Jay and I spent a wonderful evening on Saturday with a couple we met online, Srinivas and Eric. Met for coffee in Soho and chatted at a table outside until it we just couldn’t stand the cold, then went up to Charlotte Street for some great Indian food. Followed that up with another hour or so in a Soho club, then realized it was nearly 12:30am. We hadn’t been out that late but we knew the trains to Gatwick ran all night, so our journey home would be a cinch.
Got to the Piccadilly tube entrance at 12:45, which is the published closing time. Gates closed and locked. No big deal, as we’re a short bus ride from Victoria Station. Srinivas and Eric saw us to our bus, and we headed over to Victoria. Just right at 1am. Gates closed, attendant only letting travelers out. We missed the train south, which after midnight only departs every hour. Next train is at 2am, and they will only open the gates for travelers at 1:45.
After about 20 minutes wandering around the area near the station, hopeful we could find a place nearby to hang out for a bit, we hopped on a bus heading south. Victoria to Brixton Station, then Brixton to Croydon. Along the winding roads of South London. With quick, lurching starts and stops. Oof.
The journey took us right at an hour. As we walked past East Croydon Station on our way back to our apartment, travelers from the train we would have taken at 2am were just coming out of the station.
Doh.
Tags: buses · Croydon · London · trains · tube · UK · underground · Victoria Station1 Comment
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But at least you had the option of all that wonderful transportation.
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