Public Transport Sucks!

During the course of the last few weeks, and especially the last few days, I have formulated an opinion of why so few people attempt LeJoG. It is not because it's a long way, it is not because it's hard. It's because it's a righteous pain-in-the-backside to organise.

Let us start by considering accommodation. Or rather, let us not. Because, you see, there's no point booking accommodation before you can be certain of being able to get to said accommodation. And that means waiting until 12 weeks before the date so that one can take advantage of rail fares that might be considered remotely reasonable, and do not require a second mortgage all of their very own. By this point, most of the 'reasonable' accommodation has already been booked by those with a great deal more faith (and probably foresight) than I. Hence, there is no room at the Lands End YHA on our intended start date of 26th June. But there must be other alternatives, right? Only, it appears, if you wish to sleep in a gold plated luxury 4 poster double bed with a price tag to match. Much as I like Ray, it ain't happening.

So lets try the train and sort out the accommodation later. On to TheTrainLineDotCom to book tickets. Only, if you need a bike reservation, you can't. No sir, if you want to make a bike reservation, you have to battle with the phone line. Amazingly, it's answered in seconds....by a machine that asks innumerable questions about your journey. Once these questions are answered, you are redirected to a 'real person' who asks the same innumerable questions, only this time, to make it more interesting, they are asked in a broad Mumbai accent which the quality of the phone line renders difficult to fully understand. No matter, we eventually overcome the divisions of our common language and decide upon a train journey and time. Tickets are available, but cycle reservations need to be checked. "Will I hold?" Do I have a choice? A couple of minutes elapse......"Hello Sir, thank you for waiting patiently" "No reservations are available".

Let's try a later train. Tickets are available, but.........."Will I hold?" A couple of minutes elapse....."Hello Sir, thank you for waiting patiently" (by now I am suspecting a scripted conversation) "No reservations are available". We try again. This time cycle reservations ARE available...........as far as Birmingham New Street. I can get my own bike to Birmingham New Street, it's only 22 miles from home, it's getting to Penzance that's the tricky bit! Many more attempts ensue, with similar results. You cannot, it seems, get a bicycle to Penzance on a weekend train unless that place was reserved by a Victorian ancestor (with an inside track to Mr Isambard Kingdom Brunel) when the railway was first built. Eventually, I decide not to try to explain the concept of LeJoG and why this journey is important to my bemused correspondent from the Indian sub-continent and ring off to lick my wounds and reconsider my options.

Thankfully, family have come to the rescue. We are now driving as far into the South-West peninsula as the traffic will allow on the Sunday, and my long-suffering wife and her father will share the drive back whilst we cycle to Lands End YHA (who do have places on the Sunday). Of course, John O'Groats Youth Hostel, Hotels, B&B's etc are all fully booked on the Friday (presumably with people daft enough to try JoGLe) so we find ourselves needing to get to Thurso the evening we finish. Still, what's an extra 31km going to do when you've already done 1400+? Somehow I think they may be the worst 31km we ever do.

At least it will be convenient for meeting my brother-in-law, who will be finishing up a trip round Scotland's West coast with a bit of surfing in.........Thurso. And he's coming home the day after.

You didn't honestly think I'd try getting a train home, did you?