A combination of a dodgy starter motor on the moped and the "big freeze" that hit Coventry today result in me searching for alternative routes to university in the morning.
The journey on the moped takes 20 minutes past all the traffic on the A45 and its around 5 miles.
I've just run a search on the local bus company website which has suggested the following route:
1. Catch a bus from the bottom of my road, leaving in 9 minutes (11.16pm) to The Elms in Birmingham.
2. At 5.35am, catch a bus from the Elms back into Coventry Bus Station (probably passing the end of this road on the way?), taking less than 15 minutes.
3. About an hour later, at 6.25am, catch a bus out of Coventry to Kenilworth. This takes half an hour. On arrival, I should walk for 12 minutes to another bus stop in Kenilworth.
4. Then, at 7.40am I should catch a National Express Coach out of Kenilworth towards Coventry which will stop on Kirby Corner Road at 7.50am, only 1 hour 10 mins early for my lecture at 9am.
This is nuts!! It's telling me to travel for 8 and a half hours overnight, probably sleeping for 5 hours on a bench in Birmingham somewhere, following a journey of nearly 70 miles which zigzags between Coventry, Birmingham, Coventry again, Kenilworth and then back to Coventry and using 3 different buses and a coach, all to get to somewhere which is 5 miles away. I could walk in less time!!
Here are the actual directions from the site:
ReplyDeleteFrom FORFIELD RD, Coundon Jun + Inf Sch/Evenlode Cres to Kirby Corner, WARWICK UNIVERSITY (SW)
Duration: 8:34; Runs : 27. Nov - 26. Feb Sun; not 25. Dec, 1. Jan
Departing on 27.11.05
1. Catch Bus 75S at 23:16 from FORFIELD RD, Coundon Jun + Inf Sch/Evenlode Cres to BIRMINGHAM RD, The Elms , arriving at 23:21. Final service destination: BROWNS LANE, Brownshill Green/Hawks Mill Lane. Operated by Travel West Midlands.
2. Catch Bus 900 at 5:35 from BIRMINGHAM RD, The Elms to Coventry, Pool Meadow Bus Station, arriving at 5:48. Final service destination: Coventry, Pool Meadow Bus Station. Operated by Travel West Midlands.
3. Catch Bus 12 at 6:25 from Coventry, Pool Meadow Bus Station (Stand P) to THE SQUARE, Kenilworth Clock/Abbey End, arriving at 7:02. Final service destination: SYDENHAM DRIVE, Sydenham/Gainsborough Drive. Operated by Travel West Midlands.
4. Walk for approximately 12 minutes from THE SQUARE, Kenilworth Clock/Abbey End to Kenilworth De Montfort Bus Shelter, Abbey End (N).
5. Catch Coa 460 at 7:40 from Kenilworth De Montfort Bus Shelter, Abbey End (N) to Kirby Corner, WARWICK UNIVERSITY (SW), arriving at 7:50. Final service destination: Belgravia, Victoria Coach Stn, ELIZABETH ST (N). Operated by National Express.
Route passes through one or more stops more than once.
Timetable updated on 19.11.05 © 2004 Travel Information Systems Ltd. Times subject to change.
Plan your journeys around the West Midlands at www.travelinemidlands.co.uk courtesy of Travel InfoSystems.
times subject to change... thats hilarious!!!! Genius...
ReplyDeleteIT'S A MACHINE.
ReplyDeleteYes... a machine with a job to do. Am I so wrong in expecting it to do it right?
ReplyDeleteIt's programmed to tell you the quickest route according to its little system, and that's the one.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of ringing a McDonalds line from Bromley, of all places:
"To find out the name of your nearest McDonalds, just state your location after the beep. *BEEP*"
"Bromley"
"Your nearest McDonalds is in Great Heck, North Yorkshire"
Or have you ever tried to use the National Rail Enquiries automated line that does the same:
"Please state which station you are at"
"Matlock"
"Verify: Prestatyn, Denbighshire, North Wales"
"Matlock"
"Verify: Elmswell, Suffolk"
DEAD-LINE
While we're here, what did I do to deserve being shoved off your list of links?
ReplyDelete