser extent) near stations in case I should be stuck at that station in future.

 

[Tibbs]

It's why tablets and internet forums were invented!

I rarely leave the station, I just sit & wait & surf.

 

[Donny Dave]

Depends on the time of day and how long I have to wait.

If it's about 20 minutes or so, that's time enough to go for a cigarette and then get a coffee and/or something to eat. If it's after midday and I have a bit longer, then yes, the pub is usually chosen, but before midday I tend to find the nearest bookshop and find something for my journey. Those who were on the York pub crawl may have noticed my choice in reading material.

 

[Searle]

Usually just wait at the station and listen to music/play a game. If I'm feeling lively then I might go for a walk, but I usually have heavy bags so that's a no go

 

[168lover]

I normally sit around on the station and check RTT for any interesting trains that may be coming through the station in the time I have to wait. Failing that I just listen to music.

 

[Bishopstone]

Lewes is where I am regularly deposited with a 25 minute wait.

Stupidly, they built the station a fifteen minute walk from Waitrose, otherwise I would stock up with very expensive essentials.

 

[TheNewNo2]

It depends on light conditions really. If there's decent light I'll wander round with a camera. If not, or I just don't feel like photography, I always make sure I have at least one book or magazine with me. I'm perennially behind with reading RAIL.

 

[londiscape]

Straight to the nearest decent pub with wifi, laptop out and get some work done whilst imbibing a few ales. Not just for delays either - it's also good for bypassing peak times so that I can a) get a seat and b) travel cheaper.

 

[leightonbd]

I got my hair cut once (at Carlisle, just outside the station). Constructive use of 40 mins or so.

 

[alxndr]

Today I was waiting a few hours (got there an hour early, then delays meant I missed my connection) and having just had an injection in the buttock discovered that the most comfortable thing was to keep moving, so did a lot of pacing. Usually I would go for a wander, but I didn't fancy going too far today in case moving stopped being the more comfortable option.

I did get some very strange looks, but no one questioned me.

 

[IanD]

WhatPub is your internet friend!

 

[Envy123]

I usually just sit on the bench at New Southgate.

There's nothing interesting outside the station anyway.

 

[infobleep]

Lewes is where I am regularly deposited with a 25 minute wait.

Stupidly, they built the station a fifteen minute walk from Waitrose, otherwise I would stock up with very expensive essentials.

I think the railway should he relocated just for you.

That reminds me of a 1950s Beano character called Multi the Millionaire. He was a small chap and in one story he went into a fish and chip shop. As he couldn't reach the counter to collect his fish and chips he hired some workman to make a lower counter shelf so he could collect his take away from there!

 

[Pigeon]

Read a book, talk to the pigeons, design electronic circuits or work out mathematical problems in my head, that sort of thing. On at least one occasion, anticipating a long wait, I had brought a bottle of water, a bottle of milk, some tea, a mug, a teapot and a camping stove with me, and had a brew-up on the platform. (Have done the same in a Mk 1 compartment.)

The problem isn't so much what to do as where to do it. No form of seat found on a station platform is comfortable to sit in for very long, and not uncommonly there aren't any, or it's been raining and they are all covered with puddle. If the weather is reasonable I usually end up wandering aimlessly up and down the platform, otherwise it's a case of trying to find somewhere out of the wind to lean against the wall. Best is a warm day and one of the old wooden four-wheel platform barrows to sit on.

 

[gazthomas]

Beer, books and iPads

 

[GodAtum]

When I was working at Marlow, if the train was cancelled going home, I would go back to work for an hour, then charge overtime to my company.

 

[Gemz91]

Pub, and sometimes read a newspaper too. Stations which have Wetherspoons on or close by are handy for this if its in the morning.

Used to regularly change trains at Stockport a few years ago, proved a challenge to find a pub close by to the station, until I realised there were two exits to the station. Even harder to find a pub close by to Stoke on Trent station!