On Wednesday, 18 November 2015 09:36:16 UTC, wrote:
I took the ELL from Highbury this morning for the first time in about 6 months.
Even after the obligatory 7 minute wait for the train to leave it was still
only a 3rd full in the middle of the morning rush hour. Compared to last time
I used it this is virtually empty. I can only assume the poor service
frequency and slow journey times (25 mins to do the 4 miles to canada water
this morning) have put people off as they did me. What a waste of an asset.

On 2015\11\18 21:32, wrote:

I don't know why, but I tend to go out via Canada Water and the Jubilee, and return all the way by Overground.

Can you try and work out why... it might be important. And exactly which
journey are you describing?

On Wednesday, 18 November 2015 22:44:47 UTC, Basil Jet wrote:
On 2015\11\18 21:32, wrote:

I don't know why, but I tend to go out via Canada Water and the Jubilee, and return all the way by Overground.

Can you try and work out why... it might be important. And exactly which
journey are you describing?

60 or 405 Bus from Coulsdon to West Croydon, Overground to Canada Water, Jubilee Line to Stratford. Return from Stratford to West Croydon Overground all the way, changing at Canonbury and Dalston Kingsland. Bus from Croydon to Coulsdon.

Sometimes do other things, Croydon to Stratford by 75 and 108 bus for example, but that's even slower.

I can think of other journeys where I tend to go out and return by different routes, but for no obvious reason.

On 2015\11\18 22:58, wrote:
On Wednesday, 18 November 2015 22:44:47 UTC, Basil Jet wrote:
On 2015\11\18 21:32, wrote:

I don't know why, but I tend to go out via Canada Water and the Jubilee, and return all the way by Overground.

Can you try and work out why... it might be important. And exactly which
journey are you describing?

60 or 405 Bus from Coulsdon to West Croydon, Overground to Canada Water, Jubilee Line to Stratford. Return from Stratford to West Croydon Overground all the way, changing at Canonbury and Dalston Kingsland. Bus from Croydon to Coulsdon.

I presume you mean changing at Canonbury and Dalston Junction. I'm not
sure why you don't just walk from DK to DJ.

Sometimes do other things, Croydon to Stratford by 75 and 108 bus for example, but that's even slower.

I can think of other journeys where I tend to go out and return by different routes, but for no obvious reason.

looks at bus map

Can I just say that the 455 is the oddest bus route shape I've ever
seen. I think there are three separate places where you could get off
and walk and be waiting for the same bus further on. But I digress.

You never get the train to East Croydon, tram to Elmers End, train to
Lewisham, DLR?
Would you go that way if Elmers to Lewisham had Bakerloo frequencies?
Would you go that way if the DLR was extended to Elmers End?
Would you go that way if the tram was extended to Lewisham?
Although, I suspect the questions will be redundant as soon as Crossrail
runs between Whitechapel and Stratford.

On 19/11/2015 23:21, Basil Jet wrote:

looks at bus map

Can I just say that the 455 is the oddest bus route shape I've ever
seen. I think there are three separate places where you could get off
and walk and be waiting for the same bus further on. But I digress.

It was clearly designed by the same person responsible for the 100!

On 20/11/2015 09:43, Someone Somewhere wrote:
On 19/11/2015 23:21, Basil Jet wrote:

looks at bus map

Can I just say that the 455 is the oddest bus route shape I've ever
seen. I think there are three separate places where you could get off
and walk and be waiting for the same bus further on. But I digress.

It was clearly designed by the same person responsible for the 100!

The 455 enters an Asda car park to stop right outside rather than across
the road; then it pulls into a side road which provides access to a
retail park (and small housing estate); then it orbits a Sainsbury's and
other shops with bus stops on the side roads rather than the main road.
It is slower than a direct route would be, but does make a degree of
sense in context.

The Purley Way area is pretty pedestrian-hostile, and the bus provides a
degree of door-to-door access without having to try to cross on foot.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

Arthur Figgis wrote:

On 20/11/2015 09:43, Someone Somewhere wrote:
On 19/11/2015 23:21, Basil Jet wrote:

looks at bus map

Can I just say that the 455 is the oddest bus route shape I've ever
seen. I think there are three separate places where you could get off
and walk and be waiting for the same bus further on. But I digress.

It was clearly designed by the same person responsible for the 100!

The 455 enters an Asda car park to stop right outside rather than across
the road; then it pulls into a side road which provides access to a
retail park (and small housing estate); then it orbits a Sainsbury's and
other shops with bus stops on the side roads rather than the main road.
It is slower than a direct route would be, but does make a degree of
sense in context.

The Purley Way area is pretty pedestrian-hostile, and the bus provides a
degree of door-to-door access without having to try to cross on foot.

Yes but that is not the only odd bit.

From near Waddon station/Duppas Hill there are 2 -3 stops which are near
but it will be quicker to walk between them rather than catch the bus as
it goes all around central Croydon.

The 407 is similar but less meandering

--
Mark

In article ,
() wrote:

In my experience trains from Dalston in the evening peak become very
heavily loaded by the time they leave Whitechapel; the few times I
have boarded there I tend to have to wait a long time, sometimes over
an hour, for a train where I can get a seat. I cannot stand for more
than a few stops now due to bad legs. From Dalston to Shoreditch
High Street it's not so crowded, but there's usually a net gain of
passengers at each station.

They may not be well marked but 378s have priority seats which you should be
claiming.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 19/11/2015 01:00, wrote:
In article ,
() wrote:

In my experience trains from Dalston in the evening peak become very
heavily loaded by the time they leave Whitechapel; the few times I
have boarded there I tend to have to wait a long time, sometimes over
an hour, for a train where I can get a seat. I cannot stand for more
than a few stops now due to bad legs. From Dalston to Shoreditch
High Street it's not so crowded, but there's usually a net gain of
passengers at each station.

They may not be well marked but 378s have priority seats which you should be
claiming.

How does one go about doing so? Is there a defined protocol apart from
just asking? Having recently been hobbling around on a severely
sprained ankle but apart from a pronounced limp show no sign of being
(albeit it temporarily) disabled and in pain, it's of some passing
interest. What if I have acquired the seat and e.g. a pregnant woman
boards?

It's better now to the point of not worrying whether I can get a seat or
not, but the first couple of weeks were not so good.

In article , (Someone
Somewhere) wrote:

On 19/11/2015 01:00, wrote:
In article ,
() wrote:

In my experience trains from Dalston in the evening peak become very
heavily loaded by the time they leave Whitechapel; the few times I
have boarded there I tend to have to wait a long time, sometimes over
an hour, for a train where I can get a seat. I cannot stand for more
than a few stops now due to bad legs. From Dalston to Shoreditch
High Street it's not so crowded, but there's usually a net gain of
passengers at each station.

They may not be well marked but 378s have priority seats which you
should be claiming.

How does one go about doing so? Is there a defined protocol apart
from just asking? Having recently been hobbling around on a
severely sprained ankle but apart from a pronounced limp show no sign
of being (albeit it temporarily) disabled and in pain, it's of some
passing interest. What if I have acquired the seat and e.g. a
pregnant woman boards?

It's better now to the point of not worrying whether I can get a seat
or not, but the first couple of weeks were not so good.

The moquette on the priority seats is different (lighter coloured on 378s
IIRC) and there are labels marking them as such on the walls above. n my
observation most people are very considerate if asked but there are
exceptions.

--
Colin Rosenstiel