Singapore Expats

Was on the MRT back to Pasir Ris when the track fault happened last night. Sadly it was a pretty dull affair .... no walking on tracks back to station or smashing windows to get out

Warning came over tannoy that that there was track fault for 4 or 5 stations in a row, eventually they kicked us off at Bugis....

No newspaper reporters waiting to interview me about it either....

That's a miss from your side, how could you do that?! Next time this happens, don't just sit and wait! Smash the window immediately and run on tracks back to station! You will see: people will follow. It will be a lot of fun!

Sergei82 wrote:That's a miss from your side, how could you do that?! Next time this happens, don't just sit and wait! Smash the window immediately and run on tracks back to station! You will see: people will follow. It will be a lot of fun!

MRT only stopped in the stations so.not much window smashing or track walking potential.... alas

I can remember my first time.

Train stopped just after leaving the station. After 20 secs the volume of chatter started to increase. After 30 secs the driver announced there would be a short delay. Chatter volume was very high on this news. 3O secs later we moved off and chatter stopped.

This was 6 years ago mind

You mean it didn't cause a riot?

Barnsley wrote:

Sergei82 wrote:That's a miss from your side, how could you do that?! Next time this happens, don't just sit and wait! Smash the window immediately and run on tracks back to station! You will see: people will follow. It will be a lot of fun!

MRT only stopped in the stations so.not much window smashing or track walking potential.... alas

Poor excuse! still should've walked to Lavender!

nutnut wrote:

Barnsley wrote:

Sergei82 wrote:That's a miss from your side, how could you do that?! Next time this happens, don't just sit and wait! Smash the window immediately and run on tracks back to station! You will see: people will follow. It will be a lot of fun!

MRT only stopped in the stations so.not much window smashing or track walking potential.... alas

Poor excuse! still should've walked to Lavender!

I did ... but overground... not quite the same kudos..

I remember sitting in absolute darkness in the circle line (London tube) on numerous occasions. Average time, 15 minutes. It never made the BBC news.

kookaburrah wrote:I remember sitting in absolute darkness in the circle line (London tube) on numerous occasions. Average time, 15 minutes. It never made the BBC news.

[Monty Python voice]
'You were sitting, aye luxury that is.
You'd be lucky to get 12" to stand up in in some countries.'
[/mpv]

Meanwhile:

Yep the LU is pretty decrepit. Doesn't make the news, as it isn't news.
But the Circle line is c160 years old, and running 18hrs a day there are very small windows of opportunity to maintain it, never mind according to the demands of the modern world.

So what if LU or Circle Line is over 160years old. Thats what I hate, execuses execuses. All stations shuts around midnight-1am. Then supposedly 1am-5.30am thats where maintenance supposedly happens. Also how many times, there's a delay as the maintenance took too long the night before.
Or how many lines are off during weekends for supposedly maintenance. At the end of the day LU, trains are old. Lines are old. Signals are old. Too many conflicts. People that runs the signals are different from the people that drives the train. List goes on and on. And there are different unions.
All this PPP initiative does it work.
World class city with a 3rd world tube system that charges like for first class ticket for a substandard service.
Yet, no one complains.
Its the bus drivers that gives it all in terms of public transportation in London. Yet, they are paid a pitiance compared to tube drivers. The drivers battled with the bad traffic. Drunks and unruly behaviour and buses run night services.

PrimroseHill wrote:So what if LU or Circle Line is over 160years old. Thats what I hate, execuses execuses. All stations shuts around midnight-1am.

I think we've identified a pet bug-bear here

London Central Line ex: Liverpool St station (a random choice)
First train (M-F) 05:46hrs*
Last train (M-F) 00:23hrs*1
* This train departs Epping at 05:10hrs
*1 This train arrives West Ruislip at 01:10hrs
So in 'Zone 1' that's a 18:40hrs/day service. Or 20hrs/day end-to-end of the line.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1129.aspx

Singapore - North/south line ex: Dhoby Ghat
Last/first: Slight differences on start/end-station as the ends of lines split but 06:00-24:00 is as near as matters it.
http://www.smrt.com.sg/Trains/NetworkMa ... Ghaut.aspx
So that's 18hrs/day to/from Dhoby Ghat.

Not at all scientific, as the timetables between LU and SMRT are completely different and not exactly user-friendly. Oh, and have you looked at the SMRT nightbus offering? Eight routes for 5hrs a night. I wonder how London compares.


Feel free to try and rework it with a representative commute, or 'journey home from a late night out', and see what you come up with.

JR8, you cannot compare SMRT with LU. It is one of my bug bear. Yes, MRT are newish, LU trains are over 160years old. Yes, LU trains only have 4hours or less per day to be restored and SMRT have more hours.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnew ... et=weekend
Look at the planned weekend closures, thats half the underground. And it affects the people thats really dependent upon LU.
The tube stinks. It is severely overcrowded. Stations are hardly manned anymore. It is dirty. It is positively minging. However, look at the cost.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/fares-2013/28901.aspx

Look at how many tube strikes there are. How Bob Crowe lives. All on your tax sterling, my friend.
Look at what Dave and his gang of merry men are doing, building HS2. That will destroy the countryside. It will destroy Camden Market, whether you like it or not, it is a tourist destination. That iconic picture that you associate with Camden, that will be demolished in 2017.

Er... no the LU trains themselves are not 160 years old. But the underground tunnels are up to that age.

I'm getting a bit lost what the point of all the pink-cheeked bluster is. You live in SG but are railing against public transport in London? Ok, so, when you go home to London buy a car.

Most people can afford to in the UK. Most people cannot afford to in SG.

JR8 wrote:I'm getting a bit lost what the point of all the pink-cheeked bluster is. You live in SG but are railing against public transport in London? Ok, so, when you go home to London buy a car.

Most people can afford to in the UK. Most people cannot afford to in SG.

JR8 just a rant, that's all. Yes, most people can buy a car in the UK, hence 1 in 10 drives a car without insurance and invalid tax disc. Can afford car, can't afford to park it - as resident's permit, parking by text, 6-10min for GBP2.00, then parking tickets, towed away charges.

PrimroseHill wrote:Can afford car, can't afford to park it - as resident's permit, parking by text, 6-10min for GBP2.00, then parking tickets, towed away charges.

Er... well Westminster covers half of central London... so let's see -

http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/ ... oesitcost/

Annual street-parking permit, the max cost is £141 p/a. [40p/S$0.80/day]

If you can't afford that, how do you afford a car there never mind here?